If you are unwell, who decides if you can fly?

[Forg]

In my case I am negative for Covid but have the remnants of flu/cold for the past 3 weeks that I picked up on 2 QF flights MEL-SYD or SYD-BNE when I returned from Thailand.

I will wear a mask on my flight on Friday.

Let's say I still have a cough on Friday. Am I still infectious? Shall I throw away 2 x $139 flights because of a niggling cough? I'll ask GP on Thursday.

It’s my belief that if you know it’s not “whatever the current thing that might screw others up if they get it off you”, then you should not feel bad about travelling. It’s not like everyone doesn’t know The Hurtling Tin Can Of Pain (yes I mostly travel in economy) is a cesspool of shared disease.

 

[JohnK]

It’s my belief that if you know it’s not “whatever the current thing that might screw others up if they get it off you”, then you should not feel bad about travelling. It’s not like everyone doesn’t know The Hurtling Tin Can Of Pain (yes I mostly travel in economy) is a cesspool of shared disease.

It's not that I want to screw over anyone.

Does a person out and about with covid and without symptoms (so they don't know they have covid) hold the moral high ground over someone out and about with covid but they know they have covid? I think not. Why would cold/flu be any different?

I know I sound contradictory but I don't yet have a stance on this topic. 2 very high profile AFFers travelled recently overseas and from overseas but both seem to imply that was OK as they didn't know they had covid.

I had some sort of cold/flu that lasted 2 weeks. I hardly went out of apartment. Now the past week I've had an intermittent cough and very mild respiratory issues.

Because I am aware should I forfeit 2 x $139 airfares? What if it wasn't some domestic trip but an overseas holiday with wife and daughter that will set me out of pocket $5,000 or $10,000 or even more?

Should I do the right thing? What is the right thing? Society wants to quickly move past covid and set some very dangerous precedents with very few rules and restrictions in place.

When making these decisions we need to live by the consequences and that's not a good thing.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

For domestic the airlines have a waiver in place… you can change for free. I think the airfare should also be protected (move to a new price free from *any* fare change, provided you have a doctor’s certificate). The airline wouldn’t be doing the passenger any favours… they’d be protecting their own staff.

For international there’s travel insurance.

 

[JohnK]

For international there’s travel insurance.

That's not going to help out all the time? And the discussion wasn't limited to covid.

There are going to be times where people purchase flights/accommodation 12 months in advance. If you don't have travel insurance in place at the time you purchase flights/accommodation you cannot claim travel disruption right?

And I'm not sure about fee free changes for any type of sickness. I think it's just covid right?

 

[MEL_Traveller]

That's not going to help out all the time? And the discussion wasn't limited to covid.

There are going to be times where people purchase flights/accommodation 12 months in advance. If you don't have travel insurance in place at the time you purchase flights/accommodation you cannot claim travel disruption right?

And I'm not sure about fee free changes for any type of sickness. I think it's just covid right?

You just have to have insurance at the time you became ill to be covered for travel insurance. It can’t be pre-existing. But you also don’t need to have purchased a policy at the time of booking. If you buy a ticket 12 months prior. But travel insurance one month prior. And get sick a day prior, your travel insurance will cover you (provided you have purchased the relevant cover!)

 

[Franky]

In my case I am negative for Covid but have the remnants of flu/cold for the past 3 weeks that I picked up on 2 QF flights MEL-SYD or SYD-BNE when I returned from Thailand.

I will wear a mask on my flight on Friday.

Let's say I still have a cough on Friday. Am I still infectious? Shall I throw away 2 x $139 flights because of a niggling cough? I'll ask GP on Thursday.

Were you not required to wear masks on those flights? On our flight last week PER-SYD they were enforced.

 

[JohnK]

Were you not required to wear masks on those flights? On our flight last week PER-SYD they were enforced.

I've been wearing masks on all flights this year. I will continue to wear masks for the foreseeable future as it does not bother me.

The question in my mind is how long do you remain infectious with a cold/flu?

This is now week 4 of my cold/flu infection that everyone else appears to have gotten already. I still cough every now and then. I have a flight coming up Friday and return 10 days later.

Shall I cancel/defer travel until my cough goes away? Does the airline have a right to turn me away if I am coughing?

I actually do have a moral dilemma but quickly dismiss that moral dilemma when people say if you have covid but don't know you have covid it's OK to be out and about and no need to wear mask as you don't know you have covid. Well I'll be out and about too but will be wearing a mask.

 

[The man with no name]

You just have to have insurance at the time you became ill to be covered for travel insurance. It can’t be pre-existing. But you also don’t need to have purchased a policy at the time of booking. If you buy a ticket 12 months prior. But travel insurance one month prior. And get sick a day prior, your travel insurance will cover you (provided you have purchased the relevant cover!)

If I get Covid or the Flu will insurance cover me for my $23K F flights? I think not. Sure they will cover the cost of flights - in economy. On this basis, there is an incentive for some folks to board their flight when ill.

BTW, I don't have any F flights planned unless someone can find me a QF classic award

 

[MEL_Traveller]

If I get Covid or the Flu will insurance cover me for my $23K F flights? I think not. Sure they will cover the cost of flights - in economy. On this basis, there is an incentive for some folks to board their flight when ill.

BTW, I don't have any F flights planned unless someone can find me a QF classic award

Fair point. If it was an award flight I’d probably turn up too!!

If it was a paid flight, for 23k you’d have complete flexibility and could change anyway.

 

[Seat0B]

For international there’s travel insurance.

I'm cringing at the thought of even trying to make a travel insurance claim for deciding not to fly because I had a cold....the paperwork for a serious reason like my father died less than 1 week before planned departure was horrendous, so can only imagine how they would laugh at a claim for a cold. And what it might do to your future insureability....

 

[mrsterryn]

Pre covid, one of my trips from LA back to Sydney on Qantas , a woman was denied passage. She had been checked through , customs and all that cleared but at the boarding gates the FAs had a chat and she was declined boarding . She was taken away in a wheelchair.
She did appear to be on a small oxygen cylinder. She definitely didn't fly on our flight

 

[Xrayspice]

Were you not required to wear masks on those flights? On our flight last week PER-SYD they were enforced.

Maybe they were eating and drinking really slowly?