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.
I think the problem likely comes down to safety and respect for the dead.
Put the body in the back galley and suddenly the plane hits rough turbulence and that body is now a +100 pound projectile.
Putting the body in a bathroom seems better, but that turbulence hits and now the body is flying around in there during the rough turbulence, and then the next day the media is lambasting the air line for desecrating the body or whatever.
Then not having an alternate plan in place is on the airline, if there was nothing else the crew could do.
I think it’s more the nature of modern air craft. There isn’t much spare room and space is extremely expensive on planes. Meanwhile, these deaths rarely occur.
There’s probably some way to design a system to secure a body in the bathroom, however, and I broadly agree with you that they should have some type of solution.
I think that’s probably too morbid if they have a death seat designed into airplanes.
Besides, what if two passengers die on the plane?
I imagine any solution they come up with will be out of sight until it’s needed and you could equip multiple bathrooms or whatever space. Although two people dying like this is probably astronomically rare.