Man, 87, on 'Bucket List' Trip Not Prepared for Note He Gets From Flight Attendant
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources.
Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content.
When an elderly man boarded an Alaska Airlines flight from Seattle to Juneau, Alaska, his travel companion knew the journey carried special weight.
The 87-year-old passenger, facing late-stage heart failure, had long dreamed of visiting the state, telling his granddaughter, "I just want to see the mountains one last time."
According to the original poster (OP) on Reddit, the quiet flight soon took a touching turn thanks to one observant crew member.
Touching Note
The granddaughter wrote that her grandfather spent the flight holding her hand and gazing out the window. A flight attendant—possibly named Tara or Taryn—noticed and approached them gently to check in.
After hearing that the trip was part of the man's bucket list, she returned with a set of Alaska Airlines wings and a handwritten note. It read: "We're honored to fly with you today. Thank you for letting us be part of your journey."
Stock image: Elderly man in an airport.
Stock image: Elderly man in an airport.
ajr_images/iStock/Getty Images Plus
According to the OP, the man carried that note for the rest of the trip. He passed away peacefully three weeks later and the family buried him with the message in his coat pocket.
Approached for comment, a spokesperson for Alaska Airlines told Newsweek that while the carrier's staff members are working to confirm the details and identify the flight attendant involved, "We are deeply moved to hear how this moment resonated with the family and your readers.
"At Alaska, we are incredibly proud of our flight attendants and all employees who lead with heart and empathy," the spokesperson continued.
"While we can't speak to this individual moment without further verification, we can say that recognizing acts of kindness is core to our internal culture.
"We have several programs in place—from peer-nominated awards to leadership shout-outs—that celebrate employees who live our values of service and compassion."
Reactions from fellow users on Reddit were swift and emotional.
One wrote simply, "Wow! Goose bumps!"
Another added, "I'm chopping onions again."
A third shared, "I am so sorry about you losing your grandpa... but what a beautiful memory you gave him."
Another contributor, reflecting on her own experience, commented, "[Alaska Airlines] has many, many lovely flight attendants and I'm getting to know more now. Not surprised to hear about this gesture.
"Many good days to you and thank you for sharing."
'Share feedback'
While the moment described might have been brief, it left a lasting impact, capturing how frontline airline workers can leave deep impressions with small acts of attention.
As highlighted in Alaska Airlines' feedback portal, the company actively encourages passengers to share stories of both praise and concerns. Their site states: "We are always striving to be better.
"Share feedback on what we did well, what we could have done better, or any ideas that will make Alaska Airlines the best place to fly."
The airline invites notes not only for general travel experiences, but also for accessibility and mileage plan suggestions.
Airplane Etiquette
Broader conversations about in-flight conduct and courtesy often take off on the forum.
A Newsweek article exploring a YouGov poll on airplane etiquette found that 45% of Americans believe passengers should remove headphones when speaking to crew, while a strong majority expect basic civility during flights.
That survey revealed a desire for kindness from both crew and fellow passengers, echoing the respect shown in this story.
A Redditor shared with the OP in the thread that they can, "Only imagine the mountains and wonders," that the grandfather is now experiencing.
"It's great that Alaska was able to give him a quick glimpse of even bigger things to come," they mused.
Newsweek has contacted the original poster for comment via Reddit.
Newsweek's "What Should I Do?" offers expert advice to readers. If you have a personal dilemma, let us know via life@newsweek.com. We can ask experts for advice on relationships, family, friends, money and work, and your story could be featured on WSID at Newsweek.
