In Reply to: I hate it when.... posted by janieh on Friday, 22. May 2009 at 11:38 Bali Time:
Flying with a cold is the pits. I've flown with a sinus infection (and pregnant, so medication was not an option) and was nearly in tears after 4 take offs and landings in 7 hrs.
Do you think they went out and purposely got sick before flying?
Flights are usually booked months in advance. Do you expect them to cancel their flight because they caught a cold? Then miss the holiday or delay returning home.
As for sneezing and coughing, they are not something you can suppress. Its not the passengers fault. However, if the passenger is not containing these sneezes and coughs, then you have every right to hand them a fistful of tissues and ask them to consider others.
P.S. I'd ask to change seats, because research shows that cross infection has more to do with close proximity than air conditioning!