United Airlines holds plane so passenger can say goodbye to his dying mother

March 4, 2013

Kerry Drake’s mother was dying. She’d suffered from rheumatoid arthritis for decades and the drugs used to treat her condition had decimated her immune system. One morning his brother called him to say her time time had come.

Drake caught the next flight from San Francisco, where he works for the federal government, to Lubbock, Texas, via Houston.

“I knew this itinerary was a risk because the stopover in Houston was only about 40 minutes, and my connecting flight was the last flight to Lubbock that day,” he says. “But I needed to get there as soon as possible, so I took the risk.”

As it turns out, United flight 667 was delayed leaving San Francisco. Drake was visibly distraught. You can’t prepare for a moment like this, but now came the very real possibility that he wouldn’t have chance to see his mother before she passed away.

A flight attendant, Sofia Lares, tried to comfort him. “She said she would do everything she could and brought extra napkins for my tears,” Kerry says.

Another flight attendant, Lan Chung, asked Kerry flight number and relayed it to the captain.

Flight 667 made up some time enroute to Houston, but not enough. By the time Drake’s plane landed, his connecting flight had left the gate. At least that’s what he thought.

“As I was running up to the gate, the gate agent saw me coming and shouted, ‘Mr. Drake? We’ve been expecting you’,” he said. “That’s when I knew they had conspired to help me. She waved me onto the plane without looking at my boarding pass.”

United had held the aircraft for him. Not only did he make it to Lubbock as scheduled, but so did his luggage.

“Had I missed my flight to Lubbock, I would not have been able to tell my mom goodbye,” Drake said. “When she died, I realized I was wiping away my tears with the extra United napkins that Sofia had given me the day before.”

Drake says he’s grateful to the flight crew that made his farewell possible, including the attendants on his San Francisco flight and Denver-based captain Edward Goldstein and Dirk Chilian, the flight’s first officer. He also thanks Houston customer service rep Marie Robertson and all the Houston baggage handlers who got his luggage to his final destination.

United Airlines is the second recipient of our Elliott Award for Excellent Customer Service. (Here’s last week’s winner.)

It’s been a few years since we’ve had an airline hold a flight for a passenger in need. Nice work, United.

If you’ve experienced excellent customer service recently, please let me know about it. We’re recognizing companies who go above and beyond the call of duty in a new weekly feature.

Adil

100 people having a mediocre experience is worth the free positive news press United is getting at the moment.
Adil

100 people having a mediocre experience is worth the free positive news press United is getting at the moment.
Richard Lipscombe

Customer Care should be designed into the United product/service not randomly distributed through their system as it is now. This is just one more bad/poor example of how they actually run that company. Leave the terminal on schedule and thus honour the contract with the customers who made the flight on time. It is the simple principle of ‘duty of care’ that United can not deliver on. Recent international travel with United taught me why they are rated one of the worse airlines in the world. This story simply confirms what I already know about United – they make it up as they go along. When you experience customer care the United way it really makes you think twice about your need to travel at all. Cheers, Richard.
Richard Lipscombe

Customer Care should be designed into the United product/service not randomly distributed through their system as it is now. This is just one more bad/poor example of how they actually run that company. Leave the terminal on schedule and thus honour the contract with the customers who made the flight on time. It is the simple principle of ‘duty of care’ that United can not deliver on. Recent international travel with United taught me why they are rated one of the worse airlines in the world. This story simply confirms what I already know about United – they make it up as they go along. When you experience customer care the United way it really makes you think twice about your need to travel at all. Cheers, Richard.
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=71107975 Michael Alexander Wright

Umm did you see the part where the guy was running to his connecting flight and the gate attendant didn’t even bother to ask for his ticket because she addressed him personally? Yeah good call. Oh and not to be honest or anything but anytime anyone says “I don’t really want to rain on the parade…” be prepared for them to do just that. Same goes for “No offense but”, “With all due respect”, etc.
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=71107975 Michael Alexander Wright

Umm did you see the part where the guy was running to his connecting flight and the gate attendant didn’t even bother to ask for his ticket because she addressed him personally? Yeah good call. Oh and not to be honest or anything but anytime anyone says “I don’t really want to rain on the parade…” be prepared for them to do just that. Same goes for “No offense but”, “With all due respect”, etc.
jpp42

I don’t disagree that the message from the Captain likely made it back to the gate agent, which is fine. My point was that the actual decision to hold the connecting flight was made by a dispatcher, likely out of concern for the company’s bottom line in terms of being responsible for overnight lodging costs for any/all misconnecting passengers. It probably *wasn’t* made as a result of this specific “dying mother” plea – though the gate agent may have led her to believe that for her own reasons.

Fair point about the “I don’t want to rain on the parade” comment – I’ll be more careful about using that in the future. I guess what I was trying to say is that I’m hoping I won’t personally be thought of as insensitive for merely pointing out the airline’s motive is likely profit, not compassion.
jpp42

I don’t disagree that the message from the Captain likely made it back to the gate agent, which is fine. My point was that the actual decision to hold the connecting flight was made by a dispatcher, likely out of concern for the company’s bottom line in terms of being responsible for overnight lodging costs for any/all misconnecting passengers. It probably *wasn’t* made as a result of this specific “dying mother” plea – though the gate agent may have led him to believe that because it couldn’t hurt. (There’s no reason for the gate agent to come out and say, “Oh Mr. Drake, we’ve been waiting for you – we actually don’t care about your mother, but please get to your flight in a hurry because we don’t want to pay for your misconnect” – even though that’s actually probably the situation.) In fact, it’s really fairly common for gate agents to be aware of specific passengers on short connections and being ready to help direct passengers there, even without messages sent ahead via the flight crew.

