A Melbourne couple has recounted their distress after they said they had to sit next to the body of a passenger who had died midflight, despite there being other empty seats available.

Qatar Airways defends its response to an incident where a woman died mid-flight. The airline states its crew acted professionally by relocating the deceased while providing support to affected passengers.

Aussie couple's dream trip turned nightmarish when a passenger died mid-flight, and they were seated next to the body for 4 hours.