How ill is too I'll to fly?

[Islandsadness]

I'm sat in my hotel room with a horrible cough and ear ache, and diarrhoea (what a combo). I've had no sleep and my transport comes in 5 hrs for a 4 hour flight home.

What do I do? I've never claimed on insurance before, and all my documents just talk of hospital stays (and death 🙃).

Do people just suck it up and fly?

That Delta story is my biggest fear!!

the chance of shitting myself on a plane would be enough to keep me off it!!

@AussieManque are you sure the seats weren't for if a passenger became ill during the flight? I've never heard of any airline allowing passengers who are already sick to board a flight.

Passengers needing medical assistance is an entirely different issue btw.

See a doctor. They'll tell you if you're physically fit to fly and can give you a medical certificate for your insurance if you aren't.

@jax3068 yes they are seats for people becoming ill during the flight, that's what I said, to move the sick person away from other passengers at the back of the plane, putting them in some sort of quarantine area but obviously it's just a case of moving them away from other people.

You must have made a decision by now - either way I hope you are ok. That is a shit position to be in when you probably just want to be at home

@NotQuiteUsual not all airlines have the Aircon running doing boarding, I have done some pretty sweaty boardings. Also, when the plane is flying it draws in external air to flush out old air, this is not usually done on the ground otherwise you get all the fumes. If you look at CO2 levels during boarding and landing they are usually higher than when cruising (I have monitored them myself. On my last flight CO2 was above 2000ppm when we were on the ground, which means at least 4% of the air you are breathing has been through someone's lungs already. It never went below 1000ppm which isn't great to be honest, so it's good they also have HEPAs running, but that won't help if the person immediately next to you is sick).

@AussieManque

I can tell you that in the case of the long haul flights I have been on in the last two years, the last 2 rows on one side of the plane were blocked off and when some people tried to move there, the crew said "no, they are for quarantine". And it wasn't the crew reserving them for themselves. If it makes any difference, it's an Asian airline from a country that takes COVID seriously.

OK, that sounds very like the set up some long haul operators use on some types for crew rest when there isn't a separate crew rest compartment..if it is really was being done for health purposes then it's certainly not the industry norm worldwide.

I know grumbling about your comment sounds overly picky but there's a danger of generating misleading passenger expectations...

People do sometimes think if that if they are ill as long as they can get to the aircraft everything will be OK because "the crew will look after them.."...

That's not fair on the crew and not fair on the other passengers.

@notimagain I agree entirely, people who are sick shouldn't fly, and sometimes flights are totally full so you can't relocate anyone.

I flew once with an ear infection against doctor's advice, I was very lucky it did not lead to a burst eardrum. Spent the whole flight worrying. Stupid thing was it was a work trip and work insurance would totally have covered it, I just didn't want to put people out.

Having had the misfortune of sitting next to a passenger with a bad stomach issue who admitted to lying to the hospital doctors in order to be allowed to fly, I wouldn’t risk it if it’s bad.

The airline did give her access to a loo which was blocked off for her use only to limit the spread of infection. Comforting.

Your situation might be much more mild and solved with Imodium, but I’d be careful of your ear ache.

A cough and earrach indicates a nasty infection. The ear is expelling infection down your throat, and that's causing the cough.

Having flown with an ear infection, I'd rather go through childbirth again than that pain. Moderate to severe during the flight. White hot pain, that reduced me to instant tears on take off and landing. Both ears, both ruptured.

The bad tummy is possibly linked too, with my more severe infections I get a bad stomach.

Have you been swimming much by any chance?

Too late but I seen this so flying with an upset tummy sounds like a bad idea! https://www.glasgowlive.co.uk/news/plane-makes-emergency-landing-after-27656126?fbclid=IwAR2KtHCMcdnI4XEHfCbjvMobRdo3sESkc_VRUWMxfi6o_1_SGqkpHxVmTak_aem_AXUx7dtRRkDfiCzwwuqABRGMKuN7l6Zxv3bmBP_1ilb5nv8tuZUQNJg4c0P9Pc9cOVM#lm7fig0jelh65c54p18

Big difference between someone being taken ill during a flight and needing to be moved to the quarantine area of the plane, and someone knowingly boarding a flight when unwell. Important to highlight that in case anyone thinks it's ok to get on a flight when they're sick. It's clear from some of the comments on here that a few people would be comfortable with doing that. I'm sure it's quite possible to dose yourself up with immodium or take anti sickness pills to try to avoid actually shitting or chucking up. Whether it's a reasonable thing to do, considering you'll be in a confined space with hundreds of other people for hours, is another thing altogether.

