Qantas customers 'traumatised' over horrifying seating request

An Aussie couple has been left "traumatised" after sitting next to a corpse for up to four hours on a long-haul flight as they made their way to an Italian holiday of a lifetime booked through Qantas.
Mitchell Ring and Jennifer Colin were sitting in their seats flying from Melbourne to Doha on a Qatar flight through Qantas when a fellow passenger came out of the toilet and collapsed in the aisle beside them. Despite desperate attempts, cabin crew were unable to revive her, the couple said. The "heartbreaking" scene went from bad to worse when the couple said they were told to "move over" and her body was placed in the very seat Mitchell had just been sitting in.
"They tried to wheel her up towards business class, but she was quite a large lady... then they just looked at me and saw seats were available beside me. And they just said, 'Can you move over, please?'," Mitchell told A Current Affair.
Blankets were placed over the woman and Jennifer, a nervous flyer, was encouraged by a fellow passenger to move seats. However, cabin crew reportedly didn't attempt to move the couple and Mitchell endured hours of sitting beside the woman.
When the flight landed in Doha, the couple were instructed to remain in their seats while an ambulance and police boarded the plane.
"I can't believe they told us to stay," Mitchell said. "I thought they would have got us out frankly, and let the ambulance and the police in there with no other people... but they told us to sit down and wait... [they] started pulling the blankets off the lady right beside me. I was there, and I got to see her face."
👶 Expat couple with baby on the way fear deportation after $40,000 visa spend
✈️ Virgin Australia passenger's travel nightmare renews push for major change
⚠️ Travelling dad's 'amazing' find on road stops traffic for 20 minutes
The couple claim they have not been contacted by either airline — with the flight booked through Qantas and Qatar acting as the carrier.
"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," Mitchell said. "I don't really know how I feel and would like to speak to somebody to make sure I'm alright."
Yahoo News understands Qantas made contact with the passengers on Monday.
"Ms Colin booked tickets through Qantas and travelled with Qatar Airways, a fellow oneworld Alliance carrier," a Qantas 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 Airlines is reportedly looking into the situation.
Do you have a story tip? Email: newsroomau@yahoonews.com.
You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter and YouTube.

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Learn with AIFact CheckingText to SpeechAI Summary

Related Articles

Tom's Guide

4 hours ago

• Tom's Guide

No weights, no problem — this is the 15-minute no-equipment workout I'm doing to keep up my strength training on holiday

When I go on holiday, working out isn't a priority for me. However, I do like to give myself the option, so I often pack a pair of my best running shoes into my luggage for either a run or a quick visit to the hotel gym. I'm heading to Portugal next week and staying in a rental apartment, so with no gym available, I've been on the hunt for a no-equipment strength workout I can do from anywhere. One trainer who never lets me down when I need a quick and effective home-friendly workout is Kayla Itsines. With nearly 16 million Instagram followers, I know I'm not the only one who loves her content. That's where I came across her travel-friendly full-body workout, and it went straight into my saved posts. It includes six moves performed across three sets, which might sound like a lot, but the full routine only takes 15 minutes to complete. I gave it a test run before packing and found it quick, effective and surprisingly energizing. As I'm an early riser. Even on holiday, I'll likely be doing this routine out on the balcony before everyone else wakes up. That said, it's the kind of workout you could easily squeeze in during a midday siesta or before heading out for dinner. If you're heading somewhere warm and planning to keep up your running, the Saucony Triumph SG is a great pick. It's lightweight, breathable, and has a quick-pull lacing system that makes it easy to slip on and go. A post shared by KAYLA ITSINES (@kayla_itsines) A photo posted by on There are six exercises involved, all demonstrated by Itsines in the post above. It's worth watching her video so you can note the correct form. Each exercise is listed below. You'll spend 30 seconds on each move, so make sure to do this on each side for the unilateral exercises and don't forget to do all three rounds. Get instant access to breaking news, the hottest reviews, great deals and helpful tips. Itsines' routine is proof that you don't need a gym or a lot of time to get a solid full-body workout in. With six simple bodyweight moves repeated across three rounds, it targets your major muscle groups and gets your heart rate up in just 15 minutes. You'll kick things off with double-pulse sumo squats, a lower-body move that works your inner thighs and glutes while building strength and stability in your hips. Then it's into glute kickbacks and fire hydrants, which isolate the glutes and help improve balance, especially since you'll be working one side at a time. The commando and hover-to-plank combo brings in upper-body strength and core control, challenging your shoulders, arms and abs. Finally, ab bikes round things off with a burst of core work that also gives your obliques some attention. While it's quick, this type of session helps you build functional strength — the kind you use in everyday movements like climbing stairs, bending, or carrying things. As it's bodyweight-based, you're not just building muscle, but also working on your balance, mobility and endurance. The combination of core activation, unilateral work (where you focus on one side at a time) and full-body engagement means you're training in a balanced way that can help reduce injury risk and support long-term strength goals, too.

