My Sick Seatmate Is Coughing All Over Me On SAS…

I’m live-blogging my SAS EuroBonus SkyTeam Milion Mile challenge this week. Click here for background and route information.

Ugh, my SAS seatmate is sick and she is coughing virtually nonstop…

I traveled throughout the pandemic and know that sometimes we have to be in another place or get home, even if we are sick. I’m not one of those flyers who stays home if I have a few sniffles.

That said, it is neither wise nor considerate to travel when you are really sick or contagious. My seatmate took her seat toward the end of the boarding process and it was instantly clear she had a nasty cold.

She was drinking hot tea (good for her…that can help) and coughing…almost without ceasing. It was a nasty hack like a smoker’s cough though she was probably only in her early 20s. And sniffling.

Maybe she just had to get home…it’s not that I dismiss that. And she did cover her mouth…but with a week of travel ahead, it was quite disconcerting to have someone coughing the entire flight, especially because those little particles certainly go through her hand as she coughed.

She was not wearing a mask…I was not wearing a mask…but this is why people do wear masks on planes and at airports. Ideally, she would be the one wearing the mask because she’s the one coughing. I didn’t bring any masks on this trip but maybe I should have…the last thing I need is for either Augustine or me to get sick.

And let’s not forget that seats are packed in tightly so there is no way to escape.

So let’s see if a cold develops in the next couple of days…