A Southwest Airlines pilot has been in the news during the past week after he held a flight from Los Angeles for 12 minutes -- just enough time to allow a grieving grandfather to catch the flight in an effort to see his dying grandson in Colorado.
The boy -- 2 year-old -- Caden Rogers -- died, but grandfather Mark Dickinson was able to complete his connecting itinerary and arrive in Colorado before the boy's death.
But, according to a growing number of media accounts, Dickinson had to overcome numerous obstacles to make that happen.
From the very beginning, ABC News writes "security officials at the Los Angeles Airport did not believe Dickinson when he asked to be moved further up in a long slow-moving security line because he was hoping to make the flight and find his grandson still alive."
"I thought, 'Oh my God, I'm not going to make my flight'. I didn't know when I was going to get the next one. I resigned myself to the fact that it was my fault," Dickinson is quoted as saying by ABC News.
But, in the meantime, wife Nancy Dickinson had decided to call the airline to see if there was any way Southwest could hold the flight -- possibly her husband's final chance to make it to Colorado in time.
Christopher Elliott first reported the story on his travel blog Elliott.org, quoting an e-mail from Nancy.
She tells Elliott that when her husband finally arrived at the gate, both "the pilot of his plane and the ticketing agent both said, 'Are you Mark? We held the plane for you and we're so sorry about the loss of your grandson.' "
Nancy continued to Elliott:
As my husband walked down the Jetway with the pilot, he said, "I can't thank you enough for this."
The pilot responded with, "They can't go anywhere without me and I wasn't going anywhere without you. Now relax. We'll get you there. And again, I'm so sorry."
The Dickinsons have since extended their thanks to Southwest for the airline's assistance in getting Mark to Colorado, according to The Mercury News of San Jose, Calif.
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Wow. Just wow. I head this story yesterday and it made my heart melt. Even though his grandson did pass before he got there, the thought that the pilot would hold a plane so he could make it is so touching. This not-so-simple act of kindness should not be so astonishing that it warrants national attention, but in today's world, this sort of thing never happens. And that may be the saddest part. But major props to the pilot for doing what he knew was right and standing his ground!!
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Umm...so I was just scanning pics of Southwest planes to attach here, and came across this:
Bar Rafaeli on the side of a Boeing 757?! How did I miss this?? I have a total girl crush on Bar Rafaeli. As I understand, her image being painted on a Southwest plane in 2009 was part of an ad campaign with Sport Illustrated promoting their swimsuit issue. Though I can understand why some people would be up in arms, I don't understand why people were calling it soft porn, and I wouldn't be changing my flight just because she's on the outside in a swimsuit. Most of the complainers were parents. In that case, shouldn't these concerned parents bar (haha) their kids from going to the beach too? And as one customer said: "How many teenage boys are paying customers?"
Good point (middle aged male) customer.
I have read this story a few times in the last two days and I am always so moved by it.
ReplyDeleteAnd it is so sad.