Getting on a plane? DON'T COUGH too much . . .

[hydster]

Actually Continental's flights to Hawaii are rated quite well.

Not THIS one apparently!

 

[4cruisin]

The situation was different because the pilot made a bad judgement error plain and simple. Maybe the girl DID have allergies. Maybe not.....we don't know except what we've been told. I still say he overreacted and I hope her family and the chaperone get compensated for it!

Just for argument sake, why did the pilot make a bad judgement? He erred on the side of caution for both the girl and the other 100+ passengers on the plane. It is his right and responsibility as a representative of the airline and captain of the plane to make that judgement call based on the best information he had at the time.

Kudos to him for doing what he did. If he had allowed her to fly and she died on the plane, everyone would be here screaming "What was that foolish pilot thinking allowing a sick passenger to fly over the ocean for 5 hours."

Seems like the pilot had a lose/lose situation.

 

[ducklite]

Not THIS one apparently!

Anne

 

[iloveboardwalk]

Just for argument sake, why did the pilot make a bad judgement? He erred on the side of caution for both the girl and the other 100+ passengers on the plane. It is his right and responsibility as a representative of the airline and captain of the plane to make that judgement call based on the best information he had at the time.

Kudos to him for doing what he did. If he had allowed her to fly and she died on the plane, everyone would be here screaming "What was that foolish pilot thinking allowing a sick passenger to fly over the ocean for 5 hours."

Seems like the pilot had a lose/lose situation.

Completely agree. I'm not sure why everyone is so up in arms. It was obviously a hard deicsion for him to make. The girl herself said she was coughing so much she lost her voice, couldn't catch her breath and was in a panic. This doesn't sound like a normal, run of the mill cough due to cold. Maybe he was overly cautious, but people have been saying he made a bad call "plain and simple" and that he's a "butthead" and an "idiot" The REACTION to this incident seems so over the top, like they took her off the plane and beat her or something. Even the girls parents said they were not happy but that they understand the airlines are under a lot of pressure. It easy to play Monday morning quaterback, but if I had to decide, a girl who was panicking and couldn't catch her breath would probably not get on the plane.

 

[DawnCt1]

You can get a direct flight from EWR to Hawaii as well as several other Pacific Rim areas.

Anne

Also include CVG.

 

[DawnCt1]

Not THIS one apparently!

I will rate it well. Any airline that considers their other passengers in contrast to a hacking, coughing teen gets an A in my book.

 

[hydster]

Just for argument sake, why did the pilot make a bad judegement. He erred on the side of caution for both the girl and the other 100+ passengers on the plane. It is his right and responsibility as a representative of the airline and captain of the plane to make that judgement call based on the best information he had at the time.

Lets see

1st....he kicked a kid with a cough off of an airplane. It's a freaking cough! She said she lost her voice and couldn't catch her breath....for how long? We don't know.

2nd....he IGNORED a medical professional who deemed her ok to fly after she said this to them all...that she lost her voice and couldn't breathe. HE is the doctor not the pilot or the flight attendants or the gate people or the ticket counter people or the driver or anyone else.

3rd.....he kicked of a minor from his plane who was deemed to be medically ok to fly by a doctor........Um..how many other ways can I say it?

What did he save her or them from? Um..nothing! He circumvented a doctor. What would happen if a doctor circumvented a pilot?? I mean if the doctor said..in my judgment you don't know squat so I'm going to fly this plane which is *somewhat* what the pilot did when he "claimed" whether outright or not.....tough cookies doc I know more than you in this scenario now go away.

Kudos to him for doing what he did. If he had allowed her to fly and she died on the plane, everyone would be here screaming "What was that foolish pilot thinking allowing a sick passenger to fly over the ocean for 5 hours."

But the chances of her dying on that plane were extremely slim! I mean come on....you know reality. She could have gotten on that flight totally healthy with no symptoms and still died. That argument holds no water as there are people that die daily. Remember the post earlier about British Airways who had put a woman who died in first class?? Did they know she was going to die? Do you know when anyone is going to die?? If you do please tell me how long I have left! It's a crap shoot. People die in hospitals all the time. They have the best medical care known out there but they die. The fact was this girl is alive and fine....just because god forbid she "could" have died...she DIDN'T and he had no idea if she would or wouldn't just like anyone else.

Seems like the pilot had a lose/lose situation.[/QUOTE]

He wasn't in a lose/lose situation. He chose where he was in the situation when he CHOSE not to listen to a doctor. If he had listened to an artist then he'd be in a lose/ lose....but he ignored a medical professional. To me he CHOSE to be in this situation when he chose his own diagnosis over a medical doctor.

 

[hydster]

I will rate it well. Any airline that considers their other passengers in contrast to a hacking, coughing teen gets an A in my book.

Then kudos to you both!

 

[DawnCt1]

He wasn't in a lose/lose situation. He chose where he was in the situation when he CHOSE not to listen to a doctor. If he had listened to an artist then he'd be in a lose/ lose....but he ignored a medical professional. To me he CHOSE to be in this situation when he chose his own diagnosis over a medical doctor.

The pilot is responsible for the aircraft, not a medical doctor who happened to listen to her lungs. The medical doctor wasn't the "airline's physician" he wasn't the passenger's physician, he just happened to be there and when push comes to shove, he won't be anywher to be found. The pilot would be the one "holding the yoke".

 

[4cruisin]

What did he save her or them from? Um..nothing! He circumvented a doctor. What would happen if a doctor circumvented a pilot?? I mean if the doctor said..in my judgment you don't know squat so I'm going to fly this plane which is *somewhat* what the pilot did when he "claimed" whether outright or not.....tough cookies doc I know more than you in this scenario now go away.
Honestly, I don't see that as a valid comparison. A pilot is in charge of the plane. The doctor could not fly the plane. Really, it makes no sense.

