Summary

A couple on a Qatar Airways flight from Melbourne to Doha was forced to sit next to a deceased passenger for four hours after she collapsed and died mid-flight.

The flight crew moved the woman’s body to an empty seat beside them and denied their request to change seats.

Qatar Airways apologized but did not offer the couple support after the incident.

The couple, en route to Venice, criticized the airline’s handling of the situation but are trying to continue their trip despite the distressing experience.

  • warm@kbin.earth
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    21 hours ago

    It would make the most sense to move the body to a flight attendant seat and have an attendant sit with the passengers. Unless the flight is close to its destination, then it’s probably best to just leave it as moving a corpse is a real pain.

    • LazyGit@feddit.org
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      20 hours ago

      I don’t think that would be allowed as per safety regulations.

      Flight attendants are safety personnel who also serve food and drinks.

      The jump seats facing the passengers are there for a reason.

      Having said that if airlines would be allowed to fly without flight attendants they would.

      • Zorsith@lemmy.blahaj.zone
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        20 hours ago

        It sounds cold but isnt this kind of the point of a body bag? To contain a human corpse without contaminating the surroundings, as well as ease of transportation, while also not taking up a huge amount of space when unneeded?

      • warm@kbin.earth
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        20 hours ago

        Good points! I was thinking more of the seats they have in the crew area (not all planes have it though), but I suppose contamination would still be a problem, although how much contamination can a fresh corpse really spread versus a living person?