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发帖数: 2053 | 1 http://news.yahoo.com/s/time/20110116/us_time/httpnewsfeedtimec
Hero Pilot Pulls Out the Stops to Help Grandpa Reach Funeral: 2011's Most
Heartwarming Travel Story?
By WILLIAM LEE ADAMS William Lee Adams – Sun Jan 16, 1:55 am ET
The most important trips aren't about getting somewhere. They're about
getting to someone. (via Elliott.org)
But in an age of mounting airline fees, reduced in-flight services,
uncomfortable security pat-downs and multi-day delays caused by erupting
volcanoes, it's easy to forget that.
Amid the cries of "I've already paid for my hotel!" and "You need to get me
to Atlanta!" anger and inconvenience frequently blind us to the fact that
travel is ultimately about people. We also forget that airline employees -
bound by big company rules and regulations - get frustrated, too.
Enter Nancy, whose travel triumph, tempered by a great deal of sadness, has
turned an unnamed Southwest Airlines pilot into an online hero. (More at
NewsFeed: Meet the 13-Year-Old HERO of the Australian Floods)
Nancy reads a blog by Christopher Elliott, a consumer advocate and
journalist, and wrote to him about her husband's recent ordeal traveling on
flights from Los Angeles to Tucson to Denver. Their situation makes
complaints about leg room look downright petty.
"Last night, my husband and I got the tragic news that our three-year-old
grandson in Denver had been murdered by our daughter's live-in boyfriend,"
she wrote. "He is being taken off life support tonight at 9 o'clock and his
parents have opted for organ donation, which will take place immediately.
Over 25 people will receive his gift tonight and many lives will be saved."
So early in the morning, after what must have been a torturous night's sleep
, Nancy and her husband arranged for him to fly from Los Angeles, where he
was traveling for work, to Tuscon, where he would step off one plane and
immediately onto another one headed to Denver. "The ticketing agent was
holding back tears throughout the call," Nancy wrote. "I'm actually her step
-mother and it's much more important for my husband to be there than for me
to be there."
Mourning the loss of his child's child, and no doubt worrying about his
grieving daughter, he was likely in no state to travel. Airport stress only
compounded his despair. He arrived at LAX two hours before his scheduled
flight time, but quickly realized that delays at baggage check and security
would keep him from making the flight. (Travel photos: Amazing snapshots of
travelers stranded by holiday blizzards)
According to Nancy, he struggled to hold back tears as he pleaded with TSA
and Southwest Airlines staff to fast-track him through the lines that were
moving like molasses. Even though missing his flight could mean missing a
final chance to see his grandson, no one seemed to care.
Too much was at stake to simply roll over and cry. When he finally cleared
security - several minutes after his flight's planned departure - he grabbed
his computer bag, shoes and belt, and ran to his terminal wearing only his
socks. The pilot and the gate agent were waiting for him.
"Are you Mark? We held the plane for you and we're so sorry about the loss
of your grandson," the pilot reportedly said. "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."
It's hard to underestimate the courage of the pilot's decision. The flight,
which ultimately departed 12 minutes late, likely had hundreds of passengers
rolling their eyes in contempt. And given that any delay has knock-on
effects for passengers at the destination airport, his decision placed
Southwest at risk of facing the wrath of travelers, and more than a few
demands for compensation.
Elliott, who brought the story to the blogosphere's attention, approached
Southwest about the story, half expecting the airline to be outraged by a
pilot's refusal to push the on-time departure.
Instead, they told him they were "proud" of their pilot, a man who clearly
understands that taking a child off life support has consequences that run
deeper than a flight taking off late. As Nancy wrote: "My husband was able
to take his first deep breath of the day." Hopefully, over time, his
daughter can do the same. (Southwest Airlines Photos: The History of Co-
Founder Herb Kelleher)
View this article on Time.com |
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