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Ah-choo! Airlines might bump you if you appear sick
With swine flu still running rampant across the country, students and adults who used to drag themselves to school or work while sick are suddenly being told they need to stay home. That push to prevent others from being infected, though, can have unintended consequences as a Hawaiian woman found out Monday at Tampa International Airport.
Mitra Mostoufi was supposed to return to her home in Hawaii but wound up spending the day in Tampa instead. The problem? The staff at United Airlines suspected Mostoufi had the flu and forced her to get off the plane as it was getting ready to take off.
The 50-year-old Hawaiian resident said she was questioned and pulled from the flight in full view of other passengers. The incident, she said, left her humiliated. http://www2.tbo.com/content/2009/nov...u-appear-sick/
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Quote:
Originally Posted by tom911
The 50-year-old Hawaiian resident said she was questioned and pulled from the flight in full view of other passengers. The incident, she said, left her humiliated.
I'm no doctor (and neither was any crew member on that UA flight), but it seems to me there was an over-reaction and very poor handling of the situation, judging from this interview...
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Personally, I would prefer airlines to identify passengers with contagious infections and prevent them from flying. If I get sick on a flight I may sue the airline!
Personally, I would prefer airlines to identify passengers with contagious infections and prevent them from flying. If I get sick on a flight I may sue the airline!
well said. Everyday in this country, there are crewmembers dealing with MEDICAL emergencies in the air. This flight was over-water, Pacific ocean. Last place you need a sick passenger is on a flight where it can not land for hours.
I know a Flight attendant who told me she got a call from her doctor. They found a spot on her lungs. Her diagnosis: Tuberculosis
geez, I wonder where she got that from? A flight, perhaps?
While I do agree that sick people should stay at home it is the airlines policy which forces them to fly or loose thier money unless they are insured but since this has been declared a pandemic many insuarances no longer cover it.
While I do agree that sick people should stay at home it is the airlines policy which forces them to fly or loose thier money unless they are insured but since this has been declared a pandemic many insuarances no longer cover it.
Ergo people are going to fly sick like it or not.
Exactly correct.
I recently contracted the flu, and tried to reschedule my flight to South America because I was too ill to handle a 15+ hour flight. My airline told me to pound sand. They basically told me to "either fly, or forfeit the airfare".
What about personal responsibility? Most airlines carry 50 to 80 MILLION passengers per year. Just what the airline industry needs, another COST.
No but allowing a sick passenger to reschedual for a minimal fee like 50 - 100 US depending on the cost of the ticket should be possible as it cuts the losses on a disgruntled passenger and I am not putting my crew at risk - them off sick costs money.
I am fine with the fact that the illness need to have a dr. note and in the case of swine flu a test to back up the claim.
The pax was vomiting and asked for another air sickness bag in case she vomited again. I've had a family member nearly experience this (nearly being denied boarding because he vomited while in the departure lounge). When you feel nauseous, shut up, and leave the airline employee out of it.
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While I do agree that sick people should stay at home it is the airlines policy which forces them to fly or loose thier money unless they are insured but since this has been declared a pandemic many insuarances no longer cover it.
If at their discretion the airline refuses to board someone, I would think they'd be obligated to refund the ticket. OTOH, people just wanting to get out of paying cancellation fees are going to show up with a bottle of ipecac.
