Comments

yeah I think the title is a little wonky.. it should read .. "Whadda flight !!" The Air Lines had no right to do that... if I were the passenger, I would be in horrified not only for the fact that I have a dead person beside me.. but for the dispassionate manner that the airlines is handled it. They could have easily move the person and laid them out at the back in the pantry area..

Posted by /pd at March 19, 2007 3:38 PM

Poor British Air.

What should they have done? Turned around and flown back? It would have taken longer and she would have been just as dead. I guess they could have tossed her out the emergency door.

At least they used an empty row...

No doubt they could have been kinder to the poor guy who woke up and freaked out, but it's amazing to me that stuff like this doesn't happen every day.

Posted by seth godin at March 19, 2007 4:13 PM

I think it can be unhealthy sitting next to a deteriorating corpse. Refrigeration is always a good idea.

Posted by Rhea at March 19, 2007 4:13 PM

Seth, they could have strapped the person into one of the flight attendents seats at the back of the aircraft.. long haul flights have this correct ??

So why were those not used eh ?? Muscial chairs is a nice game to play... as long as you are dancing flip flop of a corpse !!

Posted by /pd at March 19, 2007 4:41 PM

British Airways is, I believe, on a long slow decline. My experience with them is that the flight crew is mostly excellent (though this corpse thing would belie that observation). But their corporate interface (website, phone, email) is as bad as any other I have had to deal with. They most definitely don't have Tom's "excellence in everything we do" as their corporate motto.

To give you a data point on the corporate problem, I wrote a piece about them in my weblog, and now "british airways sucks" is the largest driver of traffic to my site (it is also the first hit on Google for "british airways sucks"). If you read the comments on that piece you will see at least three commentors that are pretty clearly from corporate. None of the comments accept responsibility, or attempt to make amends. British Airways definitely hasn't gotten on the ClueTrain yet.

Posted by Frank Leahy at March 19, 2007 4:54 PM

I'm not seeing the problem here. If you die on a flight, I think a free upgrade is the least they can do.

Also, bodies tend to stiffen up right after death. It makes a lot of sense to move the woman to where 1) there is a lot of room, and 2) it's easier to get her off the plane.

Putting her at the back makes no sense, as this would interfere with food preperation and handling for the rest of the flight.

Posted by John at March 19, 2007 6:46 PM

British Airways got it right... After all its just one more "stiff" in First Class...

Richard

Posted by Richard Lipscombe at March 19, 2007 6:49 PM

"A spokesman for BA said...'Fortunately such events are rare - in the region of ten deaths on board per annum...'"

That amounts to one dead passenger in the news and an airline made fun of every five weeks or so...

First, BA had to provide for the grieving family... and they did that. Second, they should have asked first class passengers if they wanted to be transferred to coach, even if they were asleep.

I would not like to have a friend or relative die on a flight (or anywhere for that matter) and later referred to as a "sack of potatoes" in the media.

G. Salcido

Posted by G Salcido at March 19, 2007 7:20 PM

Sometimes it baffles the mind. Of the several dozen options that I'm sure the BA crew could have had, they chose the one that would assure the greatest amount of negative press, brand trauma and ridicule. You'd think that if they had this happen ten times a year they would have a more dignified process for handling such unfortunate circumstances.

As for the reputation of this country, it is disturbing how fast we have lost the respect of the rest of the world.

Posted by Andrew Hayden at March 19, 2007 8:43 PM

"...they chose the one that would assure the greatest amount of negative press, brand trauma and ridicule."

I'm sure that's not entirely true, there are many things they could have done worse. Leaving her in economy class would probably have been worse, but then again First Class passengers to pay more to avoid being disturbed by the rest of us (dead or alive). My understanding of the story was that the dead woman and her daughter were moved to first class where they would be allowed more privacy to grieve.

Posted by Keven Lofty at March 19, 2007 11:57 PM

Tony Blair in brilliant action for charity in Comic Relief last Friday evening on BBC TV - hope the Brit humour carries across the pond http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OrmIxZrVH-w

Posted by Trevor Gay at March 20, 2007 1:45 AM

Other airlines have said that when such an incident occurs on one of their flights, they put the body in a cupboard. The problem with all this is that whatever the airline does, they're open to criticicm: put the body in a cupboard and you're being insensitive; put it in the least crowded area of the airplane and everyone in that area complains; leave it where it is and everyone in that area complains; disrupt the flight by heading for the nearest airport and the whole flight complains.

