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Original poster

to not want to sit next to this man on a flight

187 replies

ShouldHAVE · 25/08/2017 13:17

Flew back yesterday from holiday with my family. When we were checking in, there was an older man checking in with his wife. The man was in a wheelchair, being pushed by airport staff. He had towels over his head and was making lots of moaning noises and obviously being sick under there.

Lucky old me only ended up sitting next to them! The wife apologised, saying he started throwing up earlier that afternoon and was very ill (was not disabled - only in the wheelchair as he couldn't stop puking). Now, I just can't get my head around how he was allowed on that flight. The poor man should have been in hospital! He spent the entire 4ish hour flight vomiting and moaning in agony. The smells (coming from ends) were horrific. God knows how many sick bags he filled, but no-one was taking them away - he was just collecting them at his feet.

I spent the whole flight lightheaded from trying to hold my breath. I've complained to the airline this morning, I even paid extra for the privilege of booking my seat next to them.

Were the airline out of order to let him fly?

OP posts:
Bluntness100 · 25/08/2017 13:36

I had this once, so I feel for you. Woman across the aisle from me puked continuously throughout the flight into a number of sick bags. Small amounts like bile etc but making the big retching noises. It was honestly awful. It smelled, the noise was horrific and everyone round about just sat there in silence. Part of me felt sorry for her, the other part felt sorry for myself and everyone else.

I wonder if he was scared of flying? I couldn't decide if rhe woman next to me was ill or just afraid of flying, because that continual vomiting is quite unusual.

SpringtoSummer · 25/08/2017 13:38

I once had this on a long haul flight. I had booked a window seat so I could sleep but ended up with disgusting puking man next to me. He said it happened every time he flew and he made no attempt to go to toilets or anything. Just vomited constantly into bags he dropped on the floor. I asked to change seats but the crew said the flight was full - they let me sit in one of their drop down seats while seat belt signs were off (no chance of sleep as nothing to lean on and no entertainment).

StarHeartDiamond · 25/08/2017 13:39

Spring - they should have got puking man to sit on that seat, he was hardly going to use his seat for sleeping or relaxing!

Benedikte2 · 25/08/2017 13:40

Problem is, the airline did not know what ailed the man and may have been exposing the rest of the passengers to something lethal. I believe There's another Swine Flu epidemic on the Indian subcontinent and these diseases spread so quickly with modern travel. One of the reasons we have travel insurance is so that if we are sick we can delay a flight home. Even if the man was not contagious the accumulation of bags of body fluid in the form of vomit could present a health risk to others.
If you belong to ?Which, I would contact them for advice re remedies.

Viviennemary · 25/08/2017 13:40

That's grim. The airline should be reported and you should get a full refund. He shouldn't have been allowed to fly. I moved away once on a train I was sitting next to. Cough cough sneeze sneeze every few seconds. Still caught a horrible cold off them. Grrrrrrr.

Viviennemary · 25/08/2017 13:41

not the train. Grin

tangledup123 · 25/08/2017 13:41

You really should have asked if there was another seat. It's not much good being quiet at the time, then putting in a complaint afterwards. You should at least have given the cabin crew a chance to rectify the situation.

(Yes, the cabin crew could have been proactive and asked if you wanted to switch seats, but maybe they thought you were all together).

vanityallisvanity · 25/08/2017 13:47

Crunchy I am an emetophobe, and so glad that now I have a name for it. Even the thought makes me dizzy.

If anyone pukes near me I will likely do the same just on a reflex. OP you deserve a medal for lasting the flight. The airline were useless and should never have let the man travel, wheelchair user or not he was too ill to travel.

I was once on a mercifully short (2.5hr) flight where a woman on her own behind me sobbed for the entire journey. I was ready to hit her by the end. Is there a word for uncontrolled crying too?

PiratePanda · 25/08/2017 13:51

Definitely complain to the airline. They should never have allowed him to fly in that state in case whatever it was was contagious.

Vile. I am Envy (and not with envy) on your behalf.

SnookieSnooks · 25/08/2017 13:53

How utterly disgusting! You poor thing. Tweet the airline. (My partner had been complaining to BA about refund owing to him. Eventually, I tweeted them..... and guess what....? He got the refund the next day.)

caffeinestream · 25/08/2017 13:54

I can't believe he was allowed on the flight.

FilledSoda · 25/08/2017 13:54

Did you not ask the cabin crew for any help at help ?

