Qatar Airways’ deadly customer service debacle
When you’re booking a long-haul flight, you expect a few inconveniences: turbulence, toddlers kicking your seat, maybe a fellow traveller practicing yoga in the aisle or, worst of all, the person next to you trying to start a conversation. What you don’t expect is having to share your row with a corpse.
For Australian couple Mitchell Ring and Jennifer Colin, their recent Qatar Airways flight took grim flying experiences to an entirely new level in a rare PR misstep for a brand associated with luxury, premium hospitality and regular accolades as, “The World’s Best Airline.”
The incident occurred mid-flight from Melbourne to Doha, when a fellow passenger suddenly fell unconscious in the aisle. Despite efforts from the crew to revive her, she tragically passed away.
Most passengers would assume the airline had some sort of protocol in place for such awful events. Maybe a designated area to respectfully place the body? A discreet partition? Something other than…putting them in a seat next to horrified passengers.
The cabin crew did attempt to move the body to business class, but this idea was swiftly abandoned.
In an Australian TV interview, Mr Ring recalled how at this point the cabin crew asked him to budge along in his row to make room for the recently deceased passenger, to which he replied (perhaps in retrospect overly politely, and before thinking through the ramifications of his response), “no problem.”
He described the incident as ‘traumatic’ and criticised the lack of protocol for handling such situations on board.
Following the TV interview and sensing a PR disaster brewing, Qatar Airways scrambled a crack team of corporate PR experts to respond. In a vague, understated response, the carrier said it apologised for “any inconvenience or distress this incident may have caused.”
For airlines (and really, any company that deals with the public), here are a few key takeaways from Qatar Airways’ mishandling of this situation:
Be More Than “Minimally Decent” in a Crisis
Expressing condolences is great, but passengers who endured an unsettling experience deserve more than a generic “sorry for the inconvenience” response, days later, and definitely not only after you have discovered the victims are going to be interviewed on national television. A more empathetic and transparent statement would have gone a long way (as well as appropriate compensation, possibly involving one of Qatar airlines’ ultra-luxury suites beloved by influencers).
Have a Crisis Plan That Doesn’t Involve Ignoring the Crisis
Someone passing away in-flight is a rare but not unheard-of event. Airlines should have well-rehearsed procedures in place – preferably ones that don’t involve traumatising nearby passengers.
Consider Passenger Comfort (Beyond Legroom)
Imagine paying thousands for a flight only to experience a real-life horror movie. If an airline expects passengers to endure such a situation, the least they can do is offer some kind of assistance, a relocation option, or even just basic compassion.
Address the Situation Proactively
For many corporates, sorry seems to be the hardest word. Qatar Airways could have admitted they messed up, addressed the issue directly, explained their protocols (or committed to improving them), and ensured passengers know their concerns are taken seriously. Instead, their vague response only made them look indifferent.
Understand That PR Is About Perception, Not Just Policy
Even if an airline follows the “industry standard” in handling a death on board, if customers walk away feeling ignored, shocked, and undervalued, then the PR damage is done. A little humanity goes a long way.
