cannylad

Hi all,

I am due to fly the above flight in about 10 weeks time and always try and pick one of the three rows of two seats at the back in Y on the T7. However this time the seat map on MMB does not show these three rows.
My GF, who booked her seat back in February has 48A and this shows up unavailable (to me) as expected.
Finding this strange I called Emirates (the 0844 number in the UK) and was told that these seats are blanked out as they are allocated to stretchers! The woman reckoned that may become available on the day of travel so I might get one on OLCI but my question is how do Emirates know they will be carrying stretchers 10 weeks out?

Descending

Thailand is very popular for medical treatment for Gulf residents, with alot of them going back and forth. Perhaps this is a forward trip planned for treatment?

GigoloArt

What/ who are stretchers?? People who stretch?

marconess

A stretcher is a medical device used for short-term carrying of patients who require medical care. Stretchers are primarily used in acute out-of-hospital care situations by EMS, military, and Search and rescue personnel.

Stretchers can be equipped with a variable height lower frame containing wheels, tracks, or skids to allow the stretcher to be moved more easily. A simple stretcher does not have such a frame and therefore needs to be carried by two or more people. Despite these differences, their essential function remains the same.

They can often be referred to as a cot, litter, gureny, bed, cart, or (for bariatric stretchers) land barge.

See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stretcher

Gandhi

Oh I once saw this on a LHR-DXB leg with a passenger who seemed to be fighting to survive . .

I kept praying he stays ok till we arrive in DXB or it would mean we might have to make an emergency landing !!

LovetoTravel83

That was your concern?

B747-437B

Most stretcher cases involve an indemnification that releases the airline from liability. Therefore, you are far less likely to see a diversion.

GigoloArt

Wow, that's interesting. Does it mean an airline would then not divert in case of an emergency? Does this really happen then?

Gandhi

Of course it was! I mean I was pretty sure there was an accompanying doctor on board but let's face it, planes are not hospital wards and if something does go wrong and they decide to do an emergency landing it would be AT LEAST 20 minutes (if there is a suitable airport in the vicinity that is) before we hit the ground and that's too much in case of emergencies IMHO.

And I am sure there is some sort of an indemnification involved. I mean I have seen people being off-loaded before take-off just because they are sweating heavily or having pains on their sides only because the pilots want to avoid any diversions or emergency landings once they are airborne. Here you have a case where you are taking a patient out of the hospital ward and putting him/her on a plane. That's just inviting trouble!

B747-437B

It means that a diversion would not be made unless specifically advised by the accompanying medical doctor and the costs of that diversion would be fully covered by the insurance policy held.

Most medical diversions are precautionary (crew are trained to act based upon worst case prognosis), rather than made on specific medical advice. This eliminates those possibilities.

LovetoTravel83

So you arriving at your destination is more important than the life of that person? If that so, then some people are shocking.

Gandhi

I think you misunderstood my original post.

My concern was not that in case of any diversion I would not make it to my destination. I would, in any case. But the thought of a diversion, if found necessary, meant that there was an emergency and something very wrong with the patient. In such a case, I wouldn't like to be in that scenario with the plane descending at full speed not knowing when we'll lose the patient. It's mayhem which I think can be avoided!

Perhaps I should have also mentioned that I wasn't seated very far from the stretcher and just didn't approve of the arrangement

Havoc10G

I agree with B747 that a stretcher patient with medic back up makes the odds of an unscheduled landing less likely. I was o a flight recently with stretcher doctor and nurse and it was fine. I was also on a plane when a passenger unfortunately suddenly died. Bottom line is statistically the odds of an unscheduled landing virtually nil but you never now what will happen. But if you really think the pilot will put the plane at risk then you don't know much about flight safety protocol. As a final note you are not covering yourself in much glory here and just sound like abit of a coward sorry to say.

Gandhi

Where did I say the pilot will put the plane at risk ?

Havoc10G

The clue is in the word mayhem.