Flying with a Cold, the Flu or a Chest Infection

Mention the word ‘holiday’ and the last thing that springs to mind is illness, but coughs and colds are extremely common, and viruses don’t consult your calendar before they strike. That means all too many of us are faced with a case of the sniffles and a cough at just the time we’re supposed to be printing our tickets, packing our suitcases and heading for the airport.

In this guide, we take you through flying with a chest infection, a cold, or the flu, whether you should travel and when to take the next step and cancel your upcoming trip.

Why Flying with a Chest Infection, Cold, or Flu can be a Problem

No matter how mild or severe your symptoms are, you should first consider whether it is worth risking your condition and potentially making it worse by travelling. Where conditions affecting your airways are concerned, you need to take three factors into account before flying:

• Whether you have existing chest problems, which could mean flying could make your symptoms worse.
• The impact being in a pressurised aeroplane could have on your symptoms.
• Whether you’re fit to fly at all.

If in doubt, always consult your doctor before you head off to the airport.

Can You Fly with a Cold?

There can be a grey area when it comes to the common cold and flying. If you’re asking yourself, "Can I fly with a cold?" then yes, the vast majority of people can fly with a cold, but it means you're exposing other flyers to the possibility of catching the infection.

A cold is what’s called an ‘upper respiratory tract infection’ – your nose and throat may be bunged up, but your lungs are not affected. That means if you don’t have an existing chest condition, flying shouldn’t be a problem.

If you have a lung condition like asthma or COPD, it’s essential to check with your doctor first to make sure flying while you have a cold won’t worsen your condition.

It’s worth bearing in mind that the cold virus is highly contagious, and travelling in the enclosed space of an aircraft will leave other passengers on the flight at risk of infection. The disease can spread through direct contact, sneezing or coughing, or via contaminated objects such as used tissues or eating and drinking utensils.

Try to prevent the spread of infectious in-flight germs by:

• Washing your hands more often to remove germs that can be spread by touch, especially after coming into contact with your nose or mouth.
• Covering your nose and mouth with a disposable tissue when you cough or sneeze.
• Throwing away used tissues immediately.
• Carrying and using antibacterial hand gel or cleanser, especially if handwashing isn’t easy to access.
• Consider wearing a mask whilst flying.

When flying with a cold, you’re likely to feel a little uncomfortable. In your carry-on bag, keep a supply of tissues and any medications you’ll need to relieve or treat your symptoms, such as pain relievers, throat lozenges, or decongestants. It will also be helpful to keep your water intake up to prevent dehydration.

Can You Fly with the Flu?

First, let’s be clear – there is no such thing as a ‘touch of flu’. While the flu is caused by a virus, like the common cold, its symptoms are much more severe. They include high fever (often above 40° C), aching all over, a harsh, sore throat, a thick cough, and feeling extremely tired.

Because of the severe symptoms, you’re highly unlikely to feel well enough to travel if you’re in the middle of a bout of flu, and it will be advised against. Once your symptoms are on the mend and your fever has settled, you may feel up to embarking on a trip.

However, air travel with even mild tail-end symptoms is likely to be uncomfortable, especially if you’re flying long haul. And don’t forget that the pressurised cabin may make them worse.  

If you do decide to travel with the flu, make sure you:

• Stay hydrated with non-alcoholic fluids (alcohol acts as a diuretic, making you more prone to dehydration, so avoid alcohol on board)
• Make sure you are stocked up with any medicines you might need
• Take some boiled sweets to suck while the plane is taking off and landing, to reduce the risk of ear pain
• Take precautions to prevent the spread of infection throughout the aircraft

Again, there is always the possibility that you might pass your germs on, so it might be worth postponing your trip and travelling when you’re feeling better in future.

Can You Fly with a Chest Infection?

There are two main types of chest infections, pneumonia and bronchitis. Below, we explain the advice around flying for each.

Can You Fly with Pneumonia?

Pneumonia is a type of lung infection. As well as shortness of breath and strenuous coughing, you’re likely to experience fever and chills. It can be a complex condition to recover from. Your doctor may prescribe antibiotics to treat the infection, along with a recommendation to rest to promote a speedy and complete recovery.

