Passenger dies on DTW-PVG flight Monday
Oct 10, 2018, 11:43 am
#16
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I think it's more than just fellow passenger concern that's on DL's mind. Handling a deceased body entry into and in a foreign country and try to repatriate it back to the US can be a lot of problems.
RIP - I hope he/she was in Delta One Suite...it's a more elegant way to go...
In any case, I think that was the first death in the new A350... Speaking of which, those A350s are partially marked by the crew to serve only Chinese routes. I have been on PVG A350 flights several times, and the crew has cover the lavatory door with a hand-written duct-tape, with the word "push" in Chinese
It's the same ugly hand-writing every time, so I think it's quasi-permanent on those aircraft. On the old LAX-PVG B777, they had the same and they even had a hand-written duck-tape in the lav on the flush button...
RIP - I hope he/she was in Delta One Suite...it's a more elegant way to go...
In any case, I think that was the first death in the new A350... Speaking of which, those A350s are partially marked by the crew to serve only Chinese routes. I have been on PVG A350 flights several times, and the crew has cover the lavatory door with a hand-written duct-tape, with the word "push" in Chinese
It's the same ugly hand-writing every time, so I think it's quasi-permanent on those aircraft. On the old LAX-PVG B777, they had the same and they even had a hand-written duck-tape in the lav on the flush button...
Last edited by wlau; Oct 10, 2018 at 11:51 am
Oct 10, 2018, 11:52 am
#17
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This would make sense. Winnipeg really was the closest place to land. Once he was pronounced onboard it would make more sense to continue onto DTW for crew purposes, plus reprovisioningof meals. Curious if they got the prearrival (breakfast) meal after departure and the main meal (dinner) prior to arrival.
Oct 10, 2018, 11:57 am
#18
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I wonder whether it would have made any difference at to whether the flight would have continued to PVG, if the deceased person was a Chinese citizen and therefore the family would naturally have preferred the body arriving at PVG vs going back to DTW? Probably not, but I'm curious what others think.
Oct 10, 2018, 12:29 pm
#19
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On my flight on China Eastern from PVG to LAX my seatmate in business class as pronounced dead due to heart attack midway. Onboard doctor and nurse attempted to revive, but could not. He was covered with blanket and we flew 6 more hours to LAX. Flight continued and flight attendants came around with cocktails.
Oct 10, 2018, 12:34 pm
#20
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On my flight on China Eastern from PVG to LAX my seatmate in business class as pronounced dead due to heart attack midway. Onboard doctor and nurse attempted to revive, but could not. He was covered with blanket and we flew 6 more hours to LAX. Flight continued and flight attendants came around with cocktails.
Oct 10, 2018, 12:37 pm
#21
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I wonder whether it would have made any difference at to whether the flight would have continued to PVG, if the deceased person was a Chinese citizen and therefore the family would naturally have preferred the body arriving at PVG vs going back to DTW? Probably not, but I'm curious what others think.
Oct 10, 2018, 4:25 pm
#22
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On my flight on China Eastern from PVG to LAX my seatmate in business class as pronounced dead due to heart attack midway. Onboard doctor and nurse attempted to revive, but could not. He was covered with blanket and we flew 6 more hours to LAX. Flight continued and flight attendants came around with cocktails.
Oct 11, 2018, 6:58 am
#23
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On my flight on China Eastern from PVG to LAX my seatmate in business class as pronounced dead due to heart attack midway. Onboard doctor and nurse attempted to revive, but could not. He was covered with blanket and we flew 6 more hours to LAX. Flight continued and flight attendants came around with cocktails.
Oct 11, 2018, 7:16 am
#24
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I can easily rationalize the decision to return to the USA (instead of Canada or continuing to China) but I wonder why they didn't divert to MSP instead of back to DTW. From the flight path, MSP looks slightly closer. The also could have gone to SEA in order to land in the USA but be closer to their destination. ANC might have been a possibility too, but a DL hub would obviously be easier. I'm assuming that ANC can handle A350 diversions if necessary, although hotel space would be more limited there and other logistics such as fresh catering could be harder too.
Oct 11, 2018, 7:46 am
#25
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I can easily rationalize the decision to return to the USA (instead of Canada or continuing to China) but I wonder why they didn't divert to MSP instead of back to DTW. From the flight path, MSP looks slightly closer. The also could have gone to SEA in order to land in the USA but be closer to their destination. ANC might have been a possibility too, but a DL hub would obviously be easier. I'm assuming that ANC can handle A350 diversions if necessary, although hotel space would be more limited there and other logistics such as fresh catering could be harder too.
Oct 11, 2018, 7:51 am
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Oct 11, 2018, 7:56 am
#27
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Pilots would be based at DTW, but DL would have qualified FAs including pursers at any major hub. FAs are trained to handle any aircraft type in the fleet, although sometimes D1 service seems more professional when the crew have lots of experience with the particular galley setup and even anything special about catering for the route. It can also help when the purser is familiar with the airport (lounge locations etc.) and immigration/customs procedures at the destination, but many crew are amazingly clueless about lounges operated by their own airline.
Oct 11, 2018, 8:32 am
#28
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Pilots would be based at DTW, but DL would have qualified FAs including pursers at any major hub. FAs are trained to handle any aircraft type in the fleet, although sometimes D1 service seems more professional when the crew have lots of experience with the particular galley setup and even anything special about catering for the route. It can also help when the purser is familiar with the airport (lounge locations etc.) and immigration/customs procedures at the destination, but many crew are amazingly clueless about lounges operated by their own airline.
Oct 11, 2018, 9:01 am
#29
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Really? I've always been told that DL trains all of their (mainline) FAs on all of their (mainline) aircraft types, although as I think about this with the A350 being a new aircraft type, it could be the case that someone who hasn't yet gone in for their annual recertification since it was introduced by DL might not be A350 qualified. [I know that some other carriers, especially foreign ones, have different policies on this.]
Oct 11, 2018, 9:13 am
#30
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This. And even more important is customer convenience. Presumably a decent portion of that flight is from the DTW area (at least more than from any other single area). Dumping them off in another city (that doesn't have flights to PVG) to save a few minutes of flying isn't good CS.