Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Child-safe in minutes.

Meet the Other Phone.
Child-safe in minutes.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Passenger travelling whilst really ill

473 replies

Notjustanother · 28/10/2023 09:56

Took a flight to Berlin last week. Woman next to me was coughing the entire flight; deep phlegmmy cough and spitting stuff up. Clearly should have been in bed. It was grim. As a minimum she should have been wearing a mask.

Five days later I felt very ill, and tested positive for Covid. A former colleague who also happened to be on the flight, sitting in front of this woman, has also tested positive.

Since then I have lost half a stone in weight, been horrendously ill and am having difficulty breathing. Today we were supposed to be going away for a much looked forward to half term holiday, we have had to cancel and pay the £200 insurance excess.

The woman was on a mini break with her husband, but did some work on the flight. She works for a law firm.

Would I be unreasonable to contact the law firm and complain - especially as she was working for them during the flight. I have her name.

I am furious that her rank selfishness has made me (and others on the flight) so ill. There could be no doubt that she was going to infect others on the flight, and must have known that there was a high risk that she had Covid.

I think she needs to be made accountable for her actions, or at the very least be made aware of how her actions have affected others. AIBU?

OP posts:
Original poster
Notjustanother · 28/10/2023 10:37

RSintes · 28/10/2023 10:26

Do you often become excessively anxious over health issues?

Only when they leave me unable to get out of bed for a week, waking up drenched in sweat, struggling to breathe and coughing up blood. Oh and losing half a stone in weight.

Do you struggle with empathy @RSintes? You weren’t by any chance flying to Berlin last week were you?

OP posts:
Cheeseandlobster · 28/10/2023 10:38

RSintes · 28/10/2023 10:26

Do you often become excessively anxious over health issues?

I knew someone would ask the cliched anxiety question at some point.

The op isn't anxious. She is pissed off she has had to miss a long awaited holiday due to someone else's selfishness

NeunundneunzigHorseBallonz · 28/10/2023 10:39

While it is LIKELY that you caught it from her there is no evidence that it was SPECIFICALLY her that gave it to you. The air on aircraft is recirculated and you are are technically breathing everyone’s bugs, not to mention touching seatbelts and tray tables, toilets and doors… She absolutely should have worn a mask, but I suspect sending an email to a lawyer’s company accusing them of giving you COVID is asking for a lawsuit.

MrsSkylerWhite · 28/10/2023 10:39

How do you know who she works for?

Toottooot · 28/10/2023 10:40

Surely the flight had hunners o ither passengers ? Fars your proof you caught it fae her and nae een o the other travellers? You dinna even ken for sure she did hae covid 🤷🏻‍♀️

Quartz2208 · 28/10/2023 10:40

We all have a terrible phlegm virus - it is covid. All tested negative, DH ended up at A&E and blood tested no covid. Much worse than the covid we had 2 months ago

could you have caught covid from her yes. Could you have caught it somewhere else - yes.

could she have had covid and tested negative - yes.

sprry but she works for a law firm and you have no evidence apart from circumstantial evidence

HomeBird43 · 28/10/2023 10:41

you haven’t answered what you think her form would/should do about it, OP.

Alalalalalongalalalalalonglonglilong · 28/10/2023 10:42

Complaining will get you nowhere but it might give her a kick in the butt and make her more aware for next time. Id do it, if only just to annoy her.

Also I think airlines should be aware of this and offer a mask to someone who is spreading germs on their flight, and/or those beside them.

HunterHearstHelmsley · 28/10/2023 10:43

HomeBird43 · 28/10/2023 10:41

you haven’t answered what you think her form would/should do about it, OP.

The woman would just deny it anyway, it's one person's word. She could easily say, oh we were chatting prior to the flight but I wouldn't swap seats with her so she's being arsey (for example).

Bloodsweatntears · 28/10/2023 10:43

Troubling the number of posters falling over themselves trying to excuse the behaviour of the woman with the cough.

Clearly it’s every man or woman for themselves…but I’m stressed I neeeeeded my holiday (and sod you if I knowingly infect you with Covid!)

socks1107 · 28/10/2023 10:45

I was the reverse on this. I started with Covid symptoms whilst on holiday and had to fly home unwell. I knew it was Covid but I had to get home with my children. It wasn't ideal but there's no rules and you can go anywhere with Covid. Yabu

PassageDEnfer · 28/10/2023 10:45

Given the level of collective denial about a new virus which certainly does not share a risk profile with the common cold, just about the only (and imperfect) option you have in crowded and enclosed spaces is an FPP2 mask. At least keep one on your person and wear it if wedged next to someone symptomatic? Even better, travel with two and then you could offer them one?

Vinvertebrate · 28/10/2023 10:45

Having worked in a few law firms, they will (rightly) laugh at you as one of those loons who send in shite from time to time

Absolutely this. You’d rightly be considered a loon for trying to get her into trouble at work.

