Excuse me stewardess, may I please be re-seated?

[Otter]

Ok, old story but I never read it before. How fucked up is this?

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/article1530572.ece

A BRITISH Airways passenger travelling first class has described how he woke up on a long-haul flight to find that cabin crew had placed a corpse in his row.

The body of a woman in her seventies, who died after the plane left Delhi for Heathrow, was carried by cabin staff from economy to first class, where there was more space. Her body was propped up in a seat, using pillows.

The woman’s daughter accompanied the corpse, and spent the rest of the journey wailing in grief.

Paul Trinder, who awoke to see the body at the end of his row, last week described the journey as “deeply disturbing”, and complained that the airline dismissed his concerns by telling him to “get over it”.

“It was a complete mess — they seemed to have no proper plans in place to deal with the situation,” said Trinder, 54, a businessman from Brackley, Northamptonshire.

The woman died during a nine-hour flight on a Boeing 747. Trinder was catching up on sleep when he was woken by a commotion and opened his eyes to see staff manoeuvring the body into a seat.

“I didn’t have a clue what was going on. The stewards just plonked the body down without saying a thing. I remember looking at this frail, sparrow-like woman and thinking she was very ill,” said Trinder.

“She kept slipping under the seatbelt and moving about with the motion of the plane. When I asked what was going on I was shocked to hear she was dead.”

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.

“I felt helpless. Grief is a very personal thing; it’s not as if there was anything I could do or say.”

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.

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.

After the plane landed, those in first class remained on board for an hour before police and a coroner gave the all-clear.

“The police even started interviewing me as a potential witness, although I had no idea what had happened to the woman. I just kept thinking to myself: ‘I’ve paid more than £3,000 for this’,” Trinder said.

When contacted by BA about the complaint, Trinder says he was told he would not be compensated and should “get over” the incident.

BA said the dead woman was taken into first class because the rest of the plane was full.

A spokesman said: “When a customer passes away on board it is always difficult and we apologise for any distress caused.”

He said there were about 10 deaths each year out of 36m passengers.

Other carriers use different procedures. Singapore Airlines has introduced “corpse cupboards” on its Airbus 340-500 aircraft. Cabin crews use the locker if there is no empty row of seats to place a corpse.

[KCUnited]

Keep a stiff upper lip, brah.

[seclark]

he should have just kept his mouth shut and swiped her bag of peanuts.
sec

[Garcia Bronco]

he should have just kept his mouth shut and swiped her bag of peanuts.
sec

LOL...you stole my joke, fucker. :P

[seclark]

LOL...you stole my joke, ****er. :P

to be honest, i stole it from an old thread.:D
sec

[Goldmember]

Good way to scam a seat in first class.

Too bad they don't have dirty laundry chute to the cargo area.

[Dayze]

“It was a complete mess — they seemed to have no proper plans in place to deal with the situation,” said Trinder, 54, a businessman from Brackley, Northamptonshire.

no sh*t....
I'd be more surprised if they did have a cargo hold for dead bodies.

[Otter]

“It was a complete mess — they seemed to have no proper plans in place to deal with the situation,” said Trinder, 54, a businessman from Brackley, Northamptonshire.

no sh*t....
I'd be more surprised if they did have a cargo hold for dead bodies.

You think they would have something in place for that situation. I mean a cardboard box would work till you landed.

Imagine hitting turbulence and the corpse in the next seat is flopping around and sliding onto the floor.

Creepy. I'd go pay someone $100 to sit on their lap.

[Chiefnj2]

"After the plane landed, those in first class remained on board for an hour before police and a coroner gave the all-clear."

That's a pretty efficient coroner. "Well she hasn't taken a breath in 59 minutes, I'd say she's dead. Let them off."

[Rain Man]

Can you stretch out in the corpse cupboard? On a long flight, it might be worth taking a couple of jolts from the defibrillator if you could get in there with a pillow.

[Goldmember]

You think they would have something in place for that situation. I mean a cardboard box would work till you landed.

