Couple Forced to Sit Next to Corpse on Qatar Airways Flight for Hours

A couple bound for their dream Italian vacation experienced the flight of their nightmares when they were forced to sit next to a dead body for four hours ... with no option to change their seats.

Mitchell Ring and Jennifer Colin were on their way from Melbourne, Australia to Venice, Italy via Doha, Qatar when a woman collapsed in the aisle next to them and died mid-flight.

In an interview with Australia's "A Current Affair," the upset couple said the deceased woman was placed next to them with a blanket over her body -- and they were not given the option to change their seats for the remainder of the long-haul flight.

Jennifer was encouraged to move by a fellow passenger who offered up a free seat next to her nearby ... but Mitchell was not that lucky. He was asked to move one seat over, into an empty seat in his row so the deceased woman could be placed in his assigned seat.

He noted ... "There were a few spare seats I could see around us. I can't believe they told us to stay."

His trauma deepened when at the end of the flight, passengers were asked to remain seated while medical crews removed the unidentified body. Mitchell said personnel did not attempt to keep the woman covered ... exposing her face to him.

According to the International Air Transport Association (IATA), a deceased person should be placed in a seat "with few other passengers nearby" and covered with a body bag or blanket.

Mitchell and Jennifer are clearly shaken up ... but say they are trying to enjoy their time in Italy the best they can. They claim they have not been contacted by Qatar Airways but have tried numerous times to speak to the airline.