In brief
An Australian couple's dream trip turned into a nightmare when they were seated next to the corpse of a fellow passenger on a Qatar Airways flight. Mitchell Ring and Jennifer Colin described the incident as "traumatic," explaining that a woman passed away in the aisle during their journey from Melbourne to Doha. Despite the availability of other seats, the cabin crew placed her body next to Mr. Ring for the remaining hours of the flight without offering an alternative seat.
Mr. Ring recounted the harrowing experience, saying that while the cabin crew acted quickly when the woman collapsed, their attempts to move her body were unsuccessful due to her size. After initial efforts to wheel her towards business class failed, they directed Mr. Ring to shift over, placing the deceased passenger in the seat next to him. Ms. Colin expressed her shock upon realizing what was happening, as she relocated to a nearby empty seat. Upon landing, they were told to stay seated while medical staff attended to the situation, leaving Mr. Ring distressed and facing the grim reality as blankets were pulled back to reveal the woman's face. To date, neither Mr. Ring nor Ms. Colin have received outreach from Qatar Airways or Qantas, prompting them to express their dissatisfaction regarding the handling of the incident and the lack of support offered. While both acknowledge that the airline is not responsible for the woman's death, they believe there should be protocols in place to assist passengers during such incidents. Qatar Airways has since issued an apology, stating they are reaching out to affected passengers to provide support.