To read how Newsweek uses AI as a newsroom tool, click here.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
4 hours ago
- Yahoo
Former Inmates Shared Secrets About What Being In Prison Is Really Like, And I Have No Words
A while back, people from the BuzzFeed Community and on Reddit revealed what it's actually like to be incarcerated based on their experience (or the experience of others they know) — and their responses range from shocking to utterly heartbreaking. Here are some of the most eye-opening ones: 1."The guards can decide an inmate can't have something whenever they feel like it. Even though it's something they've been getting and having all the time. I would bring my mother things I know for a fact she was allowed to have because I read the list a million times over. But after standing in line forever, you get to the window and give them the stuff. They will give back the things she suddenly isn't allowed to have, but could, like, a week before. All because they feel like it and would take whatever they wanted." "I was told more than once that they would open what I gave her and take things. They took brand new no-name sneakers I got for her because I guess they wanted them more. I would get her a replacement pair, and they would take those, too. I got her a third pair, and she finally got them because it was a different guard." —pullhandlesupnotout 2."Jail sucks. I wouldn't have survived if my husband hadn't sent me books every few days. I was in jail for six months, and books were the only thing we had. I had read hundreds of books by the time I left. I had stacks in my cell from floor to ceiling, and I would rent them out to the women in my pod for things they made, like Jolly Rancher wrapper picture frames, drawings, soap sculptures, ramen, etc. When I left, I gave the women all my books, and you would have thought I gave them each $5,000 or something." "The library only had maybe 1,000 books, so if you're in there long enough, you go through them in no time; you end up reading things you don't even wanna read. I was never a big reader before jail, but it's one thing I've continued to do outside of those jail walls — that and using the coping skills I was forced to learn out of desperation. But if you ever need to get rid of books, donate them to a county jail. They will get read and be appreciated by everyone who picks them up. I promise you. They will go to good use. To this day, I donate books to the county jail because I understand what it's like. Also, not every person in jail is a bad person. You learn quickly that even the smartest, nicest, and most promising people end up in bad situations that land them there. So, you learn to be mindful and never judge a book by its cover." —emmajeanl2 3."My ex was in Rikers a few times and also upstate. Phone calls and commissary are expensive because the companies the prison contracts with are price-gougers. Inmates are often transferred to another prison without notice, and the guards toss everything in their cell when they do — letters, photos, etc. You completely lose your agency in there. When inmates leave, they don't know how to run their own lives. It's a shame because most people serving time get out and have to live in society with us. You'd think we'd want them prepared to take on life's challenges so they don't offend again. But in America, prison is not rehabilitative; it's punitive." "Compare that to Norway, where you live basically like you did outside, just sequestered. Recidivism rates are super low. In America, we have to contend with institutionalized racism. It sucks." —jenmas 4."Your word is everything. Breaking your word puts you roughly on par with a sex offender. You give your word on something, it needs to be gospel. Someone gives you theirs, assume it is too — and be ready to go if it isn't." —u/Cerinthus 5."Everything is for sale, or at least has a market value. Don't do anything for free unless it's for someone you know." —u/Cerinthus 6."Sustained eye contact means you're starting something. Someone makes it with you, assume they're sizing you up." —u/Cerinthus 7."Current prisoner here in the Philippines. Anything can be smuggled in if you pay the right guards — even sex workers. Money is power." "You can get away with almost anything if you have enough money." —u/TotallyDepraved 8."There are people to avoid, and if you have a decent celly (cellmate), they'll point them out, somewhat like Shawshank." "I was in medium security for six months on credit card fraud, so I wasn't near any expected dangerous people anyway, but there were still the territorial guys you were just better off avoiding." —u/ripplecutbuddha2 Related: "I Know You Aren't Trying To Hurt Me." Doctors, Nurses, And First Responders Are Revealing The Most "Haunting" Last Words They've Heard From A Patient 9."Keep to yourself, and don't stand out in any way. This also means don't be the 'funny' guy who makes everyone laugh. You want to be as invisible as possible, really." "For the most part, it's nothing like what you see in TV and movies. Don't start anything, but be willing and able to defend yourself if need be." —[deleted user] 10."Not being able to leave is incredibly frustrating and nearly impossible to put out of your mind. The entire time, part of your mind is raging at your captivity." —[deleted user] 11."People gamble a lot. Sometimes you will enter a unit, and people gamble on everything. You wanna play chess? You need to gamble to play. Dominoes? Gamble to play. Basketball? Gamble." "I remember we watched The Bachelor, and we all had money on which woman the guy would kick off the