Airline CEO Traveling In 1st Class Refuses To Let Senior Take Her Seat

Dec 17, 2018

There's been a lot of news about incidents that have taken place on commercial airline flights lately, and much of that news has been overwhelmingly negative.

Many of these instances involve terrible customer service by airline employees, including those on staff at United Airlines. Although Rebecca Kuchar Krutz typically flies on Delta airline flights, she recently decided to fly United Airlines. Krutz's seat was located in first class.

Oscar Munoz, the airline's CEO, just happened to be on board the same flight. He sat down in first class, as many passengers most likely assumed he would do. They probably thought since he was in such an important position he would naturally get to ride in first class for free. Then Rebecca noticed something unusual happen. An elderly, frail woman seemed to be prevented from taking the seat on the airplane that she had rightfully purchased!

Instead of more bad publicity, United Airlines definitely earned a positive spot in the limelight for the heartwarming scenario that unfolded next. Rebecca was so impressed that she decided to post about what she witnessed that day on her Facebook account.

She explained that while she was a loyal customer of Delta Airlines, she was surprised to see that the CEO of United Airlines, who was on board her flight, moved back into the economy section of the plane. The reason for his move was to make way for a woman who appeared to be in her 80's or 90's. Rebecca witnessed CEO Oscar Munoz go over to the elderly lady and talk to her privately.

She was happy to see him singling out and honoring the woman by taking time to greet her. She seemed as though her health may not have been the best, so the fact that he took time out of his day to speak with her seemed pretty special. But Rebecca wasn't prepared for what happened next.

The CEO traded his regular seat in first class for the woman's seat in the economy section of the plane! At his insistence, the elderly lady was moved up to a place of honor and comfort so she could have a more enjoyable, hassle-free flight.

Once the plane had reached its destination, Rebecca couldn't help but overhear the woman expressing her gratitude for the CEO's kind gesture to the passenger in the seat beside her.

She hadn't flown in a long time, so she was quite anxious about how the flight was going to go before boarding. She was amazed at Oscar's generosity and kindness. So was Rebecca.

She applauded his gesture of respect and consideration on her social media account for all to read. She even mentioned the possibility of switching her loyalty over to United Airlines after noticing the unselfishness demonstrated by the company's CEO.

As it turns out, Oscar has a deep affinity for elderly people. When asked about the incident, he explained to reporters from the Houston Chronicle that the value of respect for the elderly is something that was ingrained in him since his childhood.

Rebecca wrote on Facebook about how her own grandma, who is now in her 90's, is still living. Whenever she comes into the room everyone in the family stands up to show respect to her and she is given whichever chair would be most comfortable for her.

This is done out of love for her as well as a concern for her age and frailty. Rebecca concluded that this is the same reason why this powerful CEO decided to give up his seat for an elderly stranger on the airplane.

Such a small thing may not seem to mean much in the grand scheme of things, but it sure did mean a whole lot to that elderly woman who was able to fly in comfort that day. It's the little random acts of kindness scattered throughout our lives that make the world a better place for all of us to live.

What about you? Do you agree that this CEO is to be commended for his kindness and consideration to a passenger who was a frail senior citizen? Are you surprised to learn that he would go to the trouble of switching places with her on an airplane? Have you ever witnessed or been involved in a similar act of kindness and decency? We'd love to know your thoughts! Pass this story along to remind everyone in your life of the power of going the extra mile to be kind to a stranger!