@jax3068 I agree, I was pointing it out to someone who asked what they could do if they were sat next to someone who was visibly sick. Not suggesting that OP travels in the hope they can be cared for by the flight crew.

My adult daughter had these symptoms. She has covid. The diaorhea last a day.
My covid symptoms are cough, headache, earache, back ache and constantly having to pass water.
We wouldn't have flown and infected others.
I hope you feel better soon

Big difference between someone being taken ill during a flight and needing to be moved to the quarantine area of the plane,

Again I'm really not trying to be picky but can we maybe stop the hare that's been set running about "quarantine areas".

Every mention of such here will reinforce the idea such exists and is available to anyone onboard being a bit 'ick.....and therefore crew will end up being pressurised to move someone to the "quarantine area....we know you have one".

They never ever existed where I worked for many years (Western hemisphere, airline, very Long Haul, various types) and until this thread I had never heard the concept mentioned with regard to any airline anywhere.

If you get sick you can expect to be treated in amongst the general population unless there just happen to be random seats free or crew rest seats free that you can be moved to.

Hi all, I have decided not to fly. I'm feeling much better but don't want to infect others.

However, getting the sick note is proving very tricky as hotel and doctor say symptoms don't prevent flying. So I may end up severely out of pocket.

Now trying to find somewhere to stay tonight

@Islandsadness good choice. Hope you get well very soon.

Good that you’re feeling better. I think the lesson here is to play up your symptoms to make it very obvious you’re way too sick too fly. It sucks to have to lie but needs must.

I think you made the right decision OP, for yourself and your fellow passengers. I hope you feel better soon.

Sadly this doesn’t surprise me. All the posters saying “don’t fly” or “claim on your insurance” clearly haven’t dealt with this in real life!

We had this with DD, but insurance wouldn’t pay out without a doctors certificate and a doctor won’t certify you as unfit to fly if you just have a bad cold (or stomach bug, or whatever else).

So DD had to fly home, because the airline wouldn’t move the flight either. They said even if she had covid they still wouldn’t rearrange as it wasn’t a sufficient medical reason. And as we didn’t have a spare £600 to change flights, she didn’t have much choice.

Her entire face was agony from the changing altitude and it was not a pleasant experience but sometimes you really have no choice!

I would have flown. Imodium for the tummy. Wear a mask for the cough. And paracetamol for the earache.

You'll likely be very out of pocket. Sorry to hear this and hope you feel better soon.

@Minfilia

a doctor won’t certify you as unfit to fly if you just have a bad cold (or stomach bug, or whatever else).

..I'm sure you're right for many docs but a doctor with the required specialist knowledge would hopefully act differently. Most flights, most colds the majority of passengers might only get away with a bit of pain but as at least one pp has attested flying with a significant ear infection risks quite nasty consequences.

This from the UK CAA advice for passengers on the matter:

" .... it is not advisable to fly with an infection of the ear, nose or sinuses, as the swelling, which occurs with this infection, can prevent free flow of air and result in pain, bleeding or in the most severe cases, a ruptured ear drum."

https://www.caa.co.uk/passengers/before-you-fly/am-i-fit-to-fly/health-information-for-passengers/passenger-health-faqs-the-aircraft-cabin-your-health-and-comfort/

Doctors seem reluctant to write a note saying unfit to travel (so I could claim on insurance for cancellation). Felt ill with covid recently, but GP took my temperature, oxygen level, listed to heart and lungs and said I was fine to travel. No thought about me passing on covid to others on plane, so even if infecting others is a concern of yours, you will probably lose your money.

You could get away with a mask for the cough and immodium. I would be more worried about the ear ache

Well I'm rebooked onto a flight tonight and going to have to chance it as dr won't provide what I need for insurance claim!

Thankfully eat isn't bad but the rest of me is not looking forward to this. But no other option sadly