Imagine hitting turbulence and the corpse in the next seat is flopping around and sliding onto the floor.

Creepy. I'd go pay someone $100 to sit on their lap.

They could have used a strap on to tie her to the seat

[Otter]

They could have used a strap on to tie her to the seat

?

http://t1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:LsA5dShs27DlaM:http://www.gotrade.com/uploadfile/lovetoys/image/1229430027.jpg

[Skyy God]

Isn't this what overhead storage is for?

[Gonzo]

Do you think her name was Ethyl?


(I'll be surprised if anyone gets this joke)

["Bob" Dobbs]

As in "Cold Ethyl"?

[Valiant]

Shit I would have stuck her in the overhead as carryon..

[Gonzo]

As in "Cold Ethyl"?

You've passed my awesome test sir.

You are now in the awesome club.
Posted via Mobile Device

["Bob" Dobbs]

The awesome club? Of course DaKCMan AP is president, right?

[Frazod]

This story is so fucked up on so many levels.

1. What an insensitive prick.

2. But he does have a point - if I'd paid that kind of scratch for a seat, I wouldn't want some corpse from the coach section and wailing relatives piled in next to me. The rest of the plane was full - what the fuck? What about the seat she died in? Why didn't they just leave her there? Or chuck her ass in one of the bathrooms? Good God.

3. Airlines suck.

4. Yeah, she's been dead for 8 hours of natural causes, let's conduct a full investigation for an extra hour!

Anti-freeze for all involved. Except the corpse, who should probably get some formaldehyde.

[Gonzo]

The awesome club? Of course DaKCMan AP is president, right?

He's been kicked out after being caught with a bottle of lube, a double sided dildo and a picture of Tebow.
Posted via Mobile Device

["Bob" Dobbs]

He's been kicked out after being caught with a bottle of lube, a double sided dildo and a picture of Tebow.
Posted via Mobile DeviceAGAIN?!?! ROFL

[Gonzo]

AGAIN?!?! ROFL

3 strike rule, you know.
Posted via Mobile Device

[Goldmember]

?

http://t1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:LsA5dShs27DlaM:http://www.gotrade.com/uploadfile/lovetoys/image/1229430027.jpg

yeah, some chick probably had one in her carry on

[Iowanian]

Probably his best chance at the mile-high club...

Luck is where preparation and opportunity meet.

[threebag]

Probably his best chance at the mile-high club...

Luck is where preparation and opportunity meet.

All the players are there to "mung".

[Rain Man]

If I was the airline, I'd tell him, "You didn't have the worst experience on that flight."

[Bugeater]

Dumbasses must have never seen National Lampoons Vacation or they would've known to strap her to the luggage rack.

<object width="480" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/EDkbYDFlINM&hl=en_US&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/EDkbYDFlINM&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object>

[WhitiE]

Can you stretch out in the corpse cupboard? On a long flight, it might be worth taking a couple of jolts from the defibrillator if you could get in there with a pillow.

lol stop......

[Frazod]

This could also be looked upon as a Good News-Bad News type of thing.

The Good News is you and your entire family are going to get upgraded to first class for free!

The Bad News is....

[Spott]

I didn't know that 1st class had complimentary corpses. I'm definitely going for the upgrade on my next flight.

[Lonewolf Ed]

Shit I would have stuck her in the overhead as carryon..

How? The way they pack those bins so tight, it's a wonder anyone can get their bags out without a winch and motor!

[FAX]

What a way to go.

It seems like they would have some kind of procedure for cases like this. At least store the deceased in a fridge, or something.

FAX

[Rain Man]

The lesson I take away from this is that if you can quietly smother a little old lady who's sitting next to you in coach, you get an extra seat for the rest of the flight.

[Gonzo]

Do bodybags fly free on Southwest?
Posted via Mobile Device

[Iowanian]

He should at least be thankful she didn't droan on the entire flight about something that bored him to death.

