American Airlines' CEO attends wedding of Southwest flight attendant after viral meeting
Love is in the air in this latest heartwarming story.
Over Memorial Day Weekend, JacqueRae Hill — a flight attendant for Southwest Airlines — and Rashard Sullivan got married in Dallas, and there was a very special guest in attendance at the wedding: American Airlines CEO Doug Parker.
Parker shared in the festivities, posting a congratulatory message to the newlyweds on his official Instagram account.
So, what's the CEO of American doing at the wedding of a Southwest flight attendant, one might wonder?
Turns out, JacqueRae Sullivan, nee Hill, and Parker met roughly one year ago during the height of the pandemic aboard a Southwest flight from Dallas to Panama City, Florida. (AA's flights between the two cities were sold out on that fateful day.)
The two started talking after Sullivan saw Parker carrying the book "White Fragility: Why It's So Hard for White People to Talk About Racism," by Robin DiAngelo. At the time, Sullivan was feeling overwhelmed by the events that were unfolding after the death of George Floyd.
View this post on Instagram
"It's so difficult with everything going on ... You want to be informed, you want to know. But then at the same time, my job as a service person is to provide somebody with happiness," Sullivan said at the time in an interview with CNN.
When Sullivan saw Parker reading the book during the flight, she sat down next to him and asked him about it. They continued talking about the book for ten minutes before she started crying. "I know he didn't know what to do. I know I startled him. I was embarrassed," she told CNN.
Until then, Sullivan had no idea she was sitting next to one of the country's top aviation executives. They only introduced themselves after the conversation, and Parker left Sullivan with a handwritten note thanking Sullivan for chatting with him and asking her to follow up if she'd like.
At the time, the story went viral. "Southwest flight attendant meets American CEO during flight" read national headlines. In the year that's since passed, the two have continued to stay in touch, culminating in Sullivan invited Parker to her wedding.
Roughly one year after that fateful day, Parker wrote "thank you for the example and inspiration you provide to me and so many others every day. I wish you and Rashard all the best!"
TPG featured card
at Bilt's secure site
Terms & restrictions apply. See rates & fees.
| 1X | Choose to earn up to 1X points on rent and mortgage payments with no transaction fee |
| 2X | Earn 2X points + the option to earn 4% back in Bilt Cash on everyday purchases |
Pros
- Choice to earn up to 1 Bilt Point per dollar spent on rent and mortgage payments
- Elevated everyday earnings with both Bilt Points and the option to earn Bilt Cash
- $400 Bilt Travel Portal hotel credit per year (up to $200 biannually)
- $200 Bilt Cash annually
- Priority Pass membership
- No foreign transaction fees
Cons
- Moderate annual fee
- Designed primarily for members seeking a premium, all-in-one card
- Earn points on housing with no transaction fee
- Choose to earn 4% back in Bilt Cash on everyday spend. Use Bilt Cash to unlock point earnings on rent and mortgage payments with no transaction fee, up to 1X.
- 2X points on everyday spend
- $400 Bilt Travel Hotel credit. Applied twice a year, as $200 statement credits, for qualifying Bilt Travel Portal hotel bookings.
- $200 Bilt Cash (awarded annually). At the end of each calendar year, any Bilt Cash balance over $100 will expire.
- Welcome bonus (subject to approval): 50,000 Bilt Points + Gold Status after spending $4,000 on everyday purchases in the first 90 days + $300 of Bilt Cash.
- Priority Pass ($469/year value). See Guide to Benefits.
- Bilt Point redemptions include airlines, hotels, future rent and mortgage payments, Lyft rides, statement credits, student loan balances, a down payment on a home, and more.