Not just "some airlines"; specifically, Emirates does this. And guess what? They did this to us when we missed our connection in London - this was twenty years ago, but makes my blood boil even today. What takes the cake, though, is that a) we missed the connection because Virgin took off late from Orlando that caused us to miss our connection and, more importantly, b) Emirates staff put us through to Mumbai on Kuwait Air ex-London. So, they knew that we had continued on our flight but STILL cancelled our return, confirmed trip. I had to make an overnight journey (each way) to Mumbai to go to the Emirates head office to get our tickets reinstated. We lost our window seats and our meal choices in the bargain :-(

A long time ago, but were your VS and EK flights on the same ticket?

Not to mention highly contagious norovirus.

Just recovering from the same. Caught it from the hospital of all places.

I thought that my body would be very immune due to frequent trips to the subcontinent.

I have come to the conclusion that there is no norovirus in India and that my immune system is hopefully still intact .

On a positive note , one does recover fairly quickly from noro with just simple rehydration. Unlike the Indian gastrointestinal infections which are frequently bacterial or amoebic and need antimicrobial therapy.

I'm just so glad that the OP's child is ok - who knows - it may have had a different outcome had they not been offloaded.

"Evidence based opinion" - as per OP - very interesting concept!!

The most worrying this about this thread is that it's 4 years old! It seems like yesterday :(

I am sorry the OP had to experience this. What Emirates should have done was to bring a doctor from the Changi Raffles clinic to the plane and if the passenger was fit to fly based upon his assessment allow the passenger to fly. In the time that it took to get the bag off they could have a doctor meet the flight and give the assessment onboard checking vitals, blood pressure and temperature. Clearly Max did not have a temperature.

Why couldn't the crew ask for a doctor or nurse onboard who could have opened the medical kit and check for a temperature and vital signs? Offer water? This was done behind your back and you could ask for more money for the humiliation.

Clearly this could have been handled better. And the captain should have been more gracious with you. I would be very upset that Medlink did not even ask for your son's vital signs? How could they make an assessment without checking vitals? Ginger Ale and Ginger Candy could have helped instead you were forced to pay to go to a medical clinic for a Fit to Fly certificate?

Wait one minute if there was severe turbulence other passengers who are prone to the motion would be vomiting? Why do they provide air sickness bags? Emirates overstepped the boundaries. Would they ask the entire aircraft to be checked out at Raffles if there was severe turbulence?

Its just like me calling an ER and asking for a diagnoses over the phone they will not give it to me as vitals need to be checked. Clearly the crew should be trained about motion sickness. Your son had all the vital signs and went to the toilet to vomit.

I as a kid had motion sickness oddly never on a plane but only in a backseat of a car on a curvy row. Interestingly we were on a Oakland CA-Paris flight on a French Charter and over Greenland we had severe turbulence my brother vomited and I handled it well. The flight attendant knew it was due to the motion and offered water and soda water and helped my brother after.

You do know that the event was 4 years ago though? It also seems less than feasible to hold all passengers up whilst waiting for a doctor to come from a clinic to make a decision

Not sure of EK's rules, but at my airline (one of the other ME3), a doctor at the airport is not allowed to determine fit to fly. The only source allowed to issue a fit to fly determination to our passengers on the day is via Mediaire (Medlinks' competitor).

I have read the first 4 pages of this thread and the last page and I have a question:

Knowing that they have a child who is prone to travel sickness, why on earth did his parents not take precautions against it in advance? One visit to their own doctor and a prescription for medication against motion sickness would have prevented this whole sorry episode.

Dubai to Australia is a long, long journey. To make it with a sick child would be horrible.

I know that I am prone to motion sickness. I always take medication to prevent it and I have never been sick on a plane,no matter how much turbulence the flight has.

Folks, this thread is four years old. No point discussing it any further.

Regards
Zol
Emirates Skywards Forum Moderator