In-flight conundrum

So what would you do if the person in the seat beside you died while on a flight half-way across the world?

It's hard to imagine but according to an article in today's Guardian newspaper it happens on average 10 times a year for British Airways.

The plan?

Well if someone dies on a flight they move the person to available space. In the article above the tactic chosen was to sit the person propped up in First-class.

This is one of those situations where it's hard to win on any level. Some passengers are of course understanding and practical while others are self-oriented and don't want to be impacted even slightly. Then there are the relatives or those travelling with the unfortunate person who has died. They are grief stricken and in the case cited in the Guardian, a relative was wailing for a good portion of the flight.

And nowadays the planes are often full on long-haul flights.

So what do you do?

30+ thousand feet up in the sky and we seem to have strayed a long way from our sense of human compassion and understanding. That's sad.

Granted you or your employer may have paid thousands for your first-class seat but it still doesn't preclude from having to show compassion and decency.