Readers share stories of the unsung heroes of travel
— -- US Airways captain Chesley "Sully" Sullenberger became famous after keeping passengers safe in that nightmare plunge into the Hudson River in January. But what about the travel industry employees who don't make headlines? In an era when trips can be impersonal and frustrating, USA TODAY's Kitty Bean Yancey asked readers to share tales of Good Samaritan staffers who go beyond the call of duty. Here are their stories:
Circle of trust
I was swimming laps at the Ritz-Carlton in Naples, Fla., and lost my wedding ring, which I'd had for 37 years. Here are excerpts from a letter I wrote to the Ritz:
"I took off my wedding ring, because it tends to slip when I'm swimming. I laid it on the ground next to my bag. When I finished, I picked up my bag and left my ring behind. I didn't realize I had done this until late that evening.
"This morning, I went to swim and as (attendant) Dwaine Brown walked toward me, I asked if he happened to have found a gold wedding ring. 'I certainly did,' he said, as he reached into his pocket. 'I knew it was yours.' … Thank you and congratulations on hiring this excellent young man."
— Gareth Caldbeck, Naples, Fla.
Hotel feels like home
I spent 42 weeks on the road last year as vice president of customer experience for Time Warner Cable. To me, the "unsung heroes" of travel are the people who make my hotel stays as much like home as they can.
At the Stamford, Conn., Marriott Hotel & Spa coffee shop, it's Lily Rulli, who greets me every morning with a cheerful, "Hi, dearie!" and asks me how my family is, how my holidays were. Or Nancy, Omar and Rafael, who drive the shuttle and see me stepping off the elevator and rush to grab my luggage. All of them can see when I've had a hard day and am dog-tired and envelop me in extra special care.
Through the years, we've shared family stories, asked each other for advice and lamented over life's struggles.
These unsung heroes rarely make over minimum wage, live on tips, may support families in far-away countries, and are the first to have their hours reduced when hotel revenues decline. They struggle to make their mortgage payments. They may work two or three jobs just to keep their heads above water.
Yet they greet me with a smile, call me by name and do whatever they can to make my travel day a bit easier.
— Kathleen Cattrall, Rochester, N.Y.
Airline angel earns wings
Very late on June 6, 2007, I received the call no one wants to get. My mom had suffered a serious stroke in Fort Myers, Fla., and I needed to get there as fast as I could.
I boarded a plane early the next morning in Kansas City. My mom was still alive, but no one knew how long she would hang on. The only flight I could find gave me a three-hour layover in Atlanta. When I got off the plane, I looked at the board and realized that there was a flight to Fort Myers at a gate close to mine.
The gate agent started to say, "Sorry, we are just closing the door." Between tears, I said, "My mom is in Fort Myers and I am trying to get there to say goodbye before she dies." She sent another girl down the ramp to tell them to hold the door open and said, "I have been through this, and I know what it's like."
She punched me into the computer and said, "Go. You're on. Hope you make it!" I told everyone about my "angel" (I think she worked for Delta), but felt bad that I didn't know her name.
And yes, I got there in time to tell my mom that I loved her and to say goodbye.
— Sue Dubill, Overland Park, Kan.
A bag full of smiles
Over Christmas, my wife, two boys and I were flying home from Curaçao to Cleveland via Newark on Continental. As we cleared Customs, we found we had misplaced my sons' beloved Thomas the Tank Engine bag, which contained all the toys, DVDs, etc., that are required when traveling with a 1- and 3-year-old.
As this was carry-on, we did not have a baggage tag. Nonetheless, I filed a missing-bag report in Newark and couldn't have met a group of people that were more pleasant, helpful and concerned.
When we landed in Cleveland, our bag was waiting. I travel frequently for business. (I am Platinum Elite on Continental.) Upgrades, bonus miles, lounges and other perks of being an extremely frequent flier pale in comparison to the smile on my sons' faces when we got back the Thomas bag.
I feel bad that I forgot to get the names of the people in baggage in Newark. I hope my letter of thanks and praise to Continental actually reached those who made the difference. The people at the baggage office have to withstand so much abuse, I'm happy to give them some credit when they deserve it.
