Kudos for passenger

When traveling out of Las Vegas on Southwest Airlines, my husband, Steve, always goes to our favorite airport sandwich shop, Capriotti’s, and buys us each a sandwich for the flight. On Christmas eve 2004 he ordered an extra Italian sub for the crew on the plane and told the guy behind the counter what it was for. At that, the sandwich shop guy threw in a turkey sandwich with all the trimmings. Together, they could feed four.

I told Steve the crew probably could not accept food from passengers, but he persisted. He gave the sandwiches to the crew as we boarded and they were thrilled. Apparently, they had been flying all day and night and hadn’t really had anything to eat.

Not only did the flight crew announce a “Thank you,” as we deplaned we received a “Thank you” from each one of them, and when we got back to Las Vegas a “Thank you” note signed by all of them arrived in the mail.

But the pièce de résistance was a package a week later from the airline’s Executive Office of Communications saying that they always receive letters from customers regarding outstanding employees they have encountered, but it was a rare thing to have the situation reversed.

The crew on our flight had written to her about our “selflessness and compassion,” and she just couldn’t thank us enough. The letter was attached to a lovely “coffee for two” maker by Krups.

I could hardly take any credit for the gesture, but I have enjoyed the coffee maker all this time, and it warms my heart when I think of the nice letter she wrote and how thankful that crew was.

CLAUDIA REED
Las Vegas, NV