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AIBU?

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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:
Aeroflotgirl · 25/08/2017 15:29

Absolutely disgusting. I would have complained to staff to be moved, no bloody way. Would have also complained the staff about his condition, he shou,d Noway have been allowed on the flight. Just reading makes me freel😱😱😱

Oblomov17 · 25/08/2017 15:31

Good grief. This is awful!!

tiggytape · 25/08/2017 15:37

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

scrabbler3 · 25/08/2017 15:39

That's grim and I hope you are compensated. Tweet them as well (it's so disgusting that they're bound to reply).

Full marks to you for considering the wife's feelings though. I bet she'll always remember that.

Aeroflotgirl · 25/08/2017 15:42

At that situation I just could not be polite, especially bags of puke pilling up by his feet, and the nasty smells. I would have complained to the air staff as soon as he sat in his seat.

JaneEyre70 · 25/08/2017 15:57

That's appalling that he was allowed on board. An elderly man was at huge risk of dehydration, let alone passing norovirus round to all the passengers. They would have had to divert if he had been taken more ill, what utter madness.

Aeroflotgirl · 25/08/2017 16:03

I cannot stand people like this that all revolves around them, what if someone on the flight had an autoimmune disorder, or illness affecting their immune system. Selfish. I would have insisted to the flight crew and Pilot that this man should get off the flight, as he is not fit to fly, and his bags of sick around him, present a bio hazard.

Aeroflotgirl · 25/08/2017 16:06

My friend and also SIL has Lupus, they would not have been able to travel with that man on the flight.

ohtheholidays · 25/08/2017 16:11

I think you were amazingly kind OP!

I hope this never happens to us when were flying I'd feel awful about asking to be moved but I have a few autoimmune disorders and something that might make other people feel ill for a few days could put me in Intensive care.

It's good to know(that from some of these replies)that you can ask to be moved.

cardeyscat · 25/08/2017 18:51

I can't imagine anything worse than being trapped in a confined space with someone so ill and vomiting profusely.. the airline was completely in the wrong, letting him board. Also, if I were that sick, the last thing I would want to do is sit on a plane. And you presumably paid hundreds for the flight. Horrendous!

ForalltheSaints · 25/08/2017 19:56

I don't blame the ill man and his wife for wanting to be home and ill there instead of in another country, but the airline was wrong to take them.

BeALert · 25/08/2017 23:48

This does sound like an awful experience, but TBH I always expect vomiting from someone around me on a flight. I'm happily surprised if I get to the end of a flight and it hasn't happened to anyone near us.

AmberStClare · 26/08/2017 00:10

ohtheholidays you can ask to be move but doesn't always work. I asked to be moved due to the seat pocket being full of blood stained tissues and the crew refused. Got a cleaner to come on and remove them then glared at me for the presumption that I said I didn't want to sit there.

This was BA who incidently told me they don't bother to clean out the toilets between flights. Judging by the smell on boarding I knew that already!

Only1scoop · 26/08/2017 00:16

Shocked he was allowed to board

I'm crew and there is not a chance we'd have carried him.

GabsAlot · 26/08/2017 00:48

how was he alow on the flight?

i started throwing up about an hour in a vegas flight-they were very kind and hlpful about it but said if i didnt stop 48 hours i came back i woulnt be allowed to board

Justaboy · 26/08/2017 00:59

Poor old boy!, he must have felt awful being sick like that and i expect he was conscious of upsetting those around him which wouldn't have made him feel any better.

Yes it does seem very wrong of the airline for letting him fly in that state i hope they checked with the Captain before he went on board. Do ask them and or complain so they can revise their procedures in future.

safariboot · 26/08/2017 01:30

"You should have started ranting, telling others around you he is infectious. If a critical mass of people started to panic and get agitated, they would have kicked him off and you could have flown back in peace."

More likely the complainant gets dragged off the aircraft by foreign police and thrown in a cell.

PaganGoddessBrigid · 26/08/2017 02:02

That is so disgusting. You poor thing. I wouldn't have been able to stay seated.

Disn3yN3rd · 26/08/2017 06:53

This reminds me of being in the "carriage of doom" on the Eurostar back from Disneyland Paris. Three separate children all started puking and other business all the way back. There was no escape from it.

Turned out pretty much the entire carriage came down with Norovirus within 48 hours including us (most of the people in the carriage are on a Disney group and the posts popping up about carriage 17 were quite frequent).

I still shudder about it now.

Your experience is my worst nightmare.

Peachyking000 · 26/08/2017 07:21

Oh poor you, I would have been furious if I were you! And on a plane, although I'd want to make a fuss about this, I'd be so worried about getting kicked off. I'm not a typical complainer, but this would be a horrible situation.

StealthPolarBear · 26/08/2017 07:50

I feel sick just reading this. How are you feeling op?

Mustang27 · 26/08/2017 08:06

You better hope it was food poisoning or everyone on that plane is likely to be poorly in the next few days!! That's horrific poor you.

StealthPolarBear · 26/08/2017 08:09

Food poisoning virus can be spread through vomit

StealthPolarBear · 26/08/2017 08:09

Food poisoning virus can be spread through vomit

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