— Cameron Gowans, Chagrin Falls, Ohio
A service touchdown
In October 2007, I was flying from Los Angeles to Chicago for the USC/Notre Dame football game. It's a great intersectional rivalry, and it's always a sellout.
On arrival in Salt Lake City, I learned that my flight — the last one of the day — was canceled. The gate agent told me I could not get into Chicago, South Bend, Indianapolis or Fort Wayne until Sunday. While I was upset I would be missing the game, this meant that seven other people would be, as well, because I had our group's eight tickets!
I went to the Crown Room and was going to ask that Delta at least transport the tickets via their air-parcel service to South Bend. After I explained my problem to Scott, the manager, he asked me if I minded making a connection in Denver, arriving in Chicago after 1 a.m.
I didn't object. He handed me a pile of tickets, called for a golf cart and said a flight was leaving in 15 minutes and that "I'm going to call now and tell them not to close the boarding door."
Once on the flight, I found my next boarding card for Denver to Chicago-O'Hare (a route I didn't think Delta flew). Delta didn't, but United did, and I had a request card for a seat in first class. Thanks to Scott, I made it to the game and watched USC, my alma mater, win!
— Jeff Kuhns, Costa Mesa, Calif.
A lighter burden
March 1, my husband and I checked in at Tampa airport for a Northwest flight back to Michigan. We had three bags to check that cost us the required $55.
The agent put them on the scale and two were overweight. We were shocked to learn that there is a $90 charge per suitcase weighing more than 50 pounds. We were resigned to paying an additional $180, but she suggested that we move things into the third lighter suitcase or our carry-ons and do it by the scale so that she could check weight.
One of the things we pulled out was packed in a shopping bag with the name of a Swedish department store. We discovered we were both natives of Sweden and carried on the rest of the conversation in Swedish.
With juggling, we got the weight down and saved $180! The Northwest agent's name is Ann Thomas, and she is our unsung hero of travel.
—Kerstin Trowbridge, Grand Rapids, Mich.
Support system
On Jan 27, 2008, my wife and I were flying to catch a Princess Cruise out of Los Angeles. Of all things, it was raining in Las Vegas. I was reaching around for a bag at curbside, slipped and threw my artificial hip out of joint, and down I went. The customer service rep for Southwest came right out to check on me.
She called an ambulance. She took our bags in and locked them up, called Princess to cancel our cruise, canceled our flight and set up credit with Southwest for a future flight. She brought coffee for my wife and stayed with us until the ambulance left.
I contacted Southwest to praise her at the time, but have lost her name. She took all the worry away for two senior citizens. She is the type of employee that makes Southwest what it is.
— Del Barry, Las Vegas
Going the extra mile
Sometimes, it is all about a smile and maybe a soft drink.
As I write, it is about 9 in the morning on Train 380, "The Illinois Zephyr," from Macomb, Ill., to Chicago's Union Station. I sit with others from our city in the small business-class section to bid farewell to our good friend Ed Luisi, the café-car attendant on this train for several years.
Ed is among the last of a dying breed of travel professionals. Traveling on Ed's train was like stepping back in time to when a train conductor was at each door to welcome you aboard and make sure you were comfortable on your journey.
For regular customers, Ed would even ensure a favorite beverage was at the ready when boarding. I always felt like a celebrity boarding Ed's train because he treated everyone like Hollywood royalty.
— Jeffery Dodd, Macomb, Ill.
Random acts of kindness
I am a flight attendant. My travel heroes are my husband and my mother, who make it possible to have this job that I love. During the first years of my employment, they were available 24/7/365 to take care of my son so I could be at the beck and call of my airline's scheduling department. Now that I commute (and am based in another city), my mom allows me to keep my job by being my limo driver, innkeeper and concierge.
My other unsung heroes are the passengers who treat other passengers well. This is so rare these days that it sticks out. When a passenger gives up a seat so that an injured or disabled person can have a more appropriate seat, or so that a child can sit near a parent, I am grateful.
When a traveler in first class gets up and gives up a seat to a uniformed soldier or Marine coming home from or going back to Iraq or Afghanistan, that traveler is one of my unsung heroes.
— Toni Vitanza, Clemson, S.C.