Fair point about the “I don’t want to rain on the parade” comment – I’ll be more careful about using that in the future. I guess what I was trying to say is that I’m hoping I won’t personally be thought of as insensitive for merely pointing out the airline’s motive is likely profit, not compassion, even if they managed to pass it off as being sensitive.
bodega3

Sorry you have such a sad life.
bodega3

Sorry you have such a sad life.
ShooShoo

Nice of this crew. The last time my United connection through Houston was late, all I got from the United crew was a reprimand for booking a 40 minute connection (like I had a choice). To add insult to injury, even tho the connecting flight was late too, United gave away my seat and those of about 15 others on that flight, even tho they knew we could make it with matching delays.
ShooShoo

Nice of this crew. The last time my United connection through Houston was late, all I got from the United crew was a reprimand for booking a 40 minute connection (like I had a choice). To add insult to injury, even tho the connecting flight was late too, United gave away my seat and those of about 15 others on that flight, even tho they knew we could make it with matching delays.
Hernando Q

Way to go UNITED!!! And God, please forgive those senseless people who have posted those comments criticizing the United Airline crew move, Let’s hope they’ll never have to endure a dying mother-father situation, EVER….
Hernando Q

Way to go UNITED!!! And God, please forgive those senseless people who have posted those comments criticizing the United Airline crew move, Let’s hope they’ll never have to endure a dying mother-father situation, EVER….
dave

mikegun – i’m not doubting the validity of your story, however in the example from this article that would not have been the case. Since Lubbock is not a hub, United would never route someone through Lubbock as a connecting city. In other words, delaying that flight to Lubbock would not have caused any of the passengers to miss a connection. I am sure United factored that into their decision to hold the flight 20 minutes.
dave

mikegun – i’m not doubting the validity of your story, however in the example from this article that would not have been the case. Since Lubbock is not a hub, United would never route someone through Lubbock as a connecting city. In other words, delaying that flight to Lubbock would not have caused any of the passengers to miss a connection. I am sure United factored that into their decision to hold the flight 20 minutes.
2ifmysee

I’ve been on planes many times that were delayed because a crew member didn’t show up, there was a mechanical problem and the airline had to find a different plane, the plane arriving from another city was late, bad weather, and this week, no bottled water on the plane. This is the state of airline travel today. Waiting so someone could see his dying mum to say goodbye is just as valid as the rest.
2ifmysee

I’ve been on planes many times that were delayed because a crew member didn’t show up, there was a mechanical problem and the airline had to find a different plane, the plane arriving from another city was late, bad weather, and this week, no bottled water on the plane. This is the state of airline travel today. Waiting so someone could see his dying mum to say goodbye is just as valid as the rest.
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mikegun

I think the bigger reason they were able to hold it is because it was the last flight of the night. Had it been a flight during the day, wherever the aircraft was continuing to would have run the risk of being delayed. For example, if the aircraft were returning to Houston and a late arrival from Houston delayed customers from Lubbock to Houston that could possibly put some of those connections at risk. (United serves Denver as well, I haven’t checked, but if the aircraft continues to Denver, could also be a problem as well for missed connections.)

In my case, not considering the repercussions of the action caused consequences. I’m sure everyone thought they were doing the right thing. A delay into a hub is a problem.

I’ve been on many last flights of the night from a hub and, as others have said, it’s not unusual to wait for connecting passengers.
mikegun

I think the bigger reason they were able to hold it is because it was the last flight of the night. Had it been a flight during the day, wherever the aircraft was continuing to would have run the risk of being delayed. For example, if the aircraft were returning to Houston and a late arrival from Houston delayed customers from Lubbock to Houston that could possibly put some of those connections at risk. (United serves Denver as well, I haven’t checked, but if the aircraft continues to Denver, could also be a problem as well for missed connections.)

In my case, not considering the repercussions of the action caused consequences. I’m sure everyone thought they were doing the right thing. A delay into a hub is a problem.

I’ve been on many last flights of the night from a hub and, as others have said, it’s not unusual to wait for connecting passengers.
http://www.careerbreak360.com/ Liz

It is good to read about a big corporation showing a caring side. The plane was not held up for long, so they should have still landed in time at no inconvenience to the other passengers.
http://www.careerbreak360.com/ Liz

It is good to read about a big corporation showing a caring side. The plane was not held up for long, so they should have still landed in time at no inconvenience to the other passengers.
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Matty B.

My mistake, in my haste to express my own thoughts I must have skimmed yours. I agree with you 100%.
Matty B.

My mistake, in my haste to express my own thoughts I must have skimmed yours. I agree with you 100%.
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http://www.facebook.com/Ihatetimelin Deb Thurston

I had to fly Ubnited back from Frankfort. I found them to be kind & very good @ what they do. I did not know that they did ‘good’ deeds but I am glad to hear it.
http://www.facebook.com/Ihatetimelin Deb Thurston

I had to fly Ubnited back from Frankfort. I found them to be kind & very good @ what they do. I did not know that they did ‘good’ deeds but I am glad to hear it.
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Angy

I Buy your Idea Aimee H. Great story here- really tourching especially for those who live far from their loved ones knowing such circumstances could meet them some day. I´d like to know that there are people or companies out there who can do that extra effort and go that extra mile just to ease the burden of some suffering customer (s).
Angy

I Buy your Idea Aimee H. Great story here- really tourching especially for those who live far from their loved ones knowing such circumstances could meet them some day. I´d like to know that there are people or companies out there who can do that extra effort and go that extra mile just to ease the burden of some suffering customer (s).

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