Holiday travelers turn flying into joyful airport experiences
Flying doesn't have to be dreadful.
As holiday travel starts to take off ahead of Thanksgiving, some passengers are making the most of their transit time and spreading some fun and joy along the way.
They include a dance troupe that's part of the Hip Hop Nutcracker traveling show. Members Jaelyn Heath, Shantel Ureña, Jazmyn Thomas, Tomoe "Beasty" Carr transformed a moving walkway at the airport into a stage performance fit for Broadway with their coordinated steps. Carr's TikTok video post of the entertaining moment has quickly gone viral with over 4 million views since Tuesday.
And in Nashville, a Southwest Airlines gate agent turned boarding wait periods into cheerful celebrations like turning the gate aisle into a makeshift fashion runway. Oscar Gonzalez told "Good Morning America" his goal is to create a happy and loving culture for all travelers at the airport and even says passengers board faster when he takes on an emcee role and gets everyone to join in on gate games with them.
"It's a celebration that brings everyone together," Gonzalez said. "Everyone is energized and grateful and I've noticed they board faster and happier when I do the gate games. I want anxiety to come down for everyone getting on these flights and if playing a family-friendly Disney song will help a mom board with her kids, I want to do that."