When last have you heard a positive story about airlines in the news? Most airlines make the news for something negative – whether it’s forcibly removing passengers from planes for no reason, permanently losing luggage or even worse.
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However, this is an airline story that you will never expect. When a flight attendant asked a mom to get off the plane, she was confused and thought she was on the wrong flight. When she found out the real reason, she was completely shocked and her world turned upside down.
Devoted Mom
Peggy Uhle described herself as an ordinary American woman who was a proud mother and wife. She has spent most of her life in Colombus, Ohio and has always put her family first, no matter what.
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Of course, just like any mother, she feared if something terrible happened to one of them and how she could protect her children the best. But she tried her best not to let the worry consume her but it was hard when all of Peggy’s three sons, were pole vaulters.
Coming Home
Nothing could have warned Peggy on what was about to happen. Her day started the same as any other day. She was coming back from a holiday and was ready at the airport for an Easter Sunday trip back home.
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She was travelling alone on a slow super early morning flight from Raleigh-Durham, NC on Southwest airlines. There were no hiccups and everything went smoothly but soon things were about to change.
Lost in Transit
To get to Columbus, Ohio Peggy had only a short hour to change planes. This meant that she didn’t have time to check her phones and see what was happening back home and besides, who was going to text her this early anyway?
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So, Peggy focused all her energy on making sure she made her connection. If any of you have travelled by air before, you already know that an hour isn’t that much time to make connecting flights.
En-Route to Ohio
But despite the grogginess of the early morning and Peggy’s made her connecting flight. And while most people would check their phone one last time before boarding, she was in a rush and settled in for the short flight home.
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It was only when the plane began taxing that she turned her phone but just as everyone was getting settled into their flight, without warning, the Southwest plane stopped and turned around on the Midway Airport tarmac.
High Alert
It wasn’t long before confusion set in and everyone on the plane realized that something was wrong. This was after 9/11 and everybody was nervous about this sudden change of plans. What could the pilot be doing?
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The plane was slowly inching its way back to the gate and Peggy was just as confused as everyone but it would be long before they would find out why the pilot had to make such a sudden move.
Confusion Sets In
As the plane began to reapproach the gate, a flight attendant walked directly over to Peggy and this was when Peggy knew something was wrong and what she said afterwards was even worst.
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The flight attendant calmly told her that she needed to get off of the plane and follow her. Peggy was incredibly confused. Had she broken a rule? What had happened and why did she alone need to get off of the plane?
What Was Happening?
Peggy’s first reaction was that she thought that she had accidentally gotten on the wrong flight in her rush to make it. After all, it was early and the connection was a quick one but the dramatics of the situation made her feel otherwise.
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The flight attendant didn’t just explain to Peggy what was happening, she escorted her all the way to the gate and even confirmed to Peggy that she had been on the right flight, but this was not about that, it was about her family.
Why?
The flight attendant told Peggy that she needed to call her husband right away and what should have been seconds, felt like hours to her. The world had stopped and Peggy’s confusion had turned into anxiety.
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She pulled out her phone and as she heard the ringing, all the worst-case seniors were playing in her mind. The attendant had informed Peggy that her husband had contacted the airline company when he couldn’t get hold of Peggy when her phone was off.
What Was So Urgent?
Her husband finally answered and so she found out the tragic news. Her 24-year old son, who lived in Denver, Colorado, had sustained a head injury and was in a coma. She couldn’t even believe what she was hearing and naturally, Peggy began to panic!
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She felt trapped in Chicago and had no idea what to do. Her injured son was over one thousand miles away and she needed to be with him. She felt helpless, overwhelmed and exhausted.
Flooded with Relief
She didn’t have the energy to make any of the arrangements to see her son, she felt stuck and panicked! And that is when the attendant who had helped her off the plane told her the news which Peggy never expected.
