Seated Next To An Angel

[Capt. Fantastic]

Consider this possibility on your next flight to the LOS.

Well, at least the air conditioning kept the cabin ventilated. As long as they were in the air that is. But on the ground, well, we all know how things get stuffy.

[sledge038]

now i know how to get a nice seat on my trip to LOS in april,
great idea for an upgrade

[stevem]

Well the bodies have to go somewhere. The ultra long haul aircraft such as the A340-500 have an option for body storage. SQ has it on their fleet. The only problem is that if there is no doctor onboard, a very unlikely situation, to declare the person deceased, then it becomes interesting.

[ATMwalking]

Have one less toilet and store the body in there.

It isn't very respectful to the body, but much more acceptable for the hundreds of living people on board. As the article mentioned, there could be health issues with leaving a decaying body in the cabin.

If I was that guy, I would have demanded that something be done. I would have even dealt with it myself. Traveling is bad enough. You pay for First to offset how much it sucks. Then to have a decaying body and screaming women next to you, regardless of the circumstance, completely not acceptable. I have an equal right to not go insane.

That said, I will avoid BA based on how they dissed a valuable customer.

[Captain]

Is there no small resting/sleeping place for the crew in a 747? They could put the death body there.

[stevem]

Originally Posted by Captain

Is there no small resting/sleeping place for the crew in a 747? They could put the death body there.

Then where do the crew have their regulatory rest

[dizbuster]

Originally Posted by ATMwalking

...That said, I will avoid BA based on how they dissed a valuable customer.

Are you referring to the incident that is being discussed, i.e. you will now avoid BA because of this or are you referring to an earlier problem you have had with them ?

That aside, it must have been a difficult decision, I mean, where else would it have been possible to put the deceased woman ? Anywhere near the kitchen areas would have caused widespread fears about hygiene. To be placed in a toilet could have been taken as a sign of disrespect for someone who had just died.

I think the guy who complained has justification to grumble but feel that he could have gone about it in a more diginified way. BA would have made some kind of compensatary offer to him - obviously it wasn't enough.

[Captain]

Originally Posted by stevem

Then where do the crew have their regulatory rest

First class seat?

[pablo]

This is a true story.

A US airline company (that I used to work for), had a similar incident...a long time ago.

The flight was from Anchorage, Alaska...to Seatlle, Washington, with a midway stop, in Ketchikan, Alaska.

The aircraft was a "Constellation" (old prop-job, for the yong'ns). It was fitted with an (under the fuselage) cargo "pod". It looked much like an upside-down "camper shell", that you would see on pickup trucks, today. After it was filled with cargo, it was then hoisted in, with cables...to fit snuggly, against the belly of the aircraft.

Enroute, from Anchorage to Ketchikan...a passenger appeared to have "expired". The crew moved him to an empty seat in the forward section, until landing in Ketchikan.

After a rough approach and landing in Ketchikan (a snowstorm ongoing), the local station was advised of the (supposed dead) passenger. And medical assistance was requested. Being a small "outpost" type of facility...and, the weather being so nasty...no medial assistance was available, for some time to come.

The Captain, made the decision, to put the "body" in the cargo pod, under the aircraft belly, and, take him to Seattle. (he paid for the trip, right?)

Upon arrivial at Seattle, the (well frozen) corpse, was discoverd by the ground baggage crew...and the Captain, had some explaining to do. 55555

If the passenger wasn't dead before...he sure was now!

Anyway, this was before the "golden" age of litigation. (fvcking lawyers) And some, (reasonable) settlement, was reached.

I wonder, how many lawsuits will come of this most recent incident.5555



Pablo

[stevem]

Originally Posted by Captain

First class seat?

Try and tell the regulators and the unions that. Cabin crew maybe but not tech crew

And there is no way on this earth that revenue will allow 2 first class to be blocked for crew rest.

[ATMwalking]

Originally Posted by dizbuster

Are you referring to the incident that is being discussed, i.e. you will now avoid BA because of this or are you referring to an earlier problem you have had with them ?

...

BA would have made some kind of compensatary offer to him - obviously it wasn't enough.

Was covered in the article.

Trinder, chief executive of Capital Safety, which makes products for the building industry, holds a BA gold card and travels more than 200,000 miles a year with the airline...When contacted by BA about the complaint, Trinder says he was told he would not be compensated and should “get over” the incident.

No compensation. No apology. This is why I will not fly BA again. Just more disrespect of him as a living individual and as a customer.

