When a passenger left her passport at home, it could have torpedoed her honeymoon. Instead, it gave a Delta Air Lines flight attendant and his colleagues a chance to shine.
Delta Air Lines Flight Attendant Goes The Extra Mile to Save Honeymoon For Two Passengers
I’ve left my passport at home before and missed an international journey. What an idiot I was. Here, a newlywed did the same thing, though I’ll stop short of calling her what I label myself. I’m sure there was a lot on her mind after her wedding, though leaving your most important travel document at home is the reason I now physically write out a packing list.
(That, by the way, is no longer my most embarrassing travel mistake. Sadly, my most “new” most embarrassing incident also involves a passport)
> Read More: How I Nearly Ruined Christmas But Lufthansa Saved It…
When she made this discovery onboard her flight to San Juan, Puerto Rico (which contrary to popular opinion, is part of the Untied States, but that was her launching point to international waters), she broke out in tears and could not be consoled. That’s when a Delta flight named Dusty stepped in to save the day.
The couple lives in Detroit, which is a major Delta hub city. Delta also has several flights to San Juan each day via Atlanta. So Rusty sprang into action coordinating a multi-person effort to hand-off the passport and get it to the newlywed, Lawyrn, in time.
And it worked! They did not have to take a plane to the next port in order to catch the ship once the passport arrived by mail, but instead were able to board in Puerto Rico as scheduled.
Several of you shared this story with me yesterday and I think that itself is an important point: this account reflects very well on Delta and its crews and seems to me to be exactly the type of marketing that is effective. You can say “Good Leads The Way” all day long, but this is a perfect example of good actually leading the way. It is not a slogan, but a principle in action.
CONCLUSION
I wish Lawyrn and Joe a very happy marriage (they are back from their honeymoon now) and life together. And to Dusty, well done. Mourning with those who mourn is one thing, but you went above and beyond to solve the problem in a way that even UPS or FedEx might not have been able to do if there really was less than 24 hours until embarkation.
image: Delta
Matt, securing one’s passport is a big deal. I have a wishlist on amazon to get a neck wallet. For now, I put it in my laptop bag and then keep that under my legs when I sit.
My wife, on the other hand, keeps it in her purse and then gets paranoid about it and says she didn’t sleep when flying alone. I laughed.
Kudos to everyone at Delta who made this happen. It’s refreshing to read something good about travel these days.
Not bad for a guy working in literal slave labor according to Sara Nelson.
Semi related – I know many people here hate Skytrax rankings but DL eeked out a top-20 this year, far above any US carriers.
not to mock too much…i get physically writing out a packing list, but really you have to put your passport on it? Do you also put wallet? Cash? Children? Wife? okay, i’ll stop the gentle mockery….
Wallet yes because I don’t travel with a wallet any longer around town. I just use my phone to pay for things and never use cash. Driver’s license left in my car.
Driver’s license in car?
With petty vandalism rampant now that many think the police do not arrest people short of murder, it could be stolen.
Another reason against it is that failure to bring a driver’s license during travel precludes car rental. I keep my driver’s license separate from my wallet. It is kept in a little Tyvex holder similar in size to a credit card. If robbed and my wallet is taken, I might be left with the driver’s license and one credit card in that separate little pocket envelope.
I don’t put children or wife on my written out list (I have both), but wallet, passport, and cash often go on the list. I don’t use cash at home, so I need to remember it if I’m doing something on my trip that’s easier paid in cash, like a charter boat captain, strippers, or even just for tipping.
I also have a travel wallet that is different from my home wallet– when I’m at home there is no sense in carrying things like travel insurance cards, medical evac card, southwest drink coupons, lounge passes, priority pass card, and various other travel related cards. So travel wallet goes on the list.
You and others can mock all you want, it works for me.
I’ve had a travel packing list for the past 10 years. Often, the generic list that I have on file will do. Only very rarely will I make a list for a specific trip.
The list is divided by category or room. There the bathroom, bedroom+closet. Passport is listed under “office”. My office list is:
– Travel documents (passport / visas / e-visas, itinerary, paper tickets, hotel reservations, etc.)
– (if applicable) Foreign currency and coins
– (if applicable) toll transponder, transit cards, special credit cards or any coupons or vouchers
– computer and/or tablet, including charger
– phone and charger
– any desk supplies (pens, paper, USB drive, etc.)
– any special papers for meetings
– (if applicable) any business gifts
I have a small travel bag that fits inside my travel backpack that has basically everything I need to travel internationally. That’s where I have my passports, some foreign cash, Priority Pass cards (some places do not accept digital), international drivers license (nobody ever asked me for it but I still renew it every year), etc… On a similar bag, I have different electric plugs, charging cables (I have a separate set just for travel), power bank, etc… Those two bags stay always inside my travel backpack that I use for international travel. That makes my life so much easier to avoid any headaches.
My routine for the passport is that I travel wearing a lightweight cardigan/blazer/hoodie etc… that has a zippered internal pocket big enough to hold a few passports. It stays in the zippered pocket, close at all times and I can tell with a quick feel if it’s still there.
… “she broke out in tears and could not be consoled.”
This woman has led a sheltered life. If she experienced someone actively trying to destroy their career, survived rape, or experienced tragic sagas, she would not be crying uncontrollably. Why do neurosurgeons not sob when they see a bleeding aneurysm? It is because they have been through hardship and danger teaching them composure and problem solving. Neurosurgery residency is not a cakewalk.
I not only have the travel list inventory, but also a pre- home departure check list. This was initiated after I left the house with my master key ring in hand and left it in a taxi. The driver using the company data was able leave a message on my landline, and days later we connected. This driver had the keys to my cars, homes, gates and office for some time. To this day I am grateful.
While I don’t think much of Delta overall it’s nice to see some of their employees doing something quite nice for passengers.
That’s a nice story, and good on Delta for stepping up. I have to wonder if all that trouble was necessary, though. If the cruise started and ended in San Juan, it’s a closed-loop cruise, and US citizens don’t need a passport to board. Of course, if an airline employee offers to retrieve my passport, I’m not going to turn that offer down…