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Original poster

To be amazed this family were allowed on the flight (Ryanair)

266 replies

sickflight87 · 23/07/2026 16:47

We were flying with Ryanair last week to go on holiday.

Before boarding the plane, we heard them calling cleaners to our boarding gate. As we got closer, there was a young boy who had been sick all over the floor. He clearly had a fever and wasn't well at all.

We boarded the plane, and you guessed it, the family were sat really near us. Before the plane even took off, he was sick 2 more times.

During the flight, he was sick every hour. The Mum said 'it is such a shame he has a bug at the start of our holiday'.

I am just amazed that he was allowed to fly when visibly unwell with a sickness bug.

I am absolutely amazed we didn't catch it but I bet other people did. I thought it was SO unfair that he was allowed to fly, potentially infecting so many people on that plane and ruining holidays people have looked forward to all year. I know kids aren't allowed to fly with chickenpox, so why can they with a sickness bug?

OP posts:
Tinahowls · 25/07/2026 13:39

Buggeroffboss · 23/07/2026 18:29

You don't know he was contagious. DS has severe acid reflex resulting in vomiting, which is exacerbated significantly by anxiety and being autistic he is anxious a lot. He often throws up before traveling. He's not a risk to anyone and there's no cure/ mitigation for it. I'd be incredibly pissed off if we were not allowed to fly.

Throwing up before travelling is not sitting next to someone for hours throwing up. Unless it’s not just before but goes on throughout?

notimagain · 25/07/2026 11:16

Morepositivemum · 25/07/2026 10:14

notimagain

but that’s not the case here, fair enough people might not look sick but if you see someone vomiting or unsteady or extremely unwell looking then it should be zero tolerance

I wasn't there so don't have the full picture but you're going to have least cut the airline/crew a bit of slack and maybe accept it won't have been their first rodeo when it comes to handling people being ill

Morepositivemum · 25/07/2026 10:14

notimagain

but that’s not the case here, fair enough people might not look sick but if you see someone vomiting or unsteady or extremely unwell looking then it should be zero tolerance

Wellitwas · 25/07/2026 09:02

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Sausagedog101 · 25/07/2026 08:56

Ewww this brings me out in a panic!!!! Absolutely not being unreasonable at all xx

Wellitwas · 25/07/2026 08:54

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notimagain · 25/07/2026 08:54

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Exactly.

This comes back to something I mentioned a while back: in the case in question if the gate staff said nothing to the crew and there was nothing obviously wrong at the door there's no reason to deny boarding.

If the problem only manifested itself on taxy out or later it's (as a pp.mentioned) a decision down to the occupant of 0A as to what to do, possibly/probably having take remote medical advice.

Buggeroffboss · 25/07/2026 08:54

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He enjoys holidays once we're at our destination. And it seems unfair that he and his siblings miss out on stuff because he is a bad traveller.

EmeraldShamrock000 · 25/07/2026 08:51

Are you sure that his mother said he had a bug or is that ad add on for the shock factor? I doubt they’d let him on with a bug, there was obviously something else going on.

Wellitwas · 25/07/2026 08:50

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Wellitwas · 25/07/2026 08:49

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notimagain · 25/07/2026 08:32

Morepositivemum · 25/07/2026 08:15

Pure stupidity on Ryanair’s part- imagine he’d lost consciousness or gotten really weak in the middle of the flight. People are awful just to save money (from someone who cancelled a holiday and lost money because I had Covid before anyone says anything!!)

TBH you'd be amazed at the number of people who lose consciousness/become ill in flight for all sorts of reasons, and often with pretty much zero prior warning.

The only way the airlines have of avoiding that risk entirely is to not carry passengers...

Morepositivemum · 25/07/2026 08:15

Pure stupidity on Ryanair’s part- imagine he’d lost consciousness or gotten really weak in the middle of the flight. People are awful just to save money (from someone who cancelled a holiday and lost money because I had Covid before anyone says anything!!)