Yahoo

5 hours ago

• Yahoo

Tourist myth busted as search for $100m Powerball winner continues

A common myth about playing lotteries in Australia has been busted as the hunt for the mystery $100m Powerball winner continues. The jackpot was won back on June 12, with the huge prize still unclaimed. In the days following, a theory emerged that a tourist may have scored the windfall, but because the ticket was unregistered, officials have no way of contacting the lucky winner. What is known, is that it was purchased at Bondi Junction Newsagency & Internet Café on Oxford Street. While it's largely believed punters have to be an Australian resident to cash in their winnings, lottery officials revealed to Yahoo News on Monday that isn't necessarily the case. The Lott's Anna Hobdell said anyone visiting Australia is welcome to try their luck. "Anyone in Australia can purchase a ticket if they reside in Australia or are visiting," she said, but clarified that The Lott website isn't accessible outside of the country for ticket purchases. 💰Will the $100m Powerball be redrawn if it's not claimed? ✈️ How $100 million Powerball winner can best spend their jackpot 💵 Shock thing 87 per cent of lottery winners don't do Sydney is the most popular city in Australia for tourists, and Bondi is one of the top hotspots that draws the attention of visitors. Annually, almost three million people visit the popular beachside suburb, with approximately 1.8 million of those from overseas. If a backpacker or a tourist did purchase the lucky $100m Powerball ticket, they can still rightfully claim the money, though they may have to abide by their own country's rules around tax. "Whoever has that winning ticket can certainly still claim, it's just they might be subject to tax based on where they live," Anna said. "So, in Australia, lottery prizes are completely tax-free, but if they were, for instance, a tourist and they do return home, they might be subject to tax rules based on where they live." In short, players must be in Australia to buy a ticket, but don't have to be in the country to win it. The search for the winner ongoing, with the next steps involving looking into the Bondi Junction newsagency's CCTV footage to help identify the person. Do you have a story tip? Email: newsroomau@ You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter and YouTube.

Washington Post

a day ago

• Washington Post

Is it rude to ditch your travel partner for the airport lounge? We asked.

Traveling has always come with complications. Our By The Way Concierge column will take your travel dilemmas to the experts to help you navigate the unexpected. Want to see your question answered? Submit it here. As airport lounges crack down on crowds, some are getting stricter with guest policies by implementing new rules and higher fees. If you're a card-carrying member, but your travel companion is not, is it a faux pas to leave them behind for a little lounge time before your flight? All is fair in love and upgrades? Not quite. The airport lounge can feel like a port in the storm, an elegant oasis away from the chaos of the greater terminal. But they're not worth ruining a relationship over — or at least the start of a trip. 'Let's just acknowledge that these lounges are fine, but they are not amazing,' said Nick Leighton, co-host of the etiquette podcast 'Were you raised by wolves?' 'Like if the Qantas First [Class] Lounge was plopped into the middle of New York City, would it be the hottest restaurant or a lounge down? No, it would not.' In fact, 'there are a lot of lounges around the world where it is worse than the terminal outside,' Leighton added. But the allure of 'free' charcuterie and can be alluring, so let's figure out what to do in a lopsided membership situation. Tackling this question starts with establishing some context, says Jo Hayes, founder of First: who is the travel companion? If it's a colleague, Hayes says you may appreciate some time apart anyway. Leighton agrees, so long as you're talking about your work equal. 'It's sort of like every man for himself if you're at the same level,' he said. 'It's a little trickier if you're traveling and your boss doesn't have access. There's a little power dynamic there.' To avoid flexing on your colleague — superior, subordinate, whoever, really — Leighton says to part ways before you get to the lounge, maybe mentioning you're going to grab some food and you'll see them at the gate later. Mostly, you don't want to rub in your elite status. 'We want to be mindful of your companions' feelings; we don't want to embarrass them,' Leighton said. A loved one — like a family member or your romantic partner — is a different story. 'I think the default setting is that you don't go,' Leighton said. Lisa Richey, founder of the American Academy of Etiquette, Inc., had the same sentiment. 'Instead, find a quiet corner, have a coffee, and be fully present,' she said. 'This is a great opportunity to enjoy a human connection.' However, every relationship is different. Leighton pointed out that some couples appreciate a break from each other, they might not even choose to sit next to each other on the plane. 'In that case, have at it,' he said. 'Enjoy that lounge; enjoy that warm prosecco!' If you don't have that kind of 'separate togetherness' approach to your travel day, consider their reaction to a proposed split. How do you think that conversation is going to go? Will you hurt their feelings by even asking? And what kind of airport are you leaving them in? Is the terminal miserable and your lounge visit further salting the wound? Hayes says whatever the scenario, her No. 1 tip is to have clear communication before you decide. Here's her sample script: 'We've got a two-hour layover. How would you feel about my going into the lounge for that time? It feels a bit awkward, or rude, leaving you out here, so if you'd prefer I stay with you, just say so.' Frame the question in a way that's polite and demonstrates you have considered their feelings. You want them to feel respected, and that you don't want to do anything that would hurt them. 'This is what good manners are all about,' Hayes said. Plus, 'when people feel respected, they're far more likely to offer grace in return,' she added.