Flight Attendant and Baby Passenger Steal Hearts on Southwest
A 19-month-old Southwest passenger recently stole hearts on the LUV airline by blowing kisses at fellow travelers while being carried in a flight attendant's arms.
Southwest flight attendant Jessica Jackson worked both flights with the traveling mother-daughter duo on Sunday from Austin (AUS) to Las Vegas (LAS), then from Las Vegas to Reno (RNO). Jackson first noticed baby Brittan and mother Savannah Blum on the flight between Austin and Las Vegas.
"During that time, Jessica came and she would just pass by and talk to Brittan," Blum said. "And she kept referring to her as her little buddy."
When Brittan refused to nap during the second flight between Las Vegas and Reno, Jackson noticed the baby getting fussy and offered to take her for a few minutes to give Blum a break.
"As a mother myself, I know what it's like to travel with little ones," Jessica said. "So as soon as I saw her just a little fussy, something just told me just go help her out, someone needs to help this mom out. Let me go ahead and just grab this little baby."
The flight attendant and baby girl quickly went viral after Blum uploaded a video of the winsome duo to her Facebook page. "Everyone loves this little girl — even Southwest passengers and flight attendants," the proud mom bragged, rounding out the post with a sprinkling of emojis and the hashtag #southwestairlines.
Jackson said that, while caring for passengers young and old is just part of doing her job, this was the first time she was caught in the act on camera. "This isn't the first time I've ever helped anyone out, but this was actually the first time it was recorded, I guess," she said. "It's very humbling, and I would do it again regardless if you're recording me or not. If your baby cries, your baby can come to me."
The New York Times suggests parents ask kind-hearted flight attendants like Jackson for help when traveling with young children, especially when babies and children go into crisis mode. Southwest consistently ranks as The Point Guy's favorite airline for family travel, especially with young children. Not only are flexible seating and free checked bags a win for parents with a lot of baby gear, the stellar customer service and staff attitudes make a potentially stressful experience just a little more comfortable for everyone involved.
Southwest told TPG, "Southwest employees take great pride in delivering our legendary Southwest hospitality, so it’s not surprising that one of our amazing flight attendants shared her Southwest heart while helping to care for one of our youngest customers in such a sweet, fun way!" Here are some additional tips for your next flight with little ones.