And maybe this is the nub of the problem: I grant you that BA might have been more diplomatic about telling other passengers what they were doing and putting the body in a cupboard would be my preferred solution. But isn't there something incredibly selfish and callous about a reaction that's based on, "How terrible for me that someone has had the audacity to die in my vicinity while we're cooped up in a confined space. Never mind that the relatives are beside themselves. Never mind that the crew have got to deal with this upsetting event. Let's just focus on how terrible this is for me, me, me, me....."

Posted by Mark JF at March 20, 2007 4:01 AM

BA really got it, don't you think? Think, deconstruction!
The crew- CONGRATULATION- go and have a can of Krusty Cola, it's diabetes in a can!!
---------------
So pity when there is still people who really don't get it... and, put the corpes in the first class, what do they thinking. Sorry dude, no BA for me.

Posted by Izwan at March 20, 2007 6:00 AM

Would it not have been more pertinent for the crew to place the body in one of the crew bunks given that this occurred on a long haul flight?

And how come the person in the seat next to the corpse wasn't woken up by other passengers complaining about the movement off the body through the plane?

And as this appears to have been a sudden death occuring in the flight, how come the body didn't have to stay in its original seat until medical staff, coroner or police had given the okay for the body to be moved?

Posted by Keith Rickaby at March 20, 2007 6:16 AM

It is not all that unusual for the US to be thought of in a negative manner throughout the world. When we decided to act unilaterally--within our rights and responsibilities--because others would not act as they should have, we knew it would be tough going. It seems we have now forgotten. Who said it was going to be easy or popular to do the right thing? Personally, I couldn't care less what the world thinks of me or my country. My only concern is how so many of our journalists, pundits, and politicians pander to the hand-wringing whiners in the US and throughout the world. What happened to our fortitude?

British Airways' crew did what they could under tough circumstances. Mark JF got it right. We should all feel soooooooooo sorry for the poor person who was inconvenienced by someone's untimely death.

Posted by Mike at March 20, 2007 6:22 AM

I agree with Mark JF. I've read praise for BA for making the best of a very difficult situation.

From the Times:
"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."

Posted by Jeff at March 20, 2007 7:17 AM

Mike - at the risk of turning this into a mutual appreciation society - well said! Yesterday, I saw an interview with Prime Minister Blair (who I as a Brit rate very lowly) and he was in firm and decisive mode. For once! He countered criticism with facts and figures, he was firm about his policies and he was resolute about sticking with them. After 10 years in the job he almost looked and sounded like a PM - if only he'd been like that 9.5 years ago instead of wringing his hands and being all touchy feely and lacking any idea of boldness. I want a PM who can articulate what he thinks is the right thing to do (not the easy thing and not the popular thing) and who then gets on and does it.

I guess there's a fine dividing line between stubborness, inflexibility and fortitude but I for one wish that a few more politicians would remember that all their clever words mean nothing without the determination and fortitude to make good things happen.

Posted by Mark JF at March 20, 2007 8:06 AM

1. Tom - please - that was no corpse - it was Trevor doing his dead-on Keith Richards' imitation ... later he came to & snacked on crisps & Diet Peach Snapple ... wiki wiki ... :>]

Posted by sean_1st_class at March 20, 2007 8:54 AM

1. Mark - agree on lowly Blair status - alas summer breeze shall carry him away ... Tom - on Iraq poll - amazing to me hate for Islam as Brand now - even neoliberals connect it with Satanic & homocide & women-degrade focus ... c'est la vie ... :>]

Posted by sean_blair_as_lapdog at March 20, 2007 11:46 AM

Not wishing to bore our American friends with Brit politics but I have always been and remain a Blair supporter – a modern leader using modern methods. Unlike Mark I think Mr Blair has been very decisive since he became leader of the Labour Party in 1994. He had a vision then and he has delivered it. He listens to people rather than acts autocratically – since when was that a bad quality of a leader?

