Should Airlines Rebook Sick Passengers for Free?

Last year, a Delta flight from Atlanta to Barcelona had to divert due to “passenger diarrhoea all over the aircraft”. It was so bad that the pilots declared it a “biohazard”.

This was no doubt an extremely uncomfortable and embarrassing situation for the passenger. It was also costly for the airline and inconvenienced hundreds of other passengers, who arrived at their destination many hours late.

It begs the question: Why would somebody board a plane in the first place when they’re feeling so unwell?

Although that Delta flight was an especially shitty situation, many people every day board flights despite feeling sick. Some people may even be infectious and could pass on viruses, including COVID-19.

Perhaps some people do this because they just really want to get home, or need to get to their destination, no matter what. And they’re prepared to put others at risk to do so.

But you have to wonder whether more sick passengers would choose to delay their travel if airlines made it easier to change their flights.

Will airlines rebook sick passengers for free?

Australian Frequent Flyer put this question to Qantas, Virgin Australia, Jetstar and Singapore Airlines.

In general, these airlines adopt a “case by case” approach rather than publishing a formal policy. All airlines require customers who booked through a travel agent to contact their agent for assistance with rebooking flights.

Qantas rebooking policy

When you check in online, Qantas specifically asks you to confirm that you’re not feeling unwell. But what happens if you say that you are unwell?

The airline told us that customers who are feeling unwell or believe they may be infectious within a week before departure should contact Qantas to discuss their options. These options could include waiving change fees or getting a flight credit for the value of the booking.

Virgin Australia rebooking policy

Virgin Australia told us they have processes in place to assist guests who are injured or unwell on the day of travel to change or cancel their bookings. The airline said it encourages affected customers to call its Guest Contact Centre on 13 67 89 for assistance.

Virgin noted that outside of these circumstances, changes and cancellations are only possible according to the fare rules on the ticket.

Jetstar rebooking policy

A Jetstar spokesperson pointed out that Jetstar offers flexible airfares allowing changes for any reason. But for the majority of Jetstar customers with tickets that don’t allow free changes or cancellation, the airline says it reviews requests on a case-by-case basis. It may waive change fees, but only on compassionate grounds.

Singapore Airlines rebooking policy

A Singapore Airlines spokesperson said that “SIA advises customers who are unwell to defer their travel plans to a later date”.

“Customers who booked directly with us and would like to reschedule or cancel their flight itineraries due to medical reasons may do so via our online Assistance Request Form. They may also contact us if they require further assistance with their bookings. All flight change and cancellation requests due to medical reasons will be assessed on a case-by-case basis.”

Should airlines make it easier for sick passengers to change flights?

On some airlines, you might have to forfeit your ticket if you no-show for a flight – even if it’s because you were sick and could pose a risk to other passengers.

If this is the case, the airline is effectively incentivising you to take the flight anyway. This could mean potentially infecting other passengers on board and even the airline’s own cabin crew.

If a passenger is really sick, they may even require medical attention during the flight – which is disruptive to other people on board. And if the flight needs to divert, that costs the airline tens of thousands of dollars.

For all of these reasons, it is surely in both the airline’s and the passenger’s best interests to allow free-of-charge rebooking if a passenger is genuinely sick on the day of the flight.

Airlines may lose a few hundred dollars in change fees from sick passengers that they rebook for free. But that pales in comparison to the costs of having to divert or replace sick cabin crew.

Having said that, there is a clear need for a middle-ground that balances the safety of passengers and crew with the need for airlines to protect their revenue.

For example, it would be reasonable for airlines to require a medical certificate. Otherwise, some passengers could exploit this generosity to avoid paying legitimate change or cancellation fees. If it’s too easy to avoid paying change fees, airlines might even sell fewer of the more expensive flexible airfares.

Some airlines would argue that this is what travel insurance is for. That is a reasonable argument – travel insurance is designed to protect passengers if unforeseen events disrupt their travel. But the reality is that not everyone buys travel insurance.

Ultimately, if a passenger presented for check-in looking obviously unwell, most airlines would probably just rebook them for free. But it would surely be better for everyone involved if this policy was formalised so that sick passengers didn’t feel they needed to go to the airport in the first place.

What do you think? Share your thoughts on the Australian Frequent Flyer forum!

Matt Graham

The editor of Australian Frequent Flyer, Matt's passion for travel has taken him to over 70 countries… with the help of frequent flyer points, of course!
Matt's favourite destinations (so far) are Germany, Brazil & Kazakhstan. His interests include economics, aviation & foreign languages, and he has a soft spot for good food and red wine.

You can connect with Matt by posting on the Australian Frequent Flyer community forum and tagging @AFF Editor.