This was also my only concern reading the OP. The rest seems like a standard day of living in a global society.

While I almost feel bad potentially shattering the OP's blissful ignorance as I'm quite sensitive to sanitation and germs myself (although nowhere near the extent of the OP), I 'm going to go ahead and point out anyway that....


....your risk of getting sick from a completely healthy local GRU resident carrying some potent germ he's become completely immune to due to infections throughout his life is exponentially higher than your risk of getting sick from some JFK native dying from an American flu next to you.

Regardless of how much you travel every locality has its own bugs, even the good ole U S of A. So the point is, you never know who has a bug that will affect you, who is contagious but not yet sick, and who is visibly sick but not contagious.

But they would be liable for compensation.
It's not that the pax tried to make him/herself sick just to not fly, and it is the airline's choice not to fly them.

AA950 flying germ warfare lab. My worst nightmare.
 

So that's where Sadaam Hussein hid his WMD!

True, but the airline has the explicit right to deny boarding to sick passengers, without giving compensation. Just as they're allowed to deny boarding to any passenger who refuses to undergo security screening. Just because it's at their discretion doesn't mean they're wrong to do so, or owe anything to a passenger who chooses to break the rules of their ticket by trying to fly while ill.

Now, only imagine if the OP was involuntarly downgraded and had to sit next to said sick pax.

More people should've played in the dirt as kids. It's amazing how much of a difference it can make for your immune system when you are an adult.

Oh, that I could do that to sick students! I've had students get close to tell me they just vomited, sneeze on papers as they turn them in, sit and infect the air with coughing, It is not my choice whether they stay or go, and if they are in danger of losing credit due to absences they usually refuse to leave.

I keep the fan on, Clorox the surfaces, and constant wash my hands.

I've never felt so awkward reading a post in my life. Wow, OP - so because the guy was obviously sick he was clearly WORSE than most people who are in their highest contagion period BEFORE they show symptoms?

I don't think the FA was obligated to deal with your mental issues. Sorry.

This. I can't believe that people are so careless. I'd blame his doctor but I'm sure that he'd shop it around to any doctor he could find until one gave it to him.

Do you have a reference in the CoC for this statement? AA can refuse to accept a PAX for transport for certain medical conditions as referenced here, but I don't see where it is against "the rules of their ticket" for a PAX to try.... ;)

I'd say the conditions for "acceptance of passengers" could be construed as rules. If a passenger showed up falling-down drunk for their flight (and was refused boarding by the same quoted section), few would argue that that passenger was in compliance with the CoC.

Sounds to me that your passenger friend might been having an allergic attack to something on the 777. No wonder you did not become ill!!!

Dearest phil_flyer,

I loved this post. The good thing is the you were able to SEE what you were dealing with. An airplane is a cesspool of bacteria and viruses. I used to get eye infections all the time, I couldn't understand why. I read an article on the WSJ about water on airplanes:
On one flight, I saw a f/a pouring hot water on the towels...which I would use to wipe my FACE, eyes, hands, and neck. The water used is warm, not boiling hot to kill germs. I immediately stopped using the towels -

I never got an eye infection again.

UG

People get sick. It's a fact of life. Your irrational fear of becoming ill is just that: irrational.

There's nothing "rude" about nature. Suck it up or pay the change fee.

Absolutely, positively, not true at all. Not for American or EU carriers, anyways. Laws may vary by country.