PollyFlint · 25/08/2017 13:56

I'm really surprised they let him fly when he was so obviously ill upon boarding. Not much they can do if someone is taken ill during the flight, but he was obviously very ill as they were checking him in. It could have been something very contagious. Given that plenty of airlines won't let kids fly with chicken pox rashes etc it seems insane to put a man on a flight when he is vomiting uncontrollably at check-in.

I absolutely can't deal with people throwing up anywhere near me and would have had to ask to change seats. I would be close to passing out if that was happening next to me.

I also feel really sorry for the poor bloke who really should have been able to lie down, be near a bathroom etc rather than shoved on a flight for four hours. I can't think of anything worse.

oldlaundbooth · 25/08/2017 13:57

You should have been switched and he should have been refused to fly.

Totally ridiculous.

oldlaundbooth · 25/08/2017 13:58

You need to kick up a fuss op.

oldlaundbooth · 25/08/2017 14:00

' I didn't want to upset her any further by asking for a seat away from them.'

This isn't the time to feel sorry for random people!

Stop being so bloody British!

noenergy · 25/08/2017 14:00

Did u not ask to move?

I would have puked 2

SnowiestMountain · 25/08/2017 14:00

Gosh that's awful, I'd make a huge complaint if I were you.

Youcanttaketheskyfromme · 25/08/2017 14:04

I'm also really shocked that they let someone that unwell into a plane. Surely that's risky even if it isn't contagious ??

Slimthistime · 25/08/2017 14:06

Complain
He should not have been allowed on the plane
I'm emetophobic and I would have had a full on anxiety attack and passed out from the rise in blood pressure.

But I am really amazed he was allowed on the plane. Thank fuck I don't really travel any more.

StellaRockafella · 25/08/2017 14:07

Am really really shocked and surprised they let this man on board, and am so dreadfully sorry you had to sit next to it all. His poor wife too.

Last year I was one of the last passengers to board a long haul flight because I'd been feeling a bit sick and taken refuge in the toilet just incase and didn't hear the flight being called until the last minute.

When I got to the gate apologising for being so late and explaining I'd been feeling really sick and had been in the bathroom, they wouldn't let me board just in case I'd expose the rest of the flight to illness.
They booked me onto a the next flight a few hours later but told me that if I was sick while waiting, they'd not let me on that flight either. I assured the crew member that I was over-tired and anxious from lack of sleep/almost missing my flight, which was probably making me feel sick and there was absolutely no way I had a virus or food poisoning. (Which was true.) Even so they still made me talk to a medical person and fill in a form too, and once I had the approval to fly they let me on the later flight.

I'm 100% certain that if I'd have been sick they'd have made me wait until the following day.

Definitely kick up a huge fuss about this. At the very least you should get some kind of compensation if not a refund. Complain as publicly as possible. Twitter and Facebook is good for this kind of thing, and maybe even go to the local press.

Jaxhog · 25/08/2017 14:07

In my experience, the crew will do nothing unless pressed very hard.

I am astonished he was allowed to fly though.

charliethebear · 25/08/2017 14:08

I dont think I would have even been able to get on the plane, let alone sit next to it! This is literally my worse nightmare, it sounds horrific! Why the hell did the airline let him fly? Why would you even consider flying in that state? It must have been awful for the poor man too and his wife.
I'm guessing if there were spare seats the crew would have offered them to you? I mean surely they wouldn't just assume you were okay to just sit next to that? You should most definitely complain, thee no way the airline should have let them fly.

inkydinky · 25/08/2017 14:10

Bloody hell that is rank. And awful. Nevermind asking to be moved, I'd have refused to take the seat and requested him be removed from the plane. No question. My daughter and I flew back to the UK yesterday. We both had a bug earlier in the week (she had contracted it from somewhere, and I followed her 24 hours later). I initially thought her was food poisoning but still voluntarily quanrantined her for 48 hours from other hotel guests and did the same for me (luckily we were holidaying with family so they looked after her when I couldn't) but had we been sick within 24 hours of the flight I wouldn't have gotten on it. There is no knowing the immune status of the people on board and even if everyone is well it is nothing but selfish to expose people to an unecessary and unpleasant illness.

I don't think I'd have been polite to the wife either, they should have made a joint decsiion not to board. I can only assume they didn't have travel insurance.

Ttbb · 25/08/2017 14:10

They shouldn't have let him fly. What if he passed out in the middle of the flight? What if it was norovirus or something and everyone else got sick? His wife shouldn't have let him out of bed-I wouldn't drag my vomiting husband around an airport.