73 percent would fly with the flu, changes too difficult and costly

In a poll completed last week, almost 73 percent of passengers said they would fly even if they had the flu. More than half of those would fly because either change fees were too high or it was “to late” to make changes vacation plans.

With daily headlines like Flu shots running low, Swine flu fears, Seven-year-old girl dies, Flu epidemic to hit country earlier and worse, it would seem that everyone should be doing their part to slow the spread of this disease. The airlines have not done their part. The still impose onerous change fees and sometimes dramatic airfare increased to reschedule flights.

Yesterday, when landing at Washington Regan Airport, I noticed signs posted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) urging passengers not to fly if they feel they may have the flu. Unfortunately, the signs make no mention of the financial ramifications changing tickets at the last minute mean. It would be nice if the airlines and the CDC would work together.

Here are the CTA survey responses. This sample is from a very frequent flying group of respondents — about 30 percent are elite members of frequent flier programs and almost half are frequent leisure travelers who fly three or more times each year.

1. If you thought you had the H1N1 (swine flu) or any flu, would you pay the airline change fees (up to $250) and possible additional changes in airfare to change your flight?
Yes — 27.3%
No — 72.7%

2. Have you ever flown while sick in order to avoid a change fee?
Yes — 43.6%
No — 56.4%

3. If you did fly while sick, why?
I had to fly for work — 22.7%
The rest of my family was flying so I didn’t have a choice — 8.3%
My vacation plans were set and it was too late to change them — 25.2%
The airline wouldn’t let me change my flight — 12.4%
Change fees were too high — 31.4%

4. What do you need to do to get a note for a trip cancellation from your doctor?
Call my health insurance company first — 3.6%
Go to the emergency room — 2.2%
Just call my primary care doctor and he will see me — 66.6%
Forgetaboutit. It takes forever and costs more than the change fee — 27.6%

5. Should airlines allow changes to airline tickets during the flu season for passengers that claim they have the flu?
Yes — 31.5%
Yes, but only with a doctor’s note — 60.9%
No — 1.8%
No, passengers should buy insurance for problems like these — 5.7%

This is not the only survey that shows passengers will fly with the flu — another survey of thousands of travelers conducted by TripAdvisor showed that more than half of passengers would fly with the flu.

This week the Consumer Travel Alliance is sending these results to the airline CEOs and asking them to suspend change fees and penalties during the flu season for sick passenger.