Amid all the gloom of the airline industry, it’s nice to remember some of the amazing and heartwarming stories. Delta reminded passengers of one such story this week, tweeting about the story of flight attendant Jackie, or Grandma Jackie. Here’s the touching story of one flight attendant who went far above the call of duty.
On one flight
The story begins on a Delta flight from China to the US two years ago. Two passengers, named Karee and Rodney, were flying back to the US with their newly adopted daughter Bella from China. While they had spent two weeks together, the long-haul flight to the US made Bella quite upset.
The trouble was that Karee and Rodney only spoke English and not Mandarin, while Bella only spoke Mandarin. This caused some unrest on the flight, with the parents unable to communicate with their daughter, who was quite upset.
Enter flight attendant Jackie, who saved the day and quickly became Grandma Jackie. Grandma Jackie spoke both English and Mandarin, allowing her to communicate with Bella and her parents, and comforting the child.
Grandma Jackie came by several times and stayed with the family, soothing Bella and holding her as she walked up and down the aisle. The new family was overjoyed at finding a new friend and exchanged contact info. (4/7) pic.twitter.com/ypmoHa0jFB
— Delta (@Delta) January 13, 2021
During the long flight, Grandma Jackie met Bella multiple times and even held her while walking up and down the aisle, as seen in the picture above. The family landed safely in the US, thanks to Grandma Jackie. But the story doesn’t end there.
Going the extra mile
If you thought Grandma Jackie wasn’t already the nicest flight attendant ever, here’s more. After exchanging contact details on the flight, Bella’s parents invited Grandma Jackie to her seventh birthday party. While the invitation may have been a longshot, Grandma Jackie came to the birthday party! Here’s a video of the meeting.
But wait – there’s more! They have kept in touch, so Bella invited Grandma Jackie to her 7th birthday, knowing this might be a long shot… but Grandma J always comes through. (5/7) pic.twitter.com/PG903IgE10
— Delta (@Delta) January 13, 2021
However, she didn’t just come to the birthday party, she brought a unique gift too. To celebrate Bella’s birthday, Grandma Jackie brought the ingredients to make classic Chinese dumplings, which they happily cooked together. Truly a great Grandma!
Not only did she show up, but she brought ingredients to make homemade dumplings so that Bella could have real Chinese food for her birthday. *Cue ugly crying* (6/7) pic.twitter.com/VNhPPAC1BP
— Delta (@Delta) January 13, 2021
Exceptional people
Flight attendants certainly do not have an easy job, from ensuring everyone’s safety on the flight to meeting hundreds of passengers’ needs every day, it’s hard work. However, interacting with the flight crew can be a special experience, especially when we have crew like Grandma Jackie in the sky! In its final tweet, Delta says that,
“The people you meet while traveling are often just as special as the destination. We’re thankful for employees like Jackie that go the extra mile to make some of the most difficult times a little easier.”
While the aviation industry might be struggling right now, it’s important to remember what makes it such a unique enterprise. From connecting millions of people across the world and breaking barriers, the people who make aviation work are extraordinary. While the job of the flight crew has become more difficult this year, we thank them for all their service!
What have your favorite interactions with crew been? Let us know in the comments below!
