Peggy Uhle was on a Southwest Airlines flight from Chicago, Illinois, to Columbus, Ohio, when the unexpected happened. The plane was on the runway, taxiing before takeoff when it suddenly stopped, turned around and went back to the terminal.
The passengers were very confused about the situation, none more than Uhle when a flight attendant asked her to exit the aircraft. At first, she thought she had boarded the wrong flight. When she reached the gate agent, she was told to contact her husband immediately.
Uhle’s husband told her that their son, who lived in Denver, Colorado, had been in a serious accident and had lapsed into a coma from a head injury. Uhle was shocked and unsure what to do next. The gate agent then told her she had nothing to worry about as Southwest had already made arrangements for her.
Uhle was booked on a flight to Denver that left two hours later. Her luggage was pulled off the Columbus flight and re-routed. She was taken to a private lounge while she waited and given priority boarding. The airline even provided her with a lunch, so she would not be hungry during her journey.
Southwest came through again after Uhle’s arrival in Denver by sending her bags directly to the hotel where she was staying. The next day, a representative from the airline called to ask about her son’s condition. Uhle was overjoyed at the wonderful service she had received.
She said the care and compassion she had experienced was “second to none,” and she would recommend Southwest to everyone she knows. With the recent negative press about poor customer service on airlines, Uhle’s story is uplifting and inspiring.