Are you CERTAIN your insurance will cover a cancellation for this reason?

We had a trip planned to Thailand in 2008. My husband had a bad cold before we left and had confirmed with his dr that he had an ear infection and was given antibiotics. Our first flight was just a small hopper plane from southern Oregon to Los Angeles where we would be spending the night before leaving LAX the following evening. He had an awful time on this short flight - in tons of pain. After we landed we had dinner with some friends we had previously planned then headed straight to the ER.

The doctor did say it was probably best not to fly, however, he said the worst that could happen was that he could pop his ear drum which would mean a loss of hearing in that ear for about 30 days. In addition, he could not go into water, even needed to be careful when showering because it is important not to get any water in your ears as you are at a great risk of infection. Since I knew that both ears were hurting, I asked “what would happen if both eardrums broke?” I am thinking that being completely deaf for 30 days was not a risk my hubby would want to take. The doctor said it would be highly unlikely for both to pop. He prescribed numbing ear drops and a narcotic pain medication and said “Good luck if you go!”

When my husband went to get the prescriptions filled the next day at Walgreen's he found the Earplanes (had never heard of them or used them before).

Armed with his medication and Earplanes he did fine on the plane. It did help that it was big jet (not a small turboprop). We had a layover in Osaka before arriving in Bangkok so had two takeoffs and two landings without any problems. He swears by those Earplanes.

This was just our personal experience - if it is easy for you to postpone your trip a few weeks when you are feeling better than perhaps you could consider doing that. We were traveling with our kids during their spring break so if we cancelled it that would have been the end of that. He did have one day about 3 days into the trip where he just decided to stay at the Bangkok hotel, get a massage and just relax while the rest of us went and explored for the day, but other than that he did great!

I hope you feel better and are able to take your trip; I would also be concerned about whether a bad head cold would be accepted by your travel insurance as reason for cancellation.

I hope you get to take your trip tomorrow. Yesterday was my third year without my husband. He and I loved traveling to Europe and made so many hilarious and wonderful memories exploring. After a 3 week vacation touring Los Angeles to San Francisco with a friend, I decided I would like to go back to Europe--alone! Just wasn't the same as with my husband.

Yours will be with you each day as you embark on this new journey. May God be with you also.

I can't see insurance covering this. Can you get an emergency dr appointment just to check you are ok to fly. I'm not a dr but I think as long as you don't have that stabbing middle ear infection pain then

The first few days of a head cold can be awful but usually wear off fairly quickly. Imagine how upset you'll be if it turns into a sniffle and you've cancelled your trip. I'm sorry for your loss and I can absolutely understand your anxiety about tackling this on your own.

My first flight is into Detroit, if I am in so much pain I can't go on, I'll have to abort there, because it is within an hour's drive for family to come to my rescue.

As for trip insurance, I think that if I had a doctor's "excuse" as to why I couldn't fly, I'd be OK. Who knows. I'll deal with it.

I'll just load up on drugs and hope for the best. I'm hoping the earplanes and drugs make a difference.

Fortunately, the person who rents out the apartment in Venice is a Dr. of Pharmacy and owns an herbal medicine shop. I guess that is synchronicity.

If you do go I think the ear plugs and sudafed are going to be your best bet. I don't think the mucinex is of any benefit until later in the cold when the mucus starts to expel. Stay hydrated, sleep as much as you can on the plane. Good luck which ever way you decide.