News

Friendly Skies: United Crews Supports Boy With Autism and His Family During Flight

 Katherine Fan
Aug 31, 2019

This post contains references to products from one or more of our advertisers. We may receive compensation when you click on links to those products. Terms apply to the offers listed on this page. For an explanation of our Advertising Policy, visit this page.

An entire flight recently rallied to support a small passenger who felt overwhelmed on a plane.

Four-year-old Braysen usually loves flying. But on a recent flight, the young boy struggled to stay in his seat during takeoff on United Airlines Flight 2210, headed from San Diego to Houston. He fought to remove his seat belt so he could sit on the floor, where the vibrations of the plane were soothing for his overstimulated senses.

When a flight attendant came up to check on the family, Braysen’s mother told her that, “The boy has autism. We’re trying; give us a minute,” Lori Gabriel from Cypress, Texas, later recounted on Facebook. The crew member returned shortly thereafter with two other flight attendants, who all asked Gabriel how they could help her reassure Braysen before “springing into action,” she said.
The crew allowed Braysen to sit in his mother’s lap for takeoff, then sit or lie on the floor next to the galley once the seat belt sign was turned off. “When he’s overstimulated, the vibration makes him feel better,” Gabriel said.

***Please share****So my little flyer (he’s autistic but normally loves to fly) didn’t have such a good flight home. …

由 Lori Gabriel 发布于 2019年8月6日周二

As he lay on the floor in the aisle, Braysen inadvertently kicked a couple of passengers several times during the three-hour flight. One was an off-duty United flight attendant, who told Gabriel that it wasn’t a problem. The other was a man in first class, who introduced himself to Braysen and gave him high fives. “Braysen seemed happy there, so we didn’t want to move him,” Gabriel explained, saying that she apologized to the passenger, who said he didn’t mind at all.
“Everybody in first class was kind to him, asking his name, showing him pictures on their phones, letting him sit whenever he wanted,” Gabriel said. “The flight attendants kept asking if we needed anything, making sure everybody was taken care of.”
As the family disembarked, the off-duty flight attendant across the aisle from them handed Braysen’s mother a handwritten note and gave her a hug. Gabriel included a photo of the note in her Facebook post, which read, “You and your family are loved and supported. Do not ever let anyone make you feel as though you are an inconvenience or a burden. He is a blessing. God bless your patience, your love, your support and your strength. Continue to be a super woman.”
United Airlines also commented on Gabriel’s Facebook post, saying, “It sure sounds like Braysen and your family had a great flight. We are happy that our crew was able to make it an enjoyable experience. We are overjoyed to see that we have such loving and supportive passengers on board as well! We look forward to seeing Braysen again soon!”
“I’m just overwhelmed from all this kindness,” Gabriel said about the unexpected grace the family received from strangers. “It makes me want to cry. For the first time, people have been very understanding and helpful about Braysen’s autism. It’s very promising, we don’t have to care about what other people think because there are people who are caring, who understand. It gives me a lot of hope for the future.”
“Shout-out to the flight attendants Joseph Nation, Heather Bursid and Rhonda,” Gabriel said. “They couldn’t have done a better job.”
Featured photo courtesy of Lori Gabriel via Facebook. 
Katherine Fan is the Senior Travel Features Reporter at The Points Guy, covering a number of beats from personal finance to travel and aviation since 2015. She spent a decade working in the tech industry before joining TPG.
You might like
What’s next for American after CEO Doug Parker announces his retirement?
News
35m ago
Act fast for this Delta deal: Fly to Europe in business class for 148,000 SkyMiles
Deals
1h ago
Earn $30 (or 3,000 Amex points) by joining or referring a friend to Rakuten
News
2h ago
Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card

Earn 50,000 bonus miles and 5,000 Medallion® Qualification Miles (MQMs) after you spend $2,000 in purchases on your new card in the first three months of card membership. Plus, earn up to $100 back in statement credits for eligible purchases at U.S. restaurants in the first three months of card membership.

With Status Boost™, earn 10,000 Medallion Qualification Miles (MQMs) after you spend $25,000 in purchases on your Card in a calendar year, up to two times per year getting you closer to Medallion Status. Earn 3X Miles on Delta purchases and purchases made directly with hotels, 2X Miles at restaurants and at U.S. supermarkets and earn 1X Mile on all other eligible purchases. Terms Apply.

Apply Now
More Things to Know
  • Earn 50,000 Bonus Miles and 5,000 Medallion® Qualification Miles (MQMs) after you spend $2,000 in purchases on your new Card in your first 3 months.
  • Plus, earn up to $100 back in statement credits for eligible purchases at U.S. restaurants with your card within the first 3 months of membership.
  • Earn up to 20,000 Medallion® Qualification Miles (MQMs) with Status Boost® per year. After you spend $25,000 in purchases on your Card in a calendar year, you can earn 10,000 MQMs two times per year, getting you closer to Medallion® Status. MQMs are used to determine Medallion® Status and are different than miles you earn toward flights.
  • Earn 3X Miles on Delta purchases and purchases made directly with hotels.
  • Earn 2X Miles at restaurants worldwide, including takeout and delivery and at U.S. supermarkets.
  • Earn 1X Miles on all other eligible purchases.
  • Receive a Domestic Main Cabin round-trip companion certificate each year upon renewal of your Card. *Payment of the government imposed taxes and fees of no more than $75 for roundtrip domestic flights (for itineraries with up to four flight segments) is required. Baggage charges and other restrictions apply. See terms and conditions for details.
  • Enjoy your first checked bag free on Delta flights.
  • Fee Credit for Global Entry or TSA Pre✓®.
  • Enjoy an exclusive rate of $39 per person per visit to enter the Delta Sky Club® for you and up to two guests when traveling on a Delta flight.
  • No Foreign Transaction Fees.
  • $250 Annual Fee.
  • Terms Apply.
  • See Rates & Fees
Regular APR
15.74%-24.74% Variable
Annual Fee
$250
Balance Transfer Fee
N/A
Recommended Credit
Excellent/Good
Terms and restrictions apply. See rates & fees.

Editorial Disclaimer: Opinions expressed here are the author’s alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, airlines or hotel chain, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities.

Disclaimer: The responses below are not provided or commissioned by the bank advertiser. Responses have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by the bank advertiser. It is not the bank advertiser’s responsibility to ensure all posts and/or questions are answered.