Passenger flies home first-class alongside corpse
Some observers said the airline did the right thing by placing a corpse next to a sleeping passenger, who was somewhat startled when he woke to find his seatmate was dead.
“The police even started interviewing me as a potential witness, although I had no idea what had happened to the woman,” said the passenger, who was in first class.
The economy section of the flight was full, and the cabin crew needed to move the woman and her grieving family out of that compartment to give them some privacy, according to British Airlines.
It’s not the first time this has happened; just last December, a woman died on a British Airways flight on its way to Boston.
The airline estimates there may be a dozen such cases each year.
The airline issued a statement covering this kind of eventuality:
”The deceased must not be placed in the galley or blocking aisles or exits, and there should be clear space around the deceased,” it said. ”The wishes of family or friends traveling with the deceased will always be considered, and account taken of the reactions of other passengers.”
David Learmount, a former pilot and cabin crew member who now writes about the aviation industry for Flight International magazine, said that each airline has to deal with the relatively rare situation on an individual basis.
He told the AP that diverting the flight would be an unusual move, and that the captain would be consulted before the crew acted.
”Personally, I think they did the thing that was the best thing to do,” he said. ”Really, you want as much as possible to isolate the person.”
Report by David Wilkening
.
David
Vegas’s Billion-Dollar Secrets – What They Don’t Want Tourists to Know
Visit Florida’s New CEO Bryan Griffin Shares His Vision for State Tourism with Graham
Chicago’s Tourism Renaissance: Graham Interviews Kristin Reynolds of Choose Chicago
Graham Talks with Cassandra McCauley of MMGY NextFactor About the Latest Industry Research
Destination International’s Andreas Weissenborn: Research, Advocacy, and Destination Impact
Graham and Don Welsh Discuss the Success of Destinations International’s Annual Conference
Graham and CEO Andre Kiwitz on Ventura Travel’s UK Move and Recruitment for the Role
Brett Laiken and Graham Discuss Florida’s Tourism Momentum and Global Appeal
Graham and Elliot Ferguson on Positioning DC as a Cultural and Inclusive Global Destination
Graham Talks to Fraser Last About His England-to-Ireland Trek for Mental Health Awareness
Kathy Nelson Tells Graham About the Honour of Hosting the World Cup and Kansas City’s Future
Graham McKenzie on Sir Richie Richardson’s Dual Passion for Golf and His Homeland, Antigua
ADS PRO 
TAP Air Portugal to operate 29 flights due to strike on December 11
Qatar Airways offers flexible payment options for European travellers
Airbnb eyes a loyalty program but details remain under wraps
Air Mauritius reduces frequencies to Europe and Asia for the holiday season
Major rail disruptions around and in Berlin until early 2026