BA apologises after dumping dead body in first class: reports

AFP on Yahoo ^ | 3/18/07 | AFP

[NormsRevenge]

LONDON (AFP) - British Airways has apologised after placing the body of a woman who died three hours into a London-New Delhi flight in a vacant first-class seat, media reports said Monday.

After the elderly woman died, the flight's cabin crew moved her from her economy class seat into a vacant first class seat, strapped her in with a seatbelt and propped her up with pillows.

Her daughter was given a vacant seat next to her, and reportedly spent most of the remaining five-odd hours of the flight wailing and in tears.

A passenger seated nearest to the corpse, identified by the Daily Mirror only as Paul, told the paper of how the crew had not informed him that the woman had died mid-flight.

"I went to the galley and said, 'She doesn't look too well'," the 54-year-old businessman told the Mirror.

"The crew told me, 'We put out a call to the doctor but it was too late. She's expired.'"

He added that "because of turbulence it (the body) kept slipping down on to the floor. It was horrific."

A spokesman for BA was quoted by the Mirror as saying: "We apologise, but our crew were working in difficult circumstances and chose the option they thought would cause least disruption."

According to The Guardian, about 10 people a year die on BA flights, and the airline acted in a similar fashion when an American traveller died half-way through a six-hour London-Boston flight in November.

The man was covered with a blanket and strapped into a reclining first-class seat.

[festus]

How are they supposed to get into the hold whilst in flight?

Just ask the nearest jihadi if they can borrow his dynamite and blast their way in ?

[RavenATB]

"A problem as frequent as this, and as potentially PR-negative as this, calls for design changes in the airplane itself. "

The only reason this is a "PR-negative" is that people have no stomach (or spine) anymore. The woman was dead. She probably smelled better than half the fat people I've been forced to sit next to on airplanes.

People are just looking for an excuse to play "victim" to try to get something out of the airline for free. They should have told the whiny guy who was so traumatized to grew a pair and shut the hell up.

[Judith Anne]

You can't dump them out of the airplane. I'm not sure what the outside temp is at 30,000 feet, but can you imagine the body flash-freezing and hitting the ground as a fresh-frozen corpsicle?

(Lord, I'm sorry, truly I am.)

[RavenATB]

Take the ground temp and subtract about 2 degrees (f) for every 1,000 of altitude.

[RavenATB]

"Take the ground temp and subtract about 2 degrees (f) for every 1,000 of altitude."

That will get you close to the outside air temp...example: 60 degrees (f) on the ground, at 30,000 feet it would be about zero.

[Judith Anne]

It's 31 outside right now on my porch, so I'm guessing 30 below...

[RavenATB]

30,000 ft over your head, that's about right...

[Nateman]

What's in this in flight meal anyways? It's tasty but I can't quite make out what it is.

It's an in flight special sir. Only serve it up about ten times a year.

[Ruy Dias de Bivar]

*** I'm not sure what the outside temp is at 30,000 feet, but can you imagine the body flash-freezing and hitting the ground as a fresh-frozen corpsicle? ***

Honest officer. I was driving fenceposts for this here fence and I found this people shaped post stickin in the dirt so I thought it woud make a good gatepost so that's why I hung the gate on it.

[Ruy Dias de Bivar]

***It's an in flight special sir. Only serve it up about ten times a year.***

Must be New Guinea Airlines.

[KarlInOhio]

I will not make a Weekend at Bernie's reference...
I will not make a Weekend at Bernie's reference...
I will not make a Weekend at Bernie's reference...

[montomike]

That's the best idea. Put the corpse of the dear departed one in a first class head and let the firsty elites use the coach heads.

[ryan71]

"...dumping..."?

There was no "dumping". They did the best they could, deal with it! If you are uncomfortable, don't fly.

[RunningWolf]

they couldn't store this poor dead woman in the hold or something til they arrived at their destination?

Not once they are airborne, they were only following well substantiated procedures.

[JRios1968]

I will not make a Snakes on a Plane reference...
I will not make a Snakes on a Plane reference...
I will not make a Snakes on a Plane reference...
I will not make a Snakes on a Plane reference...

[JRios1968]

I will not make a Throw Mamma from the Train reference
I will not make a Throw Mamma from the Train reference
I will not make a Throw Mamma from the Train reference
I will not make a Throw Mamma from the Train reference

[philly-d-kidder]

I was on a Singapore Airlines flight to San Francisco 10 years ago. A Guy died in first Class two rows behind me. They left him in his seat for a few hours until rigor Mortis set in and his wife conceded to put him in a Body bag they let sit in the Food galley.

a Coroner along with Police came on Board when we landed where they did a Mini Autopsy to determine Death.A Heart attack they were travelling with 4 couples. They released us one and half Hours later. finally convinced we didn't murder him....

[Dr.Zoidberg]

They left him in his seat for a few hours until rigor Mortis set in and his wife conceded to put him in a Body bag they let sit in the Food galley.

Seems like a reasonable way of handling a body.

BA really should try to adopt a similar policy.

[GSlob]

"they couldn't store this poor dead woman in the hold or something til they arrived at their destination? "
In the overhead luggage bin.

[CarrotAndStick]

Point taken.