[jidar]

Look at that guy go on and on about how someones death and grief inconvenienced him. What a complete fucking shit bag.

[Otter]

Look at that guy go on and on about how someones death and grief inconvenienced him. What a complete ****ing shit bag.

You mean like paying $3000 for a first class ticket then being seated next to a corpse and the grieving daughter for five hours, detained for another hour after landing then when contacting the airline explaining that it wasn't the most enjoyable flight experience 'could you throw me a bone?' being told to "get over it".

Sounds to me like the guy handled it in stride. Where exactly in the story did he turn into a "****ing shit bag"?

[Bugeater]

You mean like paying $3000 for a first class ticket then being seated next to a corpse and the grieving daughter for five hours, detained for another hour after landing then when contacting the airline explaining that it wasn't the most enjoyable flight experience 'could you throw me a bone?' being told to "get over it".

Sounds to me like the guy handled it in stride. Where exactly in the story did he turn into a "****ing shit bag"?
Actually it wasn't $3000, it was 3000 of those weird L thingies. I believe there's a difference in the two. But either way, I agree with you, it was a shitty thing for him to be subjected to.

[Frazod]

Actually it wasn't $3000, it was 3000 of those weird L thingies. I believe there's a difference in the two. But either way, I agree with you, it was a shitty thing for him to be subjected to.

It would be about $4,500.

[-King-]

At least the body didn't expel it's waste...
Posted via Mobile Device

[BigRichard]

Anyone a member of the mile high necrophelia club?

[Bugeater]

It would be about $4,500.
No kidding? I had no idea first class tickets could cost that much, if anything I'd have expected it to be far less than $3000.

[-King-]

No kidding? I had no idea first class tickets could cost that much, if anything I'd have expected it to be far less than $3000.

The money he paid is in euros and frazod converted it I think
Posted via Mobile Device

[Frazod]

No kidding? I had no idea first class tickets could cost that much, if anything I'd have expected it to be far less than $3000.

I think they can go much higher than that, depending on the flight, type of plane or when they're purchased. IIRC a first class seat on the Concorde was over $10,000.

The one feel-good aspect of this story is knowing that regardless how much the airlines charge rich pricks for first class tickets, they'll still treat them like shit, too. :D

[Frazod]

The money he paid is in euros and frazod converted it I think
Posted via Mobile Device

British pounds, actually.

[Rain Man]

No kidding? I had no idea first class tickets could cost that much, if anything I'd have expected it to be far less than $3000.

First-class tickets on long flights get extraordinarily high. I've seen prices as high as $7,000 or $8,000, which is why I never fly first-class.

[Otter]

First-class tickets on long flights get extraordinarily high. I've seen prices as high as $7,000 or $8,000, which is why I never fly first-class.

First class, non-stop from Deli to Heathrow (same flight as mentioned in article) scheduled for the beginning of May. Nine hour flight according to Expedia.

http://www.expedia.com/pub/agent.dll?qscr=fexp&flag=q&city1=Delhi+&citd1=Heathrow&date1=05/01/10&time1=362&date2=05/02/10&time2=362&cAdu=1&cSen=&cChi=&cInf=&infs=2&tktt=1&stkc=1&tktc=1&trpt=2&ecrc=&eccn=&qryt=8&load=1&airp1=&dair1=&rdct=1&rfrr=-429

Prices range from $4000 to $7000

[Rain Man]

When you think about the aircrew's choices, it seems like they could...


...set the plane down en route in a place like Iran or the Ukraine, which would likely be a 10-hour delay.

...leave the woman in coach, which is feasible, but not a great situation.

...move them to first-class, which is not ideal, but better than coach, I think.

...put the woman in a bathroom, which seems like the best solution. If the daughter wanted to go in there, that's fine too, I guess.

I really doubt that there was space anywhere else, unless they crammed her into a food cart slot or something.


