Of course theres the other issue with the fear of taking time off sick, or losing allowances, leading to crew coming into work and spreading it around.
Edited to comment on Re-Heats reply:
Charter training is usually 4 - 6 weeks. Scheduled airlines about the same. Longest I know of was 7 weeks but that was a start up.
Core legal elements are SEP (safety, emergency, equipment, rules, etc). Then aviation medicine and service training are offered. Airlines add in anything else they feel is fundamental to the business.
But then the crew are only there just to serve tea and coffee isn't that right Re-Heat? Hence why they only need 2 weeks. I look forward to seeing vending machines on crewless flights in the future. I'm sure the CAA can bend the regs a little.
An ear infection isnt contageuos as far as I know but antibiotics are used to treat it. Infections occur from initial colds, etc. BA rule is that you must take them for 24 hours clear of duty then if no side effects, you may fly.
Like Carnage, I know of crew who go sick for fun, unfortunately they create people like me that feel they have to make excuses for a sprained foot or a bunged up ear.
Rant over.
