Soldiers fly first class

**leejo** · 07-15-2004, 03:54 PM

Cool story: http://apnews.myway.com/article/20040715/D83R8SBO0.html

Jul 15, 10:01 AM (ET)

DALLAS (AP) - Eight soldiers flying home from Iraq for two weeks of R&R flew in style instead of coach after first-class passengers offered to swap seats with them.

"The soldiers were very, very happy, and the whole aircraft had a different feeling," flight attendant Lorrie Gammon told The Dallas Morning News in Thursday's editions.

The June 29 seat-swap on American Airlines Flight 866 from Atlanta to Chicago started before boarding, when a businessman approached one of the soldiers and traded his seat.

When the swapping was done, "the other two first-class passengers wanted to give up their seats, too, but they couldn't find any more soldiers," Gammon said.

Another flight attendant, Candi Spradlin, said she was impressed with the acts of good will.

"If nothing else, those soldiers got a great homecoming," she said.

**wickerman** · 07-15-2004, 04:00 PM

I guess there are a few nice people left out there. But I do wonder how many of the people swapping seats (besides the first guy) only did it so they wouldn't be shown up?

**leejo** · 07-15-2004, 04:20 PM

who knows. Why rain on the parade.

**TheFeniX** · 07-15-2004, 05:14 PM

It's nice to see that people respect our soldiers more than the filthy hippies did back in Vietnam.

**IceCold** · 07-15-2004, 05:56 PM

Originally Posted by wickerman

I guess there are a few nice people left out there. But I do wonder how many of the people swapping seats (besides the first guy) only did it so they wouldn't be shown up?

Well, we'll never know, will we? And should we even bother to ponder it?

**Geisha** · 07-15-2004, 07:39 PM

Originally Posted by wickerman

I guess there are a few nice people left out there. But I do wonder how many of the people swapping seats (besides the first guy) only did it so they wouldn't be shown up?

I'll prefer to think in my idealistic little world that most of the people were only slower because it never occurred to them to do so.

In my experience, random acts of kindness are infrequent more because of thoughtlessness and preoccupation than an actual lack of generosity... have you ever tried to smile and nod at someone on a bus or in an elevator? Or gotten something down from the top shelf at a grocery store for a little old lady? And it's amazing how much shock people express when you pick up the 5-dollar-bill they didn't realize they dropped and hand it back to them. Even the smallest things take people by surprise in crowded metropolitan areas of the US. Knowing that first-class passengers (even if they were probably mostly on free mileage upgrades or the company tab) gave up a 3-4 hours of relative air-flight comfort to some weary soldiers does my heart (and my idealism) good.

**Fait_Maker** · 07-15-2004, 08:29 PM

Wonderful story Leejo. Thank you.

**themod** · 07-15-2004, 11:03 PM

Good that people still respect the soldiers.
Hope that would happen every time, but if that happen every time we wouldn't notice the good acts.

**wickerman** · 07-16-2004, 06:32 AM

Originally Posted by leejo

who knows. Why rain on the parade.

Just pondering. I have very little faith in "human nature", especially if the human is flying first class

. In my experience, the "business travelers" I knew were flying on the company ticket and could have saved the company a good bit of money by simply flying with the rest of us peasants, they were too self centered and egotistical to do it though.

Yes, it is nicer to think that they all did it out of the kindness of their hearts - I don't buy it.

BUT it I am glad that the soldiers got shown the respect they deserve.