Qatar Airways Forced An Aussie Couple To Sit Beside A Corpse During Doha Flight: 'It Wasn't Nice'

An Australian couple's flight with Qatar Airways took a disturbing turn when they were unexpectedly seated next to a deceased passenger. The unsettling ordeal left them deeply shaken, with one describing the experience as "not nice."

Mitchell Ring and Jennifer Colin were initially pleased to see empty seats on their Melbourne to Doha flight, anticipating a comfortable journey. However, their excitement about their dream trip to Venice quickly turned into a distressing experience when a fellow passenger passed away mid-flight.

A Nightmare at 30,000 Feet

For the remaining four hours of the journey, the cabin crew placed the deceased passenger's body in the same row as Ring and Colin. The couple described the incident as traumatic, explaining that it began when a woman emerged from the restroom and suddenly collapsed near their seats.

'Unfortunately, the lady couldn't be saved, which was pretty heartbreaking to watch,' Ring said. 'They tried to wheel her up towards business class, but she was quite a large lady, and they couldn't get her through the aisle.'

'They looked a bit frustrated, then they just looked at me and saw seats were available beside me; my wife was on the other side, and we were in a row of four. They said, "Can you move over please?" and I just said, "Yes no problem."

'Then they placed the lady in the chair I was in,' Ring continued. According to the couple, the cabin crew failed to offer them alternative seating, leaving a passenger in the row behind to offer Colin, who was a nervous flyer, a spare seat. 'There were a few spare seats I could see around us,' Ring said.

Four Hours Beside A Corpse

Ring spent the rest of the flight in the same row as the deceased passenger, recounting how he was instructed to remain seated even after the plane landed as medical personnel removed blankets covering the body. 'I can't believe they told us to stay ... it wasn't nice,' he said.

The couple stated that Qatar Airways had not supported them following the incident. 'They have a duty of care towards their customers as well as their staff, we should be contacted to make sure, do you need some support, do you need some counselling,' Ring said.

'I don't really know how I feel and would like to speak to somebody to make sure I'm alright,' she added. Despite the ordeal, Colin said they were trying to salvage their once-in-a-lifetime Italian vacation.

'I'm trying to make the best of a pretty hard situation, but, you know, we're on holidays so we're really trying to have a good time,' she explained.

Airline Promises Review

Following their interview with A Current Affair, Qatar Airways has stated they are reviewing the situation. Qantas, through whom the couple booked their flight, has confirmed they will contact them directly.

'Ms Colin booked tickets through Qantas and travelled with Qatar Airways, a fellow Oneworld Alliance carrier,' a spokesperson told Yahoo News.

'The process for handling incidents onboard an aircraft like this is managed by the operating airline, which in this case is Qatar Airways.' Qatar Airways issued a statement saying they are currently reaching out to the passengers affected by the incident.

A Qatar Airways spokesperson said: 'First and foremost our thoughts are with the family of the passenger who sadly passed away on board our flight. We apologise for any inconvenience or distress this incident may have caused, and are in the process of contacting passengers in line with our policies and procedures.'