Sick Passenger - Any Remedy?

welookgood.com · Jan 2, 13, 12:32 pm

Taking a business class trip GCM-MIA, the passenger next to me sits down and starts hacking it up like crazy. There's coughing and then this. One of the worst I've seen, it sounded like bronchistis The person pulls out prescription medicine and tell me they've been like this for 3 weeks. Don't worry, they don't think it's catching, since their coworkers haven't caught it but I can always wear a mask. They continue having fits of coughing.

Business class was full, coach was not.

I told the flight attendant and asked if there's anything he can do, maybe provide a mask at least (for me). He shrugged his shoulders and said no. The guy behind me said it wasn't a big deal. I offered him $100 to switch seats with me (pulling out the $) as I can't afford to be sick with lot of key work assignments due. He (with his wife and 2 kids) did not take me up on the offer.

In this situation, can someone sick be asked to go to an empty row in Coach by the Flight attendant? is there any remedy? I paid extra for business class and feel this person ruined my flight and possibly got me sick. I was scared to have my soda/drink/any snacks in the middle divider lest the germs/flem spread.

mvoight · Jan 2, 13, 12:41 pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by welookgood.com

Taking a business class trip GCM-MIA, the passenger next to me sits down and starts hacking it up like crazy. There's coughing and then this. One of the worst I've seen, it sounded like bronchistis The person pulls out prescription medicine and tell me they've been like this for 3 weeks. Don't worry, they don't think it's catching, since their coworkers haven't caught it but I can always wear a mask. They continue having fits of coughing.

Business class was full, coach was not.

I told the flight attendant and asked if there's anything he can do, maybe provide a mask at least (for me). He shrugged his shoulders and said no. The guy behind me said it wasn't a big deal. I offered him $100 to switch seats with me (pulling out the $) as I can't afford to be sick with lot of key work assignments due. He (with his wife and 2 kids) did not take me up on the offer.

In this situation, can someone sick be asked to go to an empty row in Coach by the Flight attendant? is there any remedy? I paid extra for business class and feel this person ruined my flight and possibly got me sick. I was scared to have my soda/drink/any snacks in the middle divider lest the germs/flem spread.

If really concerned, you could have gone to an empty seat in coach or on another flight. If it was before the flight left, I would have asked the flight attendant to speak to the pilot about it, if the FA refused to do anything about it. Good thing it was only an hour long flight and not a TATL.

All American Flyer · Jan 2, 13, 12:47 pm

If someone is really sick, they should not be allowed to travel. IMO, airlines need to offer complimentary rebooking for passengers who are sick to avoid this problem. For example, a few years ago I was flying back from CDG and I caught the stomach flu the last day of my trip. I asked to change my (paid business) ticket and was told it would be over $3000 to change. I declined and flew (possibly getting my seatmate sick). They could have easily re accommodated me on another flight two days from then.

CodeAdam10 · Jan 2, 13, 12:51 pm

If someone is really sick, the passenger should be required to produce a doctor's note of permission to travel (ie: an emergency situation). Some airlines have rules in place for persons-of-size, passengers who appear intoxicated, passengers who are dressed completely inappropriately - it is about time they draw a line for sick passengers.

welookgood.com · Jan 2, 13, 1:12 pm

mvoight:

It was the last flight of the day, and I had a connecting flight. Plus wouldn't I have change fees to switch?

I thought about switching to coach. I was conflicted as this person was sick, but I would be the one to suffer by either possibly catching something (and listening to them have crazy coughing fits the whole flight) or being downgraded to coach for someone else lack of manners since they were clearly sick. And not a little sick..

ESpen36 · Jan 2, 13, 1:13 pm

Wirelessly posted (Apple iPhone: Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; CPU iPhone OS 6_0_2 like Mac OS X) AppleWebKit/536.26 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/6.0 Mobile/10A551 Safari/8536.25)

AA Conditions of Carriage probably have some clause stating that pax can be denied transportation if they present themselves for boarding showing signs of a communicable disease that could impact the comfort of other passengers....similar to the "offensive body odor" clause. I am on my phone and unable to look it up, but I'm sure somebody in front of a computer with time to waste would be glad to do the research.

mvoight · Jan 2, 13, 1:14 pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by CodeAdam10

If someone is really sick, the passenger should be required to produce a doctor's note of permission to travel (ie: an emergency situation). Some airlines have rules in place for persons-of-size, passengers who appear intoxicated, passengers who are dressed completely inappropriately - it is about time they draw a line for sick passengers.