NuffSaidSam · 28/10/2023 10:46

Notjustanother · 28/10/2023 10:17

So I know you’re not prohibited from travelling with Covid, the advice is isolate if you can.

But surely you exercise some common sense and don’t put other people in harms way? She was off on a mini break with her husband; completely non essential travel.

I could have gone away on my holiday today - but I wouldn’t do that to everyone else on the plane. Just because you CAN legally do something, does not mean you should.

I don't think people are necessarily disagreeing with you that her actions lacked courtesy for others, what they're asking is what you expect her company to do about it?

You send an email:

Dear Sir/Madam at law firm

One of your employees recently failed to show common sense or concern for other's health on a flight to Berlin..

And...they call her in and sack her? Dock her pay? Send her on common sense training? Take away her employee of the month certificate? Slap her? Make her come to your house with a bunch of flowers?

In your fantasy where you send this email, what happens to this woman?

HunterHearstHelmsley · 28/10/2023 10:46

Alalalalalongalalalalalonglonglilong · 28/10/2023 10:42

Complaining will get you nowhere but it might give her a kick in the butt and make her more aware for next time. Id do it, if only just to annoy her.

Also I think airlines should be aware of this and offer a mask to someone who is spreading germs on their flight, and/or those beside them.

Why would it annoy her? I can't imagine any company taking this seriously so it would be more amusing than annoying.

Erdinger · 28/10/2023 10:46

I’m sorry you got ill but you can’t prove you caught covid from her or that she indeed had covid. There is no law prohibiting people from travelling with covid anymore . Next time pack a mask with you

Ginmonkeyagain · 28/10/2023 10:48

Well yeah. The OP also took a risk by getting on a plane - was her flight necessary?

Gnomegnomegnome · 28/10/2023 10:49

Sadly it’s part of the risk that you take while travelling. People are selfish but you can’t do anything about it.

GETTINGLIKEMYMOTHER · 28/10/2023 10:50

It was grossly inconsiderate of her, but I doubt that there’s anything you can do.

Before COVID was properly realised to be a Thing, early during that first January a dd was on a long haul flight with her BF, where a woman in a nearby seat was coughing the whole time. Dd ended up spending almost the entire 10 days of the holiday cooped up and ill in a hotel room, and felt very rough and exhausted for a few weeks afterwards.
There were no generally available tests at the time, but she had almost certainly caught COVID from that constantly-coughing woman.

Her BF was unaffected, but he’s one of those lucky people who never even get colds - evidently immune to any of that type of virus.

SomeCatFromJapan · 28/10/2023 10:50

Firstly, she didn't break any rules or do anything she was prohibited from doing.
Secondly, she may not have had covid at all, she may have had different chest infection and you caught it from someone completely different. There is no way of knowing.

NotAscoob · 28/10/2023 10:51

Oh my word. I would be livid too. Beyond livid actually. Morally , well morally, she had no moral in doing this because no flying fucks were given. And the cheeky bitch didn’t even wear a mask.
The thing is you actually can’t do anything as she was allowed to do this.

It’s a state of the world we are in: selfish, entitled and all about me. It’s awful but little we can do.

Hope you feel better 🧡

Movinghouseatlast · 28/10/2023 10:52

Whilst I really sympathise with you, it's pointless to try to hold her accountable.

I caught Covid either on the plane or on the airport bus to the plane. I've been really ill for nearly two weeks- completely debilitating symptoms and I just feel horrific. I have no idea who gave me Covid though- nobody was coughing etc. So I think you can catch it any time from anyone.

When I last had Covid 15 months ago I flew home on day 6 which was 'legal' at the time. I wore an N95 mask the whole time. I very nearly didn't travel home, I felt so guilty. Got on the plane and literally every other person was coughing, there was a whole family all complaining loudly they had a fever. If I hadn't travelled I would have lost loads of money but every other fucker would have still been on the flight.

Inastatus · 28/10/2023 10:52

You’re being ridiculous OP. What do you expect her employer to do? As others have said, you can’t prove you caught it from her. Planes are notorious for being germ carriers and I bet she wasn’t the only one coughing on the plane or in the airport. It’s an airborne virus and you could have caught it from anyone.

HRTQueen · 28/10/2023 10:53

I have often had a cold after flying and have travelled with a cold

its not natural to be in the air in a small metal capsule of course germs spread quicker

but she may have had a chest infection you could have caught it from anyone abs not necessarily from someone in the flight

Covid is around us if we are really concerned about catching it then we ourselves have to manage those risks and one of them would be flying

Maddy70 · 28/10/2023 10:53

Jesus who would contact her firm? She didn't do anything wrong, you are allowed to travel with covid. She may also not have had covid. It's likely that you and your colleague were in the same place when you got to your destination and picked it up there