Premiumfloppedbigtime · 24/07/2026 21:37

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Buggeroffboss · 24/07/2026 21:36

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Anxiety can be a disability.

But my son has a disability that makes him vomit. It's exacerbated by anxiety and her gets anxious in new situations and traveling, because of his autism, which is also a disability.

Premiumfloppedbigtime · 24/07/2026 20:46

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Premiumfloppedbigtime · 24/07/2026 20:46

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Buggeroffboss · 24/07/2026 20:28

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Being pissed isn't a disability, some other reasons for vomiting are. Being pissed places others in danger. Having a disability that causes you to vomit doesn't.

Porkychops · 24/07/2026 20:25

I flew back once and woman was wheeled on who had been in hospital with gastroenterotis on holiday, spent the flight lying across seats or in the toilet. I was waiting to have the same thjng but tsrabgely I developed a chest infection instead.

Premiumfloppedbigtime · 24/07/2026 20:08

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VivIsBlonde · 24/07/2026 19:56

sickflight87 · 23/07/2026 18:34

Peak mumsnet 🤣 Yes, I whipped my thermometer out and checked it. It was 39.9 🙄

He had very flushed cheeks and the parents were fanning him and taking his top off. He clearly had a fever!!

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I go very red in the face and my body feels hot when i puke but I don’t have a temperature!!

Latteapparel · 24/07/2026 19:31

amusedbush · 24/07/2026 19:29

I flew home from Spain a couple of days ago and there was a woman at the gate looking utterly miserable, holding a sick bag. Before takeoff, I heard a member of cabin crew asking her about the nature of her illness.

I noticed at the time that cabin crew seemed to be stalling before we finally started moving but I didn't put two and two together – it now makes sense that they were waiting for the captain's decision.

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Yes that’s what they will have been waiting for. They’re legally responsible for the plane and every person onboard.

amusedbush · 24/07/2026 19:29

Latteapparel · 23/07/2026 20:03

My partner is a Captain, the decision is solely his as the Command. Cabin crew will have alerted the Captain to the sick child, Captain phones a medical number, describes symptoms or diagnoses (if given one whilst on holiday and seen by a Doctor) medics determine if passenger is fit to fly or if not to offload passenger and luggage before take off.

Show quote history

I flew home from Spain a couple of days ago and there was a woman at the gate looking utterly miserable, holding a sick bag. Before takeoff, I heard a member of cabin crew asking her about the nature of her illness.

I noticed at the time that cabin crew seemed to be stalling before we finally started moving but I didn't put two and two together – it now makes sense that they were waiting for the captain's decision.

Shinyhappyapple · 24/07/2026 15:53

I wonder in these circumstances whether holiday insurance would pay up if people had to cancel at the last minute? I’ve no idea about sickness bugs but I’m pretty sure that they don’t pay out if someone has to rebook their return flight and pay out for additional accommodation because someone has Covid. Hence why people fly knowing they are unwell. I think in some way if we are
getting on an aircraft there has to be some
acceptance of a possibility of catching someone else’s germs as there will always be people who are not aware they are infectious and others sneezing and coughing due to allergies. I agree that sitting near someone puking would be disgusting though.

Sallycinnamum · 24/07/2026 14:46

princesspadam · 24/07/2026 14:18

Yes pity them, but we’re still going

trouble is with MN is that you think everyone else needs to modify their behaviour to please you

unfortunately life isn’t like that and sometimes you’ll sit next to someone with:

someone being sick
a crying baby
someone with poor hygiene
someone wearing too much perfume that sets off your ‘allergies’ (preferences)
someone too overweight

but hey we all have to put up with some Short lived shit that we don’t like

(except on MN)

Oh come on!! You're being utterly ridiculous now. A crying baby or strong perfume is one thing, quite another having to listen to you son throwing up in close proximity for hours on end.

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