It IS in the tariff
http://www.aa.com/i18n/Tariffs/AA1.html

under "REFUSAL TO TRANSPORT - LIMITATIONS OF CARRIER"
E. PASSENGER'S CONDUCT
In the following categories refusal or removal of passengers may be necessary for the comfort and safety of themselves or other passengers:
12. Persons who have an illness that may become obnoxious aloft, which has been confirmed by an AA physician.

I suppose they could be removed it suspected of an illness, and then barred from flying after confirmation by a doctor, not that an AA doctor would have had to confirm it before they boarded the plane.

**JDiver** · Jan 2, 13, 1:25 pm

The airline already has rules about those appearing ill - those who "have an obvious contagious disease" are barred from flying. But who decides? Another passenger, a FA or pilot, or a physician? How does one decide when to call for a passenger to be examined?

Why should the passenger be presumed ("guilty") contagious and inconvenienced? (Actually, some conditions would possibly no longer be infectious after incubation period + 3 weeks in treatment.)

E. PASSENGER'S CONDUCT (AA Tariffs)
In the following categories refusal or removal of passengers may be necessary for the comfort and safety of themselves or other passengers:...

In the following categories refusal or removal of passengers may be necessary for the comfort and safety of themselves or other passengers:

persons whose conduct is disorderly, abusive or violent;
persons who are barefoot;
persons who are unable to sit in the seat with the seatbelt fastened;
persons who appear to be intoxicated or under the influence of drugs;
persons who have an obvious contagious disease;
persons who have an offensive odor such as from a draining wound;...

It's like being presumed innocent - one should probably not be presumed contagious / unfit to fly because one is coughing, nor should one be bumped from a Business class fare to Coach for that reason ("let's toss 'im back to coach and infect the hoi polloi"), unless crew are suspicious the person is genuinely not fit to fly and can have that verified, in which case it's "no fly". (Or be willing to suffer everything from web rants to media exposure and lawsuits.)

How sick is "sick", and who determines? I'd prefer a medical determination, myself.

During times of concern (e.g. H1N1 "pandemic", it was usually ground / health authorities that test (temperature, etc.) and determine who will / will not be allowed to fly.

How would you feel if you were ordered to head back to an empty seat row in coach because you were coughing? Or worse, told to disembark, without any medical input?

welookgood.com · Jan 2, 13, 1:35 pm

If the person wore a mask (instead of suggesting I do) since coughing was the issue, that would of helped the situation tremendously. My flight was only an hr. They had a connection to UK (8 hrs?). I feel bad for the person next to them on that flight

Redhead · Jan 2, 13, 1:38 pm

I've been that coughing passenger and every time it has been due to allergies and 100% not contagious. I would have been royally pissed if I were told to move to coach. If you are so concerned, travel with your own mask

phil_flyer · Jan 2, 13, 1:46 pm

You can read my sad tale of woe here.

newyorkgeorge · Jan 2, 13, 1:51 pm

It was a one hour flight, I would have just moved to Y if I had been bothered rather than the drama of getting the Captain and probably a gate supervisor involved. Obliviously short of coughing up blood when the pax handed his/her BP to the GA, the GA isn't really going to know whether the pax was unfit to fly.

Lomic · Jan 2, 13, 2:17 pm

Quote:

it sounded like bronchistis

Ain't nobody got time for that.

idainc · Jan 2, 13, 2:33 pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lomic

Ain't nobody got time for that.

Absolutely priceless.

Stripe · Jan 2, 13, 3:06 pm

You're obviously not Japanese, or you would have been carrying a mask yourself, if not already wearing it.

Probably not a bad thing for everyone to pack on an overseas trip.

I don't think the "send him back to coach" is a particularly fair request. Yes, the folks back there are already miserable so maybe they might not notice one more bad thing, but back there he is likely to infect more people. Where he was sitting he'll probably just get you.

I would have asked him what he had, and if the answer was a concern (e.g. multi-drug-resistant TB) then you would have something concrete to alert the pilot about. Short of that, turn the air vents toward him full blast, keep your hands clean and away from your mouth and nose, and you'll probably be OK.

Anyway, post an update on your condition in a week or two.