I guess the best thing to do is to realize some people agree with the pilot's decision and some people don't.

 

[DawnCt1]

Then kudos to you both!

Bottom line? I wouldn't sit beside a dead body and I wouldn't want to sit beside a hacking passengers.

 

[hydster]

The pilot is responsible for the aircraft, not a medical doctor who happened to listen to her lungs. The medical doctor wasn't the "airline's physician" he wasn't the passenger's physician, he just happened to be there and when push comes to shove, he won't be anywher to be found. The pilot would be the one "holding the yoke".

Do you know for sure that he wasn't an airline physician? I mean was it published and I missed it? I read a doc deemed her ok to fly and the pilot said tough she's off. I have NO idea if he worked with the airline, the airport or was just an average joe....point is HE has a medical degree the pilot not so much!

I see docs all the time that aren't MY physician so that theory in MY OPINION is discounted! Who cares if he wasn't her real doctor...point is he WENT to med school to be a doc right? He can't just do one of those "train at home" programs therefore he knows MORE than an average pilot or not? I mean come on! How do you know when push came to shove he wouldn't be anywhere around?????? Oh yeah you don't nor do I. I still say the medical diagnosis by a doctor SHOULD circumvent a pilot.

You say Po Tay Toe I say Po TAH ta....either way whatever!

 

[hydster]

Bottom line? I wouldn't sit beside a dead body and I wouldn't want to sit beside a hacking passengers.

Well I don't WANT to sit beside either of them but I'd take hacking over dead any day. And what airline lets YOU choose who/what you get to sit by? Cause whomever it is let me at them...........there are SEVERAL people I don't want to sit by EVER!

 

[Mouse House Mama]

Thanks for the info on the direct flights. I flew out of NY. I didn't think they had any direct flights. I would have preferred that rather than running (yes running ) 20 terminals to catch my connecting flight.

 

[Mouse House Mama]

Well I don't WANT to sit beside either of them but I'd take hacking over dead any day. And what airline lets YOU choose who/what you get to sit by? Cause whomever it is let me at them...........there are SEVERAL people I don't want to sit by EVER!

Actually Southwest doesn't have assigned seating. You can sit next to anyone you want!

 

[hydster]

Honestly, I don't see that as a valid comparison. A pilot is in charge of the plane. The doctor could not fly the plane. Really, it makes no sense.

I guess the best thing to do is to realize some people agree with the pilot's decision and some people don't.

Sure it's a valid comparison considering the fact that a doctor knows no more about piloting an aircraft than a pilot knows about diagnosing a passenger!

The duty of a pilot is to get aircraft from point A to point B or am I wrong? I mean theoretically that's what they do right??? They fly the plane from A to B and everyone prays to god they do it well. And they try not to crash into buildings or start on fire.

A doctor makes sure people are well enough to do whatever they do, do they not? They make sure you feel well once diagnosed. That's their job. Or am I wrong?

Well if a doctor tells a pilot..........she's ok then the pilot should say "OK...I'll get us to point B from A if you say she's ok" not " Well I don't think she's ok so she can't go on, you hold no credibility in your profession, and I'll still get the plane to point B.

The pilot is no more a doctor than the doctor is a pilot. A doctor is just as responsible for people as a pilot. Difference is....doctors don't take you anywhere *well except a drug high now and then* but pilots do. Pilots don't have MEDICAL training anymore than doctors have FLIGHT training but to circumvent one as the other is wrong!

 

[hydster]

Actually Southwest doesn't have assigned seating. You can sit next to anyone you want!

Not if they sit near you first!

 

[ducklite]

Bottom line? I wouldn't sit beside a dead body and I wouldn't want to sit beside a hacking passengers.

But as a nurse you should understand that not all "hacking Customers" are contagious.

Anne

 

[iloveboardwalk]

The pilot is responsible for every person on the plane. Bottom line, he took the over-cautious approach. The parents don't seem all that terribly upset about it, they understand the airlines are in a tough spot. Did the pilot over react? Maybe. Did the teen suffer any real damage? No. I just don't think it's worth getting all upset.

 

[DawnCt1]

Do you know for sure that he wasn't an airline physician? I mean was it published and I missed it? I read a doc deemed her ok to fly and the pilot said tough she's off. I have NO idea if he worked with the airline, the airport or was just an average joe....point is HE has a medical degree the pilot not so much!

I see docs all the time that aren't MY physician so that theory in MY OPINION is discounted! Who cares if he wasn't her real doctor...point is he WENT to med school to be a doc right? He can't just do one of those "train at home" programs therefore he knows MORE than an average pilot or not? I mean come on! How do you know when push came to shove he wouldn't be anywhere around?????? Oh yeah you don't nor do I. I still say the medical diagnosis by a doctor SHOULD circumvent a pilot.

You say Po Tay Toe I say Po TAH ta....either way whatever!

He was a "doctor on board". Chances are very good that he was a passenger and has no authority to instruct the pilot about what he should or should not do. No doubt he was someone who stepped up because he was sympathetic to the teen's plight. It's a sympathetic situation but not one that should bully a pilot into doing what he wasn't comfortable doing. DH is a physician and has "stepped up",one time when a teen suffered a vaso vagal response on a flight to Orlando. I guess he was really excited about seeing "the Mouse". The flight crew accepted DH's opinion that it was a transient episode but if they chose to land the plane that would have been their call.