Flying can be an adventure, but for one unlucky Australian couple, their Qatar Airways trip turned into the stuff of dark comedy—and maybe a horror movie. Mitchell Ring and Jennifer Colin boarded their flight from Melbourne to Venice expecting scenic skies and in-flight entertainment, not an unexpected guest who… let’s just say, wasn’t in it for the long haul.
Partway through the flight, a fellow passenger tragically passed away. Understandably, the flight crew did their best to handle the situation, which apparently involved tucking the deceased into a seat near Mitchell and Jennifer for the rest of the journey. Yes, the dearly departed remained their unexpected row mate for four hours. Suddenly, legroom complaints didn’t seem like such a big deal anymore.
The couple described the ordeal as “traumatizing” and expressed frustration at what they felt was a lack of follow-up care from Qatar Airways. And while the airline has since apologized, one has to wonder—how do you even train for something like this? “Secure tray tables, fasten seat belts, and ensure the corpse is upright for landing”?
As the couple lands in Venice, one thing is certain: this wasn’t the romantic gondola prelude they’d envisioned. For now, they’re left with a bizarre story, a few sleepless nights, and the dubious honor of being featured in the strangest in-flight tale of the year.
Moral of the story: when booking your seat assignment, “next to a corpse” is thankfully still not an option.