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The attendant told Peggy that all of the arrangements had been made for her. She had been put on the first next direct flight to Denver which was leaving in two short hours. This meant that rather than frantically running around the airport finding a flight, all she had to do was wait.
Kindness
We all hear horror stories of airlines ripping people off or being inconsiderate and Peggy truly believed that this was the norm. So, well the airline not only got her a flight to Denver but also waived off the requirement of needing documentation for why she was changing her flights, Peggy’s relief was indescribable.
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Not only that, but the airline had also managed to rerouted her luggage so that she didn’t need to worry about anything. They had made it possible for Peggy to put all her energy focusing on her son.
A Moment of Peace
This was a beautiful act of kindness which many people don’t see but the airline wasn’t done. After the details of Peggy’s flight were given to her, she was escorted to a private waiting room where she could relax away from the crowds.
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Every effort was made to ensure that this horrible and stressful situation for Peggy would be made a little more comfortable for her, at least as far as the airline could manage and they had even more in store for her.
More Than She Could Handle
While Peggy wasn’t in the right headspace to find herself being grateful for the situation, her oldest son was in a coma, after all, she still couldn’t stop herself from feeling a sense of relief.
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This only got stronger when Peggy was told that the airline had booked a hotel room in Denver, nearby the hospital where her son was located. Besides, her luggage would be delivered to the hotel directly.
A Helping Hand
This thoughtful act would ensure that Peggy could rush to her son’s hospital, rather than having to worry about grabbing her luggage, getting checked in the hotel and then being able to see her son.
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Naturally, Peggy was blown away by how kind and caring the airline was to her during her time of need. And when it came time to board the flight to Colorado, Peggy was given priority boarding so that she could settle in her seat and get ready for the flight.
More Than Most
This treatment didn’t just stop when she landed in Denver, Peggy was also allowed to disembark first. The flight attendants also gave her a free packed lunch so that she would have the energy to deal with what was to come next.
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While the airline helped Peggy in every way, the trip to Denver wasn’t an easy one for her. Peggy’s thoughts were consumed by the safety of her son and she spent most of it quietly sobbing and praying.
The Bill
When Peggy landed she has whisked away into a waiting car which took her directly to the hospital. When Peggy finally arrived at the hospital, she saw her husband was already there waiting for her and collapsed in her arms. Finally, she was with her son and family.
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A few hours after Peggy arrived at the hospital, she received a call from the airline. At first, she assumed it was to get her credit card details to cover the expenses of getting her to Denver.
Waived Completely
As Peggy was rummaging in her purse to get her wallet at the ready, what she heard on the other end left her speechless. The call wasn’t for any payment, in fact, the airline refused to take any fees for any of the expenses, from the car to the ticket.
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All they wanted to know was how was her son doing. She couldn’t believe it. In most cases, she always had heard corporations making a bad situation worst but for her, the airline had tried their best to ensure the exact opposite.
How Was Her Son?
Peggy’s son Michael survived the traumatic injury and came out of the coma eventually. While it was touch and go, he did in the end recover from his brain injury and Peggy was able to be by her son’s side thanks to Southwest Airlines.
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A few years have passed and Micheal is currently in one of the best rehabs in the country and continues to improve daily. Since waking from the coma, Michael has learned to walk, talk and go about his daily business.
National Praise
What Southwest airlines did for Peggy during one of the most traumatic experiences of her life has been oft-repeated as what should be industry standard for how airlines should be treating their customers.
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She believes that she would never have been able to make the necessary arrangements in her state of mind, but the airline thought of everything for her. She has been interviewed by many media outlets which she consistently talks about how the company “saved the day”.
Still Grateful
While Michael, the once college athlete who was a cycling and snowboarding enthusiasts hasn’t been able to get his life fully back as it was, the family still considers this a happy ending.
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And Southwest Airlines haven’t forgotten about Peggy and Micheal, even now. For starters, Peggy refuses to fly any other airline and whenever she does, she is greeted warmly by all crew members.