With all the recent reports of the way certain airlines have been treating their passengers, it’s understandable that people aren’t feeling that great about flying these days.
However, what Southwest Airlines did for a mom in a time of crisis is a great reminder that there really are airlines that genuinely care about their customers. Peggy Uhle had already made it past security and boarded a flight from Chicago, Illinois, to Columbus, Ohio, when the plane stopped moving along the runway and turned around, heading back toward the gate. She was confused when a flight attendant told her to get off the plane, but she complied. That’s when a gate agent said she needed to call her husband.
“I figured I was on the wrong plane,” Uhle said. “The gate agent told me to check in at the desk and when I did she told me to call my husband.”
Uhle learned from her husband that her son, who lives in Denver, Colorado, was in a coma after suffering a head injury, reports My Fox Philly.
Before she even got off the plane, Southwest Airlines had already made arrangements for her. “The gate attendant already knew the situation and had booked me on a direct flight to Denver that was leaving in the next two hours,” said Peggy. The airline also didn’t charge Peggy any additional service fees.
The BoardingArea blog reports that Southwest went above and beyond the call of duty to redirect the plane Peggy Uhle was on, get her onto another non-stop flight to Denver, and even pack her a lunch for when she got off the plane.
“They offered a private waiting area, rerouted my luggage, allowed me to board first, and packed a lunch for when I got off the plane in Denver,” Uhle said. “My luggage was delivered to where I was staying, and I even received a call from Southwest asking how my son was doing.”
Thanks to the airline’s incredible service, Peggy was able to quickly get in touch with her family and travel to her son to give him the support he needed—without having to pay a dime.
Today, her son has fully recovered from his serious head injury.
Sources: OpposingViews, My Fox Philly, Boarding Area