hello i was wondering how airlines regulate passangers that are to ill to fly maybe have a fever.....do they look out for people that might try not to loose there money on a 11 hour flight by going transit when sick......my wife knows somone who had to go on her flight and sick......i personally had a fever and flew from cdg to ham one time it was vary uncomfotable and ear hurt from pressure vary much......would someone get a note from doctor or just buy travel insurance suppose

Airlines only care if you are 'sick' in such a way that people notice. Then only care if the GA/FA notices and/or other Pax`s notice and ask to have you removed for fear of starting a pandemic.
Patient Zero can be dead or show zero signs of the illness.
As for getting a fare changed, yeah I'd start with a Dr's note and prayer

The airlines won't even enforce carry on baggage size, so they sure as heck won't do anything about a sick passenger unless that passenger is so extremely and ostentatiously symptomatic that they are causing concern amongst other passengers.

If a person is sick and contagious and then travels - well, knowing that you may/will make people around you sick and traveling anyway is just downright anti-social. Yeah, yeah, I've heard all the excuses, but there it is... I'd have no complaints if legislators decided to make a misdemeanor out of it someday.

I once gave up my First Class seat in order to not have to sit next to a guy who was clearly rather ill, even including the occasional moan. The flight attendants didn't seem to notice - they were busy with the boarding process - and I was able to get a seat back in coach.

can you truly tell me its not good too fly anytime that were ill......i am glad the doctor note might help to get a refund......i know the airlines will give money back i got full refund when didnt do flight to europe once.....i never buy insurance for flight....but wife from france say its option.....just dont a person to die in flight to save money.....smile)

Airlines will always try to take steps to reduce the risk to a traveler, even if that sometimes seems contrary to the passenger's immediate interests. When an airline asks for a doctor's note or similar for what may appear to be a very minor issue, it is not because the airline wants to cause a hassle but rather because it is better to be safe than sorry.

I had a sad experience a few years ago when working for a previous airline employer. A lady had been diagnosed with terminal cancer while on a visit to the UK and had been deemed unfit to travel. Her family however wanted her to return to her home country to die rather than in the UK as she already held a return air ticket and they could not afford to ship the body back as cargo. As the airline, we required a doctor's note clearing her for travel. This was provided, and our staff even called the number on the doctor's letterhead to confirm that everything was in order and to verify any special handling instructions.

On the day of departure, the lady seemed a bit disoriented but keeping in mind the doctor's clearance and her husband's advice that she had taken a sedative, was cleared to travel. Once airborne, she was fine initially and even ate the first meal before going to sleep and covering herself with a blanket. Sometime during the night she had difficulty breathing and passed away. Her husband actually noticed her breathing difficulties but declined to notify the crew as he was afraid we would divert and cause additional costs to the family. When the crew came around to do compliance checks at top of descent, he calmly stated that she had died about 3 hours earlier.

On arrival, the matter was passed on to the local police who asked the husband to give a statement. While left unattended to complete his statement, he fled the police station. The body was subsequently claimed by the brother of the deceased. When attempting to contact the doctor named on the letterhead to advise of the death, it turns out that the letter was a forgery using a modified telephone number on a genuine NHS letterhead - set up by the husband.

Local police declined to prosecute as they claimed the matter was out of their jurisdiction as the death had occurred prior to entering their airspace. The file was passed to CPS in the UK but they also declined to prosecute as all parties were non-UK citizens/residents and the actual death occurred outside the UK. Basically the guy got away with murder.

No. He got away with forgery. He didn't kill her, cancer did. Even if the stresses of flight hastened her demise by a few moments, that could likely only be stretched to elder neglect, or involuntary manslaughter. I don't know what jurisdiction you landed in, but most communities would be hard pressed to field a jury willing to imprison a man for trying to help his dying wife get home, regardless of how traumatizing it was to the flight crew.

