I’m trying to figure out, since American Airlines has a “no peanut” policy, just where the flight attendants would have gotten peanut packages for distribution to begin with. My guess is Mom either (1) saw a passenger with peanuts and somehow assumed they’d been distributed by the attendants, or (2) saw the other nut packages and assumed they contained peanuts.
In either event, American Airlines has a full disclaimer regarding its policy regarding peanuts. If AA was distributing peanut packs, that’s different; my money says they weren’t.
I would think that if her claim that the peanuts were distributed by flight attendants were false, American Airlines would be quick to say so publicly, so as not to lose the business of many other people who have someone with a peanut allergy in their family or travelling party. Instead the AA spokesman “declines to comment”.