A Frontier Airlines flight attendant rudely dismissed a passenger who complained about his seatmate’s coughing and sneezing, telling the man to drive and that he should be on the No-Fly List. While that was my first reaction as well, perhaps the disgruntled passenger was not totally out of line in his complaint…
Frontier Airlines Flight Attendant Rudely Mocks Passenger Concern Over Sneezing, Coughing
The issue occurred last Thursday on a Frontier Airlines flight from Miami (MIA) to Philadelphia (PHL). A passenger in row 26 was coughing and sneezing, making the passenger in row 25 uncomfortable. The uncomfortable passenger requested to be re-seated and his request was accommodated. That still did not stop him from complaining to flight attendants that the sneezing passenger was not removed. According to the man, the flight attendant dismissed him and said he should drive if he is concerned.
Upon landing in Philadelphia, he complained to another flight attendant on his way out. But rather than receive sympathy, he was met with the same derision. TMZ posted a video of the incident:
The flight attendant states:
“This is a form of transportation, sir, you have an option, you can drive your car if it’s a problem, you can’t tell people to get off the plane if they’re coughing or sneezing.”
As the conversation continues, the clearly annoyed flight attendant scorns the passenger, reminding him he is not a doctor, and even intimates he should be on the N0-Fly list:
“You should be on the no-fly list, you really should be.”
Why? “Because you’re getting someone kicked off for sneezing and coughing”
Was The Passenger Really Wrong?
While checking in for a Spirit Airlines flight, you self-attest that:
In the last 14 days, neither you, nor anyone in your household or that you have come in close contact with, has tested positive for, exhibited symptoms of, or been advised to quarantine for COVID-19.
Per the CDC, symptoms of COVID-19 include:
- Fever or chills
- Cough
- Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
- Fatigue
- Muscle or body aches
- Headache
- New loss of taste or smell
- Sore throat
- Congestion or runny nose
- Nausea or vomiting
- Diarrhea
So in reality, if you have a cough or runny nose, you are not supposed to fly.
Now that’s not a long-term solution, since people can cough and sneeze for many reasons wholly unrelated to COVID-19. Indeed, if I glare out my window into the direct sunlight, I will often sneeze (photic sneeze reflex).
While avoiding air travel while experiencing a cold is a common courtesy, it is not always possible. The tricky thing is that so many COVID-19 symptoms are cold symptoms.
And if Frontier Airlines pre-flight safety checklist means anything, then even sniffles and a cough should keep you (and me) home.
CONCLUSION
My first instinct was to call the concerned passenger a “Nervous Nellie” and point out exactly what the flight attendant did: we’re not going to start kicking people off for sneezing and coughing. And while that may be the case, it is incumbent upon each of us to travel responsibility during this time. I’ve taken more trips than most during COVID-19, but I’ve always felt well. Since many COVID-19 cases are asymptotic but can still be contagious, don’t just dismiss a little runny nose and cough as a cold. It could be something else…
Are you more or less comfortable flying Frontier Airlines after seeing the video above in which a flight attendant mocks a passenger concerned over coughing and sneezing?
(H/T: One Mile at a Time)
I wonder what Frontier would do if the passenger stated in mid-flight that she/he/ze probably has Covid-19 or does have it? Would the plane divert or not?
We need to stop as a society putting a camera in the face of the person we disagree with. This person, however valid their concern, is just looking for cheap publicity, public support, and probably a level of compensation. Ridiculous.
So, given my limited knowledge of this situation (which consists only of the information in this blog post), it sounds to me as though the aggrieved passenger was not wrong … but his reaction was. He has every right to ask for another seat (and I’m glad that he was accommodated). But he doesn’t have the right to demand that someone else be thrown off the plane. If he wanted to gain any traction with the FA or the airline, he should have simply pointed out (quite rightly) that this sneezing and coughing passenger was traveling in violation of Spirit and CDC guidelines. Perhaps the reaction from Spirit personnel would have been different …
Matthew, when you write that “it is incumbent on each of us to travel [responsibly] during this time”, I think that the emphasis should be on the words “during this time”. Surely, there will come a time when the pandemic will have subsided (and I will no longer be grounded) and people won’t get so antsy about hearing someone cough or sneeze that they would even think to ask that they be thrown off a plane.
My $0.002 …
My 2 cents:
This reminds me of the Spirit incident where the gate agents got injured physically confronting a passenger. I don’t think this kind of behavior from FA’s towards passengers is professional and IMO a sign of poor training and culture.
Quite simply, the FA should have stated the limits of what they could do and no more. Then refuse to argue or engage further. For example:
“That passenger appears ill. They should be removed.”
“I agree sir that they appear ill, but there are other causes of that behavior. I am not authorized to remove the passenger from the flight. May I assist you on any other matter?”
“No. I want them removed.”
“I appreciate that sir, I’m sorry I can’t be of further assistance.”
There. Note there is no reason to tell the passenger to get out and drive or express any other animosity towards them.