Back on topic, there are several conditions (though none should be considered "seriously" ill) that are not contagious, but can cause fevers and make flying absolutely miserable. sinusitis, ear infections and dental abscesses probably being the most common. In these instances, it might help to ask your physician to specifically state in a note that flying could exacerbate your discomfort and possibly cause long lasting harm.

If you are seriously ill, you need insurance. i know the OP doesn't buy it, but he should. Travel insurance will pay for a nurse or paramedic to fly with and take care of you. Further, if you are too sick to fly with an escort, they will fly you in an air ambulance.

i just wanted to know how far you can go on a 11 flight ear infection suppose effect only when takeoff and landing....... not someone who has cancer.....i dont buy insurance ever.....i think its a rip off....sooo suppose a doctors note would get you on another flight home when you are not sick to travel....or possible give it to others..... some times the cold weather in europe and not sleeping could cause someone to get sick.....

I don't believe an ear infection is contagious, so no worries about giving it to someone else.

Might be hard to get a doctor's note to get your ticket fees back based on an ear infection.

Insurance is by definition a losing proposition: if, on average, clients got back more than they paid in premiums, there'd be no such thing as insurance. But that's the way the cookie crumbles. Either buy insurance and be covered for eventualities like medical problems interrupting your trip, or don't and be prepared to eat the cost of changing your tickets (or buy non-refundable tickets). Expecting the airline to cover your personal eventualities at no charge is quite a stretch.

soo if become sick your out of luck or chance it and fly 11 hrs of misery......i know the airlines could really care less....im sure there is a clause that you could spread a sickness on international flight....i see officers looking for sick persons on entry to airports

Long story short, my son became ill while traveling internationally, and wasn't allowed to fly until 5 days after his original return date. Travel insurance that cost $45 (for him and his traveling companion) paid out close to $3000. Well worth it, IMO.

If he had been more seriously ill the insurance would have paid for me to get to him, and/or for a nurse to fly with him on the way home.

a child ill get the cover.....its normal.....but alone....why take chance to get sick on travels.....

I once flew with a cold and the resulting ear infection. Never again! It caused me severe pain throughout the entire flight, not just during takeoff and landing, and I was deaf for 2 days afterwards,

Now, I would gladly pay any extra fees not to fly with an ear infection.

I have never bought travel insurance - but I have seen it in action and it saved my folks huge. 1999 - Father - heart attack - cruise ship returning from Antartica. Got him to NZ - they took great care of him. I was in Korea - met up with Mother/father - and started making arrangments to ge them home (IAD). Doctor said he needed oxygen standing by on the flight - and should travel with a nurse. She was an international/travel nurse - only flew in F. Airline (UA) said it was the doctors call. No nurse/no seat. So, all in all the deal was close to $30k USD. Every cent was reimbursed by the travel insurance company. So, while he was probably not technically seriously ill, the doctor and the airline were calling the shots. And the shots can be expensive.

Side notes:

a. He is fine.
b. I was able to upgrade myself and mother to C (took a bit of sob story and a bunch of "upgrade coupons" I had from UA.

So, Dad's still alive and I got upgraded. Not a bad week!

Any of us that have flown extensively for years have either sat next to someone whom was ill, or we have been ill ourselves and decided to fly anyway.

I have no doubt that I have been infected by a fellow passenger or two whom should have strayed in bed. And I have probably infected others when I should have not been flying with a temperature, cough, sneeze, and other germ spreading symptoms.

Virus can be highly contagious, and as we all know, can make you very ill. Spending hours in an aluminum tube with hundreds of others, while breathing semi-recycled air, is a great way to spread disease.

Many of the traveling public feel compelled to travel while ill. Perhaps because they feel forced to attend a business or family meeting, or because they feel they have no choice but to follow-through with the ticket. If you feel you can handle the trip, there are no laws that are going to penalize you for traveling with illness. However, to be fair to your fellow passengers, if you feel you may be contagious, you should, out of common courtesy, stay home - if you can.