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How would you feel about this on a plane

252 replies

eyeeyeeyeeyeeye · 26/02/2025 09:27

Couple made to sit next to a dead body of a lady who died onboard

apple.news/A8Nu4zbMtRYOtJwBUKIhyqw

OP posts:
fireplacetiles · 26/02/2025 16:22

This makes no sense, he clearly says in the article that there were vacant seats, why did he not just move then- not as the crew would have sent him back?! My compo radar is twitching

Coralsunset · 26/02/2025 16:25

helpfulperson · 26/02/2025 15:43

Sometimes life puts you situations where you have to step up and deal with things that are awkward or uncomfortable for you because of the needs of others. Coping with a grieving widow sitting next to you on an aircraft is one of these.

I did cope. I coped by moving. Why does that bother you?

Weird.

helpfulperson · 26/02/2025 16:28

Coralsunset · 26/02/2025 16:25

I did cope. I coped by moving. Why does that bother you?

Weird.

I meant coping in the sense of providing the support and human contact she obviously needed. Not coping as in looking after your own needs first.

Coralsunset · 26/02/2025 16:30

That was the role of the cabin crew. By moving I enabled them to provide that support.

notimagain · 26/02/2025 16:35

CaptBirdsEar · 26/02/2025 16:09

Wonder why they didn't use crew sleeping area.

This keeps being suggested so here’s a TLDR on the issue:

Firstly I don’t know the specifics of the aircraft involved in this case but most crew rest areas are jammed into what is effectively the attic, between the top of the passenger cabin and the aircraft upper fuselage skin…they can be very tight on space, very low head room and most importantly usually accessed by a very steep, narrow set of stairs - bit like a loft ladder. It’s enough of a hassle getting into them when able bodied, I think you’d struggle to lift an inert body up into the space.

Secondly there are usually only enough bunks installed for half the normal crew complement, so half the crew go on break at one time and there maybe no spare bunks available to put the deceased.

Thirdly - I don’t know Qatars regs but horizontal crew rest isn’t a “nice to have” on ultra longhaul routes, it’s often a legal requirement on Long Haul sectors to have “ at least x hours in disturbed rest” (where x is often 3 hours or more) to allow the sector to be rostered at all.

If mid flight you start putting lights on and blundering around the rest area trying find somewhere to lay the deceased you compromise the sleep of those on rest and potentially compromise the ability to legally complete the sector.

Honeyroar · 26/02/2025 16:42

And quite a lot of aircraft don’t have a crew rest - often the jump seat by the doors can be extended a couple of inches and has a curtain round it - it’s called a “high comfort seat” but is anything but! And the crew need to be on it for landing.

The only aircraft that I have worked on that had a suitable area for a body was the jumbo, and not even all of those. Everything else meant climbing a ladder to get to bunk areas.

As for a body in the toilet, it couldn’t be secured and would move around in turbulence or landing. Likely to fall behind the door (in the piss puddle that often accumulates there) and could prevent the door from being opened. May even fall through the door and take it off the hinges (they’re not overly strong). Highly undignified and also dangerous.

Toddlerteaplease · 26/02/2025 17:01

StElse · 26/02/2025 11:43

I don't understand why they had to move the body at all. She would have had a seat, the one in which she sadly died. Why did they move her from it only to place her next to somebody else?

Equally, I wouldn't find it that unsettling myself but we're all different.

And yes, he could have asked to move. Or just don't ask, just move.
Perhaps to the deceased's original seat, which by the sounds of it, was now going spare...

Presumably they put her on the floor to try and resuscitate her

SheilaFentiman · 26/02/2025 17:28

@StElse she collapsed on the way back from the bathroom, in the aisle next to the man in this article.

Puzzledandpissedoff · 26/02/2025 17:41

He also seems offended that the body was removed before nearby passengers could get off, but I am sure that is protocol as it would be awful if someone, say, knocked the body with a suitcase etc.

I'm told it is protocol, @SheilaFentiman, but frankly he sounds the type who'd have complained if even a living (but sick) person had been moved off first

As so many of us have said there'll be more to this story than he's telling ...

SheilaFentiman · 26/02/2025 17:46

I'm told it is protocol, , but frankly he sounds the type who'd have complained if even a living (but sick) person had been moved off first

yes, I’m definitely getting that impression!

cranberryhaddock · 26/02/2025 17:46

Coralsunset · 26/02/2025 13:07

Oh this happened to me many years ago (outs self) I was on a flight home from Greece and the chap next to me died. His wife was ABSOLUTELY FUCKING HYSTERICAL which is understandable but made everything so much worse.

I asked to be moved because she was driving me nuts, more than because of the dead body. They initially refused, but when I explained I was ex crew for another airline, and happy to sit in jump seat, they allowed that.

Did you make any attempt to comfort her? You're coming off a bit callous here.

BrendaSmall · 26/02/2025 17:47

eyeeyeeyeeyeeye · 26/02/2025 09:54

The guy said there was quite a few vacant seats around, surely it would've made more sense to put the body as far away as possible from other passengers and covered it over for some dignity in death too.

You obviously haven’t tried to move a dead body??

Cattreesea · 26/02/2025 17:52

It would not bother me if I had to be seated in close proximity.

Emergencies happen.

