SeoulMan

From the International Herald Tribune, July 14, 2000
"ASK ROGER COLLIS" By Roger Collis

From Carina Pierre-Rochard in Paris:

QUESTION: I suffered serious food poisoning after eating a cheese and ham omelette on an Air France flight from Paris to Stockholm. Apparently I came down with campylobacter and have never been so sick in all my life. The doctor prescribed antibiotics and sent me for hospital tests. The experience cost me 1,500 Swedish kronor ($170) and three days off work. I wrote twice to Air France with a copy of the medical bill, ticket and a note from the doctor confirming food poisoning. The only reply I have had so far is a call from someone to say they will get back to me! I am a member of the airline's Frequence Plus program traveling at least 12 times a year. I find this kind of treatment appalling. I expect to be reimbursed for my costs at the very least. Do you hear similar tales?

ANSWER: Yes, but not as dire as yours. Whatever class you travel, surviving airline food is not just a matter of taste, it's also a matter of hygiene. For those who want to be as careful as possible: Avoid shrimp and Russian salad and anything swamped in mayonnaise, a breeding ground for bacteria. Never accept juice served from a jug, only from an unopened can. Consider bringing your own food and bottled water as many travelers are doing. Traveling on EasyJet or British Airways, I buy a cellophane-wrapped bacon, lettuce and tomato sandwich at the airport or
on the plane.

Urs Schindler, in-flight product manager at Swissair in Zurich, says: ''We are very much behind the sandwich philosophy. Passengers get more quality with two nice sandwiches than a lousy hot meal on a tray.'' Hotels around the world are now providing ''gourmet meals to go'' for travelers. But that's
another story. Travelers need to be vigilant about food and water hygiene in five-star hotels as well as business class.

According to Dr. Richard Dawood in London, who specializes in travel medicine, as many as a third of travelers become ill from gastrointestinal problems when they are abroad - 30 percent of whom are confined to bed - and 40 percent are obliged to change their travel plans.

Let me know how you get on with Air France. If you get no satisfaction, I'll take your case up with them.