Australian couple forced to sit beside dead body on long-haul flight

SHAH ALAM – An Australian couple shared the unsettling experience of sitting beside a dead body on a long-haul flight due to limited options for handling the situation.

Mitchell Ring and Jennifer Colin described to local news that the woman, who had collapsed on her way to the toilet before passing away, was "too large" to be moved to business class, where more seats were available.

As a result, she remained seated beside Ring and Colin in economy class for the remainder of the flight.

Ring, a nervous flyer, clarified the experience as unpleasant but one he had to endure since there was no alternative.

The couple spent four hours on the flight with the deceased woman, who was covered with blankets throughout the journey.

Their romantic vacation was overshadowed by the distressing situation.

"The cabin crew tried to move her. They brought in a chair and tried to wheel her up toward business class, but she was too large to fit through the aisle," Ring recalled.

The flight was scheduled to transit in Doha before heading to Venice and the couple had to witness the woman’s body being handled on board.

Colin was reportedly shocked when her husband pointed out the deceased person next to them.

"When my husband turned around and said, 'Move, move,' I was pretty shocked. I asked, 'Are they going to put her there?'"

During the flight, another passenger offered Colin an empty seat to help her move away from the situation.

However, upon arrival, the couple had to wait on the plane while medical officers and police managed the situation, with the couple witnessing the commotion around them.

"I can’t believe they told us to stay. It wasn’t nice. They have a duty of care to their customers and staff. We should have been contacted to make sure we had enough support and counselling.

"I’m trying to make the best of a hard situation, but we’re on holiday, so we’re really trying to have a good time," Ring said.

The couple also allegedly stated that neither Qatar Airways nor Qantas reached out to offer any support.

Qatar Airways is now investigating the matter after the couple’s claims, as they struggle with mixed emotions over the disruption of their dream vacation.