Husband and wife Mitchell Ring and Jennifer Colin claim they were forced to sit next to a deceased body for four hours while traveling from Melbourne to Doha on a Qatar Airways flight.
According to the Australian news program A Current Affair, the couple was on their journey to eventually reach Venice for an Italian getaway. Reportedly, a female passenger collapsed shortly after exiting the bathroom near the plane row where Ring and Colin were seated.
“Unfortunately, the lady couldn’t be saved, which was pretty heartbreaking to watch,” Ring shared. “They tried to wheel her up towards business class, but she was quite a large lady, and they couldn’t get her through the aisle.”
“They looked a bit frustrated, then they just looked at me and saw seats were available beside me — my wife was on the other side, and we were in a row of four,” he added.
Ring said the flight crew asked him to move over, and he responded, “Yes, no problem.” The deceased passenger was then placed in the seat he had been sitting in after he and his wife scooched over. Ring claimed there were a few empty seats around them, but the flight crew didn’t offer him and his wife the chance to move. The couple reportedly sat in the same row as the deceased passenger for four of the 10-hour flight, then had to remain seated after landing while a medical crew handled the body.
“I can’t believe they told us to stay… it wasn’t nice,” said Ring.
What Else Is There To Know About The Couple’s Qatar Airways Flight And The Deceased Passenger?
The couple says the experience was traumatic and that Qatar Airways hasn’t offered anything to help them cope or move on from the incident.
Regarding the airline’s alleged treatment, Ring said, “They have a duty of care towards their customers as well as their staff. We should be contacted to make sure – ‘Do you need some support? Do you need some counseling?’… I don’t really know how I feel and would like to speak to somebody to make sure I’m alright.”
Qatar Airways has since addressed the incident in a statement. The airline said, “First and foremost, our thoughts are with the family of the passenger who sadly passed away on board our flight. We apologize for any inconvenience or distress this incident may have caused, and are in the process of contacting passengers in line with our policies and procedures.”
