Discounts for passengers after man dies mid-flight
An Australian airline Monday said it had offered discounts on future travel to some passengers after a man died on their 11-hour flight from Singapore to New Zealand. The 31-year-old New Zealander, Robert Rippingale, had been watching a movie and eating his in-flight meal on the Jetstar flight to Auckland last week when his girlfriend Vanessa Preechakul noticed he seemed to be struggling. "I thought he was laughing very hard; then I looked at his face and his eyes were rolling and he couldn't talk. His lips were turning purple," she told The New Zealand Herald. A doctor and two nurses who were on board rushed to help the man, but were unable to save him and he was declared dead some 90 minutes into the flight. Rippingale's father, David, said police have told the family his son choked to death but added that as the younger man had an existing heart condition, he would await the results of an autopsy. The cause of death is now the subject of a coroner's inquest. "This was a very difficult and sad event, and our sympathies are with the passenger's family," a Jetstar spokeswoman said. "The crew did an admirable job in what was a very upsetting situation for all involved, particularly the deceased passenger's companion." Jetstar, the budget offshoot of Australia's biggest carrier Qantas, said after Rippingale was pronounced dead his body was moved to a curtained-off crew rest area where Preechakul was able to sit with him for the rest of the flight. In consultation with Preechakul it was decided to continue the journey to Auckland rather than divert back to Singapore, in part because the dead man was from the New Zealand city. Jetstar said it had subsequently contacted passengers who were sitting nearby to thank them for their understanding. They were offered a discount on future travel, the carrier said, without specifying the amount, although some reports said it was a voucher worth NZ$100 (US$84).
