This is a Trip Report from the Economy cabin
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So, I decided to go to LHR literally at the crack of dawn [:0]on the day (Saturday)of my flight to snag an Exit Row or Bulkhead seat for the flight down to HK leaving on the Saturday night.
Having got to Check-in at about 7am (for a 21:30 flight remember), I was duly able to get a coveted Bulkhead seat in economy - the catch? - well of course I'm told I have to pay for the Bulkhead seat [:(!]. Well, on balance it's probably just about worth it I convince myself and pay the money over.
Eventually settle into the flight, and 2-3 hours in to the flight, an elderly chap in Y with Parkinsons and some medication problems starts collapsing and being violently ill everywhere. Every time they try and sit him up, he passes out. He ends up in the aisle on the floor for an etertity, while the crew try and tend to him. Now, here's the odd thing, more than HALF AN HOUR passes BEFORE the crew put a call out on the PA asking if there's a medically qualified person on board. And this guy was VERY sick.
Several people around me all commented on what an extradordinairy length of time it took before the crew put the PA call out [:?] - they had very little way of knowing what medical expertise was available to them (for all they knew they might have had 10 doctors going to an intensive care conference in HK).
Sure enough when the request was made a number of people volunteered, who then subsequently took care and control of the situation, underlining the point about the value they could have added if they'd been asked earlier surely? I can't for the life of me see why the crew didn't ask passengers earlier - what would have been the harm in doing this? - this passenger was CLEARLY very ill and I have to say a number of the CC looked very uncomfortable with the situation; visibly shaken and worried which in turn spooked a number of the passengers around us.
Of course, needless to say at this point the FSM decided to come and personally introduce herself to me and my seat companion (remember - Bulkhead + lots of legroom in Y!)- you can probably see what's coming - and asked if we wouldn't awfully mind possibly if it's not too much trouble giving up our seats so the ill passenger can be laid down on the floor where we're sitting (well we weren't sitting on the floor of course but you know what I mean!).
Of course we give up seats immediately - this is guy is now VERY ill. - and are taken to the bar [:)] whilst the FSM decides what she wants to do with us. Of course now I'm thinking 'oh Bugger, disturbed the entire family getting up early to get to LHR this morining and all for nothing' but then reflect that the ill passenger's' need is greater than mine, and I absolutely have to do the right thing.
So, now I'm sitting at the bar and the FSM offers us 'anything out of the shopping catalogue' as its becoming clear we're not going to be upgraged for giving our seats up; we're going to be put in the centre non-aisle Y seats that the old chap and his wife had been in (I wasn't expecting an upgrade I should say - the guy simply needed our seat-space), but to be frank I didn't really want a inflatable model 747 or a cheap watch - I really wanted the extra leg-room [:#]). Astonishingly, the FSM that in previous similar situations, pax seem to normally REFUSE to give their seats up - something I find hard to understand; how could you not give your seat up [V]???? Shame on you whoever you are.
So after a G&T at the bar, I go back to one of the most uncomfortable seats on the plane in Y, with the offer of a refund of the 70 quid I paid for the seat in the first place, and that's about it. Fortunately by the time we got to HKG the old boy was at last sitting up, and looking a little better [;)].
As for me, the rest of the flight was horrible [:#], incredibly uncomfortable seat (I have a disk problem with my back which is why I wanted some space to stretch out) stuck in the middle of the Y centre section with strangers asleep on both sides (making it v. difficult to get out to the loo etc.). Needless to say I'm wide awake by now, and don't get a wink of sleep for the remainder of the flight. As Blackadder would have said 'Bugger'!
And the really good news? I'm going straight on to SYD from HKG (it's a business trip and when I get off the plane I'm straight into a meeting). This is not shaping up well...[:#]
