Steve,

Starting earlier this year I personally adopted a zero tolerance policy for sick passengers boarding an aircraft I am Captain of. I tell the gate agents not to board sick passengers nor inebriated ones. I then brief my flight attendants the same thing telling them they are the last line of defense. The flight attendants of course appreciate that level of support because they are the ones that are in contact with potential patient zero.

After instituting this personal policy of my own (I am not sure the "Company" would have necessarily agreed with me 8 months ago) I have have 2 incidents where we had to remove sick passengers that gate agents put on. God Bless the flight attendants that took my briefing to heart because it was the flight attendants that informed me of the sick passengers that were boarded. One incident was a foreign national (coming from Europe) that admittedly had a form of flu (walking dead like), the other incident was a child with unabated vomiting. Both circumstances unacceptable for airline travel in my book.

Kicker: Both of these incidents were at IAD also known as Dulles International Airport, Washington D.C.. Coincidental perhaps that the recent patient zero came through Dulles with United, maybe but I thought I would mention it to you. I do not fly for United, I fly from that other large airline headquartered in the deep south.

God Bless you and yours, Dave the aviator

p.s. yes I do have my biohazard suits, masks, meds as well as all the other accoutrements necessary for a long term lock down, thanks for that Steve

Oct 3, 2014