Ber2dca

Or it's the kind of thing where if no-one gets up, no-one wants to be 'that guy' even though they really don't understand why the heck they should wait for that whole ceremony to be done when they have a tight connection. But once someone gets up and basically takes it upon themselves to shoulder that burden of being 'that guy', they can do what they wanted to do all along.

pharmawalk

High potential for a 'damned if you do, damned if you don't' situation.

dmbolp

Why not just leave the seat belt light on?

TBD

I agree, too. Sad as the event may be, it literally has nothing to do with the vast majority of people on that plane. Shall we start requiring anyone who walks by a cemetery to stop and give a moment of silence, too?


I can't believe that would stop more than 2 people on a 747 .....

formeraa

I have as much respect for those who serve as anyone. Many of my family members are retired military.

However, DTW is a hub. Passengers had to make CONNECTING flights. If the flight was early, then I agree that passengers were being disrespect. If the flight was simply on-time or even late, there are passengers who need to make a connecting flight.

One of my local anchors read this story and said he was outraged...blah...blah...blah. I immediately thought of the hub situation and you are putting passengers in a terrible situation: be respectful or make your connecting flight (some passengers may have a sick family that they are trying to see before they die or a funeral to attend, for example).

Zeeb

I guess I've just never been on a flight that had a deceased servicemember, so I haven't experienced this. I totally understand letting the honor guard get off first so they can get down to the tarmac quickly and without hassle. But what is the history/reasoning behind holding everyone on the plane until the coffin is removed? I'm missing where the disrespect comes from.

tvnwz

I have been on four flights where this happened. Each time nobody got up. Complete silence until the escort left. Then everyone was allowed to leave. No instructions to wait until the ceremony planeside was done.

Beltway2A

Respect for whom? The deceased generally? Deceased servicemembers? It's certainly not the former, because pax aren't held every time there's a deceased member of the general public aboard.


While I'd personally wait, tying this to respect isn't useful. I can completely understand why non-American pax may not respect or feel compelled to wait for servicemembers. Although I disagree, I can also understand why American pax may feel the same way.

If this is to be treated as a standard procedure, Delta should inform passengers as such in advance.

GagaPilot

I know I'll be in the minority here, but my two cents: I see absolutely no reason passengers should be asked to remain in their seats on board while a casket (military or civilian) is offloaded from the cargo hold. This makes absolutely no sense. The majority of the pax would not even be able to see the casket as it was offloaded. This is unnecessarily delaying people the ability to make tight connections, FAs to complete their post-flight, and fleet services to make the aircraft ready for the next departure. It's a whole "chink in the chain" scenario.

I'm an airline pilot myself and the general public would be astounded at the number of civilian caskets that are transported on a regular basis unknown to the cabin crew and passengers.

Perhaps there could be an announcement made in the service member's honor, however I feel that could be intruding on the privacy of the serviceman's family. I personally would be uncomfortable making such an announcement.

FAs can gripe all they want about passengers getting up even when asked not to. Once the aircraft has reached the gate, seatbelt sign is turned off, and main cabin door is opened, I'm not going to be the pilot that gets chastised for falsely keeping passengers onboard and not allowing them access to the terminal. Those are some hefty fines for the airline and the end of a career for the pilot.

nlkm9

I have to say, if you are one of the folks with a nail biter of a connection, you really are damned if you do, damned if you dont. Its easy to judge and talk trash when you are at your final destination or your connection is a few hours away. I had a flight a few weeks ago and it was a legal 30 minute connection time and I had to run......because of where this plane landed (in a busy hub) they should have removed the body after the passengers deplaned. If I didnt have a tight connection youd better beleive I would wait there and pay my respects. you never know what someone is catching a connection for...maybe they are going to see their loved one for the last time, whatever, its not a fair time for judgement at an airport.

jhayes_1780

I am asking... NOT making a statement. But isn't it just as bad to have recorded this?

Down3Green

Just a little view from the inside....Delta (and all the airlines, I'm sure) understand the solemn responsibility of transporting military remains. There is actually a section in our Flight Ops manual regarding the issue. It does recommend making a PA to the passengers to allow any Military escorts or possible family members to deplane first. Any activity outside of the aircraft near where the remains were being transferred would be delayed or come to a stop (Galley servicing, baggage handling, fueling, lav servicing, etc...) However, there is no guidance that says passengers should remain onboard. I can't say what PAs were made on this particular flight and it's possible that they were misunderstood.

Like many airline pilots, I'm former military and certainly have the utmost respect for fellow veterans, but I personally wouldn't require pax to remain onboard. If someone decided to do so and paid their respects by observing the ceremony, I think that 's great. I always try to get down on the ramp and do the same, but I understand that people have their own concerns. Someone further up the thread asked if we should remain on board every time their are any human (civilian) remains being transferred from the aircraft and I always tell people that they'd be surprised just how often they are sitting above remains. I'd say it's at least 1 of every 3 flights, maybe more.

FirstInFlight

Flying ATL to RDU I was seated next to a guy who had earphones in from the moment he entered the aircraft. He was on a call until the door closed and then listening to music and working on an iPad from that moment on. The FA grew frustrated trying to get his attention for beverage service and the snack basket. When we landed he was back on a call before we left the runway.

We had a deceased MOS aboard and the usual announcement. He, of course, was oblivious. When we got to the gate he stood up, still on his call, to get his bag from the overhead. Nobody else stood up. The FA touches his arm to get his attention just as he glanced back down the aisle and saw the escort coming forward.

The guy said "I'll call you back" shuts off his phone and snaps to.

It took me a few minutes to gather my stuff so he deplanned before me. When I got to the gate area he was standing at the window - ramrod straight.

I had a few minutes so I stopped to watch. When the casket was clear he relaxed and started toward baggage claim. He got back on the phone and I heard him say to whoever was on the call, and was apparently highly offended at being cut off so abruptly, "Sir you are important but a fallen service member was being escorted off the flight and that takes priority over anything that isn't trying to kill me."

It was a good lesson for me that not everyone who seems to be a jerk actually is - or maybe the lesson is that even jerks have priorities. Either way, I thought it was a good rule to live by: respect for a fallen member of service takes priority over anything that isn't trying to kill you.

GuyverII

Great movie. Kevin Bacon did a stellar job.

bergamini

OK, I watched the video. The action of the passengers getting up stops and then it starts up with the processional to the hearse. That does indicate it could have been spliced or edited. When they are doing the processional you don't hear people unloading or wheeling baggage, you just hear a few incidental sounds. Further, there is quite loud background music when the people are disembarking from the plane. You don't hear that during the processional. I am guessing they turned the music on after they turned the seat belt light off?

I call the very significant chance that there is a foul and that this video was edited. The music during the people offloading the plane and not during the processional is very telling.