An airline passenger is seeking further compensation from British Airways after she and her family were left traumatized following a fellow passenger’s death during their flight from Jamaica to London in December. The woman, who has not been identified, posted her complaint on the British Airways Complaints Advice Facebook page, which has since been deleted, and was later shared in full on the FlyerTalk forum.
The woman explained that she was traveling with her sister and five children when a passenger a couple of rows behind them suffered a medical emergency. The flight crew immediately attended to the person and performed CPR, and tried to use defibrillators to resuscitate them. The passenger was placed in the aisle beside the woman and her family for over an hour as the crew attempted to revive them.
The woman expressed her shock and disbelief at witnessing such an event on a flight and complained that in-flight food and drink services were discontinued for the rest of the journey. She felt that her family “did not receive a thorough flight experience that we had paid for.” She also stated that the incident had deeply affected her and her children, causing them to have many sleepless nights and feelings of stress and worry.
Although the airline offered the woman food vouchers as compensation, she believes that more should be done to acknowledge the trauma that she and her family have endured. She expected British Airways to reach out to passengers who were impacted by the event, offering apologies and compensation or counseling if necessary.
This incident highlights the emotional toll that in-flight medical emergencies can have on passengers, particularly when they witness a fellow passenger’s death. It is also a reminder that airlines should have protocols in place to support passengers who are affected by such events. British Airways has not yet responded to the woman’s request for further compensation.
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