[Captain]

Originally Posted by stevem

Try and tell the regulators and the unions that. Cabin crew maybe but not tech crew

And there is no way on this earth that revenue will allow 2 first class to be blocked for crew rest.

Understand the part about the union, but if there was place for a body, there was the same place for crew. They could have switched crew and deceased place, so passenger should not notice.
But then, I am no plane expert.

[Pussy Whipped]

That is terrible what BA did.

My brother is crew on BA. I have not had the inside story on this incident yet, I'll post it when I get it. In the past he has told me normally if it is a full flight they take the passengers rings off (otherwise they have to be cut off later) then put the eye shade on them. Then just pretend they are not dead just sleeping, even talking to them, like when its meal times "nothing for you Mr Smith still sleeping"

Years ago I saw on "thats life" a woman complained about her biz class BA flight being to noisy in her seat, eventually she got a free ticket. So this guy will have to be compensated.

What did the woman die of I wonder. Doctors recommend you should not sit within 7 rows of someone with TB. Who will tell you which passenegrs have TB I don't know, no one I guess otherwise everyone would get off.

[ATMwalking]

Originally Posted by Pussy Whipped

normally if it is a full flight they take the passengers rings off (otherwise they have to be cut off later) then put the eye shade on them. Then just pretend they are not dead just sleeping, even talking to them, like when its meal times "nothing for you Mr Smith still sleeping"

...

What did the woman die of I wonder.

The body of a woman in her seventies, who died after the plane left Delhi for Heathrow

So I'm guessing not TB, but just old age.

He became particularly concerned about the state of the body. “When you have a decaying body on a plane at room temperature for more than five hours there are significant health and safety risks,” he said.

Still could be health effects. That is why I was suggesting confine the corpse to a tolet. Not to mention:

The woman’s daughter and son-in-law arrived soon after and began grieving. Trinder said: “It was terrifying. I put my earplugs in but couldn’t get away from the fact that there was a woman wailing at the top of her voice just yards away. It was a really intense, primal sound.

Flying long distances already sucks. I hate being confined and usually go from one of the more expensive seats. This story and Pussy Whipped's comments are like a nightmare come true. So how crazy expensive is a private jet for trans-oceanic flight?

[marc26]

Originally Posted by ATMwalking

So how crazy expensive is a private jet for trans-oceanic flight?

Vancouver to Vegas was 15k
so i could only imagine

[dawsey]

This sounds an absolutely disgraceful way to treat the passengers in Biz class. OK the poor woman is deceased, but disrespectful or not, she should have been put in a body bag and carefully placed in a toilet. The living should not have to sit with a corpse near them, whether economy or biz class.

[MrDK]

Is it just me or would it have been more sensible to move a few living pasengers up front to free up 3 seats for the dead in the back. As far as I can determine it would only require one additional seat up front to make that work.

[dawsey]

Originally Posted by MrDK

Is it just me or would it have been more sensible to move a few living pasengers up front to free up 3 seats for the dead in the back. As far as I can determine it would only require one additional seat up front to make that work.

A good practical idea Mr DK, but who wants to sit near a corpse?
There should be a locker somewhere away from passengers.

[marc26]

Originally Posted by stevem

Then where do the crew have their regulatory rest

i would think that this is a different circumstance and they could get forgo their rest(im sure the passengers around the deceased didnt get there rest, either!!)

i would have been as respectful as i could but would have made a big ass fuss

[dawsey]

Originally Posted by marc26

i would think that this is a different circumstance and they could get forgo their rest(im sure the passengers around the deceased didnt get there rest, either!!)

i would have been as respectful as i could but would have made a big ass fuss

Unfortunately Paul, in this day and age, common sense still goes out the window, and the crew must have their rest period. Health and Safety and all that!
Would be some mighty big lawsuits flying at BA if a major disaster had happened and the crew were found to have not taken the regulatory break.

[marc26]

Originally Posted by dawsey

Unfortunately Paul, in this day and age, common sense still goes out the window, and the crew must have their rest period. Health and Safety and all that!
Would be some mighty big lawsuits flying at BA if a major disaster had happened and the crew were found to have not taken the regulatory break.

theres airline rules are starting to get me riled
leaving people on runways for 9 hours
dead people in seats

[dawsey]

Originally Posted by marc26

theres airline rules are starting to get me riled
leaving people on runways for 9 hours
dead people in seats

We all get riled Paul, but we can't beat the system. Only way is to make your feelings known to the airline concerned, and maybe take your business elsewhere.