I assume the body was covered as mush as possible and it is not like the crew could move it anywhere else.

Although people should have been moved to any spare seats to make things easier.

SheilaFentiman · 26/02/2025 18:18

BrendaSmall · 26/02/2025 17:47

You obviously haven’t tried to move a dead body??

...in a confined space, whilst trying not to bump it into anyone sitting along the aisles...

NotVeryFunny · 26/02/2025 18:29

IUnderstandTheWeird · 26/02/2025 09:45

Where are they supposed to move a dead body to though? It’s not like they have an onboard facility. Should they have propped the body up in the galley and prepped meals whilst stepping over the deceased? I’m not saying I wouldn’t be a bit upset if I was having to sit next to a dead person, but it really can’t be helped when there isn’t anywhere for a body to be moved to, or spare seats for the other passengers. It’s been happening for years.

I could understand it if there weren't spare seats and so unavoidable, but the passengers have said there were spare seats. In which case it's completely unacceptable.

cranberryhaddock · 26/02/2025 18:32

Mingenious · 26/02/2025 10:36

you cannot compare sitting next to a recently deceased person to “sitting next to a decomposing corpse”

Yes I can. The decomposition process begins minutes after death, and 'corpse' is an accepted term for a dead person, however recently deceased. It's a factual description.

cranberryhaddock · 26/02/2025 18:33

HoppingPavlova · 26/02/2025 10:50

@cranberryhaddock What a ridiculous response. Different people have had different levels of exposure to death. This couple might not have had much. I'd find it pretty horrifying myself having only ever seen one dead body in my life. Fair enough if you wouldn't mind sitting next to a decomposing corpse but it's a bit much being critical of others who wouldn't be able to cope with this

What’s the actual issue though that’s pretty horrifying? The body will just ‘sit’ there, it can’t turn into a zombie and attack you! And in reality it will be far less annoying than a live person.

As I mentioned in a previous post - because the decomposition process will have begun.

TheGroovingDucksOfItchycoo · 26/02/2025 18:34

Velmy · 26/02/2025 14:26

I'm a big fan of Weekend at Bernie's, so I'd have been fine with it.

😁😁😁😁😁

Coralsunset · 26/02/2025 18:35

cranberryhaddock · 26/02/2025 17:46

Did you make any attempt to comfort her? You're coming off a bit callous here.

Of course I did but she was totally hysterical, screaming and shouting. Flailing her arms around and it was a horrible situation.

I should probably add that I am ND although I suspect most posters would have preferred to sit away from her and her deceased husband, given a chance!!

mathanxiety · 26/02/2025 18:46

MhariMe · 26/02/2025 10:03

How easy do you think it would be to lift a dead body into a tiny cockpit? Also, what if they have a rough landing and the body becomes a projectile onto the controller?

Duct tape would be your friend in a case like that.

I don't know why they didn't offer the adjacent passengers seats elsewhere or why those passengers didn't ask to be moved. I'm not squeamish about death, but sitting the body next to other passengers was not a good solution to the problem.

I don't think the stewards handled this well at all.

mathanxiety · 26/02/2025 18:50

ParrotParty · 26/02/2025 10:32

Bodies aren't just like a sleeping person. The muscles all stop working so there will be toileting smells.

Yes indeed.

And during a bumpy landing or a spell of turbulence, a body could fall about unless securely attached to the seat.

mathanxiety · 26/02/2025 18:55

helpfulperson · 26/02/2025 16:28

I meant coping in the sense of providing the support and human contact she obviously needed. Not coping as in looking after your own needs first.

Maybe the woman would have preferred to be left in peace and not have a complete stranger making 'there there' noises at her? Maybe she would have preferred to be sitting alone to process what happened, cry a little, blow ber nose and try to compose herself once she had calmed down?

Newyorklady · 26/02/2025 18:57

If there were spare seats I’d ask to move.
Personally I think they are making a fuss.
The poor lady didn’t get a chance to get off the flight, they did.
id be counting my blessings instead of moaning.

Honeyroar · 26/02/2025 19:23

mathanxiety · 26/02/2025 18:46

Duct tape would be your friend in a case like that.

I don't know why they didn't offer the adjacent passengers seats elsewhere or why those passengers didn't ask to be moved. I'm not squeamish about death, but sitting the body next to other passengers was not a good solution to the problem.

I don't think the stewards handled this well at all.

Omg, so now we’re manhandling a body along the aircraft and into the flight deck, then duct taping then into a seat??? Can you imagine the law suit!

crankytoes · 26/02/2025 19:50

IUnderstandTheWeird · 26/02/2025 09:45

Where are they supposed to move a dead body to though? It’s not like they have an onboard facility. Should they have propped the body up in the galley and prepped meals whilst stepping over the deceased? I’m not saying I wouldn’t be a bit upset if I was having to sit next to a dead person, but it really can’t be helped when there isn’t anywhere for a body to be moved to, or spare seats for the other passengers. It’s been happening for years.

There were other seats the couple could have moved to but weren't allowed for some god unknown reason.
Also there is no way the staff couldn't move the woman to business. If the wheel chair fit in the aisle woman fit in the chair then they should have been able to

Qatar business class gave individual cabins with sliding doors.

There were clearly seats in all classes spare so there was no need for the couple to be made to stay next to the deceased woman

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