Mark says - ‘I want a PM who can articulate what he thinks is the right thing to do (not the easy thing and not the popular thing) and who then gets on and does it.’ - And yet Mark when Mr Blair meets your entire criteria on Iraq and supporting our allies in America to the hilt the public knock him even more. I believe history will be kinder to Mr Blair than current cheap ‘media influenced’ public opinion.

Yours sincerely

K Richards …deceased …. But only temporarily … :-)

Posted by Trevor Gay at March 20, 2007 12:14 PM

1. Trevor - agree as before on Blair & forecast him as $100M post-PM brand - $250K/speech is what Impeached-Clinton now gets ... wish I were in Keith's $100M brand status ... :>] ...

Posted by sean_blair_fan at March 20, 2007 12:44 PM

Trevor - even as good as PM Blair is he will never play for Man. United let alone Liverpool!

Richard

Posted by Richard Lipscombe at March 20, 2007 10:04 PM

sean_blair_fan - I agree my friend – Tony Blair has charisma, is an excellent communicator and is a genuine caring family man.

Richard – thanks - Tony Blair is in fact a very good footballer ... even at over 50 years of age he has a chance of getting into the Liverpool team ...but not my beloved Man United I'm afraid.

By the way if you want a good laugh take a look at Mr Blair in Comic Relief last Friday - you can see the sketch at this link. http://www.simplicityitk.blogspot.com/

I hope the humour travels across the water but rest assured it is hilarious.

Let me know what you think

Posted by Trevor Gay at March 21, 2007 1:49 AM

Trevor its funny - as Ali G would say "give it up for m' may-inn mannn Primmme Min'ster Tony Blairrr"... fully sick!

Richard

Posted by Richard Lipscombe at March 21, 2007 2:19 AM

Thanks Richard - Ali G replies - 'wicked innit my main man? - ow is fings in australia by da way?' :-)

Posted by Trevor Gay at March 21, 2007 7:56 AM

It is simply amazing, is it not, what happens when you invade and occupy another country? Of course, at the beginning for Iraqis, in particular the Sunnis, it was an open question. But it has long since become clear the invasion was not intended as liberation for the people of Iraq. So whose fault was that? There has been no accountability, so it must be the fault of the Iraqis!

Posted by wmmbb at March 21, 2007 8:22 AM

1. Clearly though the epitome issue here is that TG is pleased to feign corpse status ... anything to fly 1st class free ...

2. ... & now TG plans yipping & yapping his way to free airline cargo hold status as lapdog terrier ... :>] "... ALL cargo-lapdogs shall fly free ..." he decrees ...

Posted by sean_feign at March 21, 2007 8:43 AM

Where BA went wrong here was that they didnt wake the first class passenger and let him know. I think that was all he was asking for.

He wasnt complaining that this shouldnt happen in first class, he was wining because none of the crew thought it might be wise to wake him and let him know, and maybe give him the chance to move so the family could have some privacy.

This isnt a problem thats restricted to BA, we Brits like to think of ourselves as the gentlemen of the world, but we are usually pretty poor at customer service...

And I would also like an answer to the question, why couldnt the crew give up one of their beds?

Posted by David F at March 21, 2007 11:30 AM

Trevor - it is raining!!! "second life" is booming... currency is climbing... economy is two edged - booming resources and mixed elsewhere... politics is confusing with Iraq, fast speed internet, education, healthcare, ethics, etc all on the table... life is too good for most people so they "rant and rave" (negatively)about irrelevant things...

Richard

Posted by Richard Lipscombe at March 21, 2007 3:53 PM

Wonderful comments Richard thank you - I hear so much moaning about our privileged, mollycoddled, comfortable world .… then I am reminded that 20,000 people will die again tomorrow – most of them children - due to extreme poverty. What happened to realism?

Posted by Trevor Gay at March 21, 2007 4:13 PM

Once again, another reason to believe that life is a cosmic joke...

Posted by s. guglielmi at March 22, 2007 8:10 AM

I think Richard Lipscombe has accurately summed up the problem (and Rhea has a good point about refrigeration). When I researched this article to link it for Tom, I found MANY stories of deaths on planes. At first I was stunned, but think about it ... naturally it has happened more than once, as Seth suggests above. And when I told the story to friends, one of them told me about a man she knew who was alive only because the plane he was on when he had his heart attack had not yet left the ground.

Posted by cathy mosca at April 3, 2007 9:56 AM