Pneumonia can be caused by a viral or bacterial infection. Viral pneumonia tends to be less severe than bacterial pneumonia. However, bacterial infection can be treated with antibiotics, and once you’ve been taking them for a couple of days, you’re no longer infectious. Because antibiotics are useless against viruses, you’re likely to be infectious for much longer.

As a rule, doctors don’t recommend that you fly with a chest infection. They will certainly not recommend that you embark on a holiday while you’re suffering from it. It’s essential that you check with a doctor before you fly. If you need to return from abroad while recovering from pneumonia, you may need special equipment such as oxygen and trained medical staff to hand.

Can You Fly with Bronchitis?

Bronchitis is an infection that causes inflammation of the airways leading to the lungs and can be categorised as either acute bronchitis or chronic bronchitis. Chronic bronchitis is the old name for a condition now referred to as COPD, which we’ve covered above.

Acute bronchitis stems from a short-term infection that temporarily inflames your mid-sized airways (between the throat and the lungs). It may lead to shortness of breath, coughing, a sore throat, headache, nasal congestion, aches and pains, and fatigue. Acute bronchitis usually clears up on its own, but increasing fluid intake and getting lots of rest are advised to aid recovery. However, while you’re acutely unwell with fever and severe cough, you’re likely to be unfit to fly.

Can You Fly with a Flare-up of Asthma or COPD?

If you have existing lung problems, a simple viral infection can make your symptoms of shortness of breath, cough, and wheeze worse. You should always consult your doctor before flying if you have any sort of cough or cold. Even if you’re given the all-clear, it’s essential to take your regular medication, including inhalers, with you in your hand luggage.

COPD is a chronic lung condition which mostly (but not always) affects smokers. Symptoms include chronic cough and breathlessness. It’s diagnosed based on lung function tests from your doctor (where you blow into a special machine) and is mainly treated with inhalers. COPD affects your body’s ability to absorb oxygen, leading to shortness of breath. 

If you have COPD, your oxygen levels may already be lower than usual. It’s essential to check with your doctor or hospital nurse before you fly to see whether it’s safe for you to travel. If you have a flare-up of your condition, with increased cough, sputum, and breathlessness, your doctor may well recommend delaying travel until your symptoms are back to normal.

Your doctor may give you a supply of antibiotics or steroid tablets to take if you have a flare-up of your condition. Do make sure to take these with you. And remember to follow our top tips for travelling with medication.

When Am I Unfit to Fly?

As a rule of thumb, you should avoid flying if you have:

• A fever of 38° C or higher and a severe cough or
• Difficulty breathing or
• Chest pain or
• If you can’t control your symptoms with over-the-counter medication from a pharmacist (decongestants, simple painkillers, etc).

It’s also important to think about your comfort. If you’re travelling long haul with a chesty cough, you’re unlikely to rest appropriately and may well arrive feeling exhausted.

READ MORE: How to avoid germs while flying

Cancelling Your Trip when You're Too Ill to Fly

If you’ve booked a holiday abroad, but when the time comes to fly, you feel unwell, you may worry about cancelling your plans and feel tempted to persevere with the flight.

Arranging travel insurance before your trip will provide protection if you are too unwell to make the flight. Here at Medical Travel Compared, we offer a selection of insurance policies for existing and specialist conditions, including travel insurance for cancer patients, epilepsy travel insurance and pacemaker travel insurance. Specialist travel insurance will allow you to claim for any medical intervention or treatment you might need when you’re abroad in relation to any medical conditions you’ve declared before your holiday.

 If your chest infection or flu affects your ability to fly, leaving you to cancel your holiday, you can make a claim on the cancellation cover included in your travel insurance policy. Do remember that your insurance company is likely to seek confirmation from your GP, so let them know beforehand that you are not able to travel and why.

If you decide to travel despite your chest infection, cold, or flu symptoms, you can arrange specialist cover for any pre-existing conditions to ensure you and your getaway are fully protected.

If you’re interested in other, similar articles, then make sure you explore our blog, which is full of valuable resources and guides.