It seems like they should've gone the bathroom option, in my opinion. The first-class option is probably second, or maybe moving the family to the very back row of coach and having some people switch seats. They should've offered the first-class people a refund on the price difference if they wanted to move to coach.

All in all, it's kind of crass for the guy to be complaining. It wasn't good for anybody, and he had it less bad than others did. It's not like there was a great solution (though again, it sure seems like the bathroom would've been a better option unless there was some rule that the body had to be secured).

[Bugeater]

When you think about the aircrew's choices, it seems like they could...


...set the plane down en route in a place like Iran or the Ukraine, which would likely be a 10-hour delay.

...leave the woman in coach, which is feasible, but not a great situation.

...move them to first-class, which is not ideal, but better than coach, I think.

...put the woman in a bathroom, which seems like the best solution. If the daughter wanted to go in there, that's fine too, I guess.

I really doubt that there was space anywhere else, unless they crammed her into a food cart slot or something.


It seems like they should've gone the bathroom option, in my opinion. The first-class option is probably second, or maybe moving the family to the very back row of coach and having some people switch seats. They should've offered the first-class people a refund on the price difference if they wanted to move to coach.

All in all, it's kind of crass for the guy to be complaining. It wasn't good for anybody, and he had it less bad than others did. It's not like there was a great solution (though again, it sure seems like the bathroom would've been a better option unless there was some rule that the body had to be secured).
I'm not too familiar with how a typical commercial airliner is set up, but don't the flight attendants have a few seats for themselves in separate area? Maybe I'm thinking of something I saw in a movie or something.

[Otter]

When you think about the aircrew's choices, it seems like they could...


...set the plane down en route in a place like Iran or the Ukraine, which would likely be a 10-hour delay.

...leave the woman in coach, which is feasible, but not a great situation.

...move them to first-class, which is not ideal, but better than coach, I think.

...put the woman in a bathroom, which seems like the best solution. If the daughter wanted to go in there, that's fine too, I guess.

I really doubt that there was space anywhere else, unless they crammed her into a food cart slot or something.


It seems like they should've gone the bathroom option, in my opinion. The first-class option is probably second, or maybe moving the family to the very back row of coach and having some people switch seats. They should've offered the first-class people a refund on the price difference if they wanted to move to coach.

All in all, it's kind of crass for the guy to be complaining. It wasn't good for anybody, and he had it less bad than others did. It's not like there was a great solution (though again, it sure seems like the bathroom would've been a better option unless there was some rule that the body had to be secured).

If he was complaining on the plane or being an ass in general when the situation was unfolding I'd agree with you. What he said in the article is after the fact to a reporter. It had to be.

I don't know, he's OK to vent a little in my book after that ordeal.

[Otter]

I'm not too familiar with how a typical commercial airliner is set up, but don't the flight attendants have a few seats for themselves in separate area? Maybe I'm thinking of something I saw in a movie or something.

Good point. Every flight I've ever been on in a commercial size jet the crew have a seat in the alcove where they keep food and drinks.

[Rain Man]

I'm not too familiar with how a typical commercial airliner is set up, but don't the flight attendants have a few seats for themselves in separate area? Maybe I'm thinking of something I saw in a movie or something.


They've got jump seats, but I'm not sure they could/should have a dead body there since those are the seats by the emergency exits. The odds of having a plane crash with survivors trying to get out AND a previously dead body blocking the seats is pretty low, but I bet it's not legal to stow a corpse in those seats.

[Rain Man]

If he was complaining on the plane or being an ass in general when the situation was unfolding I'd agree with you. What he said in the article is after the fact to a reporter. It had to be.

I don't know, he's OK to vent a little in my book after that ordeal.


Yeah, it wouldn't be the most fun thing in the world, I admit. But it's uncomfortable for eight hours, and then you get a great story for the rest of your life.

The mourning and wailing would bother me a lot more than the body would, to be honest. I think I'd talk the flight attendants into spiking the mourners' drinks enough to make them pass out.

[Chiefnj2]

"It was a really intense, primal sound."