show. Meanwhile, the guard is confused about why 30 people are all watching The Bachelor rose ceremony." —u/61pm61 12."The guards just sat and watched YouTube all day and night. Seems like a dream job if you've got no soul." —u/DrMeowbutuSeseSeko "Had an uncle who was a guard. Said it was the most soul-destroying job he'd ever had. He also said that most of the time, he got along better with the prisoners than with the other guards." —u/foul_ol_ron Related: 26 People Who Had Overwhelming Gut Instincts They Couldn't Were Right 13."Not a longtimer here, but show everyone respect. If you bump into someone, it's critical to say, 'I'm sorry, I wasn't paying attention.'" "You never shake hands, you fist-bump. You can't be nice to the guards — just polite. There are a LOT more illiterate people than I ever thought possible." —u/drank-too-much 14."For me, the loss of everything outside of my body was the biggest shock. You don't have anything they don't want you to have when you first go in, so in a way, it's like being born into a new world, but fully aware." —u/ripplecutbuddha2 15."I was a female inmate in a state prison. Anyway, I know there's a huge difference between men's and women's jails, and a huge difference between jail and prison. But one thing that no one tells you is that it's going to be so boring. So endlessly boring." "For women's and state prison, there are a lot of programs and jobs available to fill your time, but there's always a wait — and you have to be in for a certain amount of time before you qualify for a lot of things. While I didn't enjoy my stay there, I always ended up being able to make the most of it and have a good time." —u/chchchchia86 16."Wear slippers in the shower, and shower every day. Not doing one of those gets you beat up here in California." —u/hb_simon 17."Summer vacations. A friend of mine was recently locked up during summer months. Because guards take vacation the same time as everyone else, three days a week were spent on lockdown — meaning that one to two hours of outside time didn't apply because of staff shortage." "He's out now, and very thankful for his freedom." —u/FattyDD 18."A friend of mine did some time. He had internet and PlayStation, and a chef made breakfast and dinner every day. They had to make lunch themselves with access to a full complimentary kitchen. Knives, cutlery, and so on were freely available." "They often went outside to shop groceries, and some even went to work. Basically, the only thing was to stay away from the sex offenders. This was a medium-security correctional facility in Norway." —u/Sensur10 19."No one tells you how hungry you're gonna be. The food sucks — and not just sucks; it's absolutely not fit for human consumption. But you get hungry enough to eat it. They only serve 1,200 calories a day in women's prison (at least mine did)." —u/chchchchia86 20."A lot of people were uneducated. No idea about geography, history, science, or anything. This led to me being a tutor in there for people taking the GED." —u/61pm61 21."It's WAY louder than you think it would be. There are always people who never seem to sleep." —[deleted user] 22."There is a store there, and you can get anything you want. The way a store works is that one or two people in the unit have every possible commissary item you can get." "You want a bag of sour cream potato chips? He'll give it to you, and next week, you owe two bags. Or you get two ramen soups and owe him three next week. I will never forget when Hurricane Sandy hit, and the unit ran out of coffee. People couldn't function and stopped working out, and coffee throughout the jail was going for super-high prices." —u/61pm61 And finally... 23."Try not to talk about your time or open up about how you are feeling about it. There's always somebody who is going to do way more time than you and doesn't want to hear it." "Let's say you're fighting a case, and that case has you doing 16 months. I understand that a lot of people would be stressed about it — I get it; jail sucks. That being said, try to keep that to yourself unless somebody you are cool with asks." —u/hb_simon Note: Some responses have been edited for length and/or clarity. Have you (or someone you know) ever been in prison? What was the surprising thing about your experience? If you feel comfortable sharing your story, you can use the comments or this anonymous form below. Also in Internet Finds: 51 Wildly Fascinating Photos Of Disorders, Injuries, And Variations In The Human Body That I Cannot Stop Staring At Also in Internet Finds: 23 People Who Tried Their Best, But Crapped The Bed So Bad Also in Internet Finds: 27 Grown-Ass Adults Who Threw Such Unbelievable Temper Tantrums, Even The Brattiest Toddler Couldn't Compete
Buzz Feed
4 hours ago
- Buzz Feed
Red Flags That Made People Rule Out Marriage
Choosing the person you want to spend the rest of your life with is such a big decision, and occasionally, your significant other can exhibit behaviors along the way that can really open your eyes. So, when Reddit user u/iwishiwasacargirl asked the question, "What did your partner do that made you instantly realize you could never marry them?" In r/AskReddit, I knew it would be full of some big realizations: "He talked about his brother's pregnant wife 'being fat and letting herself go.' She was eight months pregnant and was basically all belly. It was a weird and disgusting thing to say but also very untrue." "After a few months of being pretty normal, it became clear that she was jealous, suspicious, and very clingy. She tried to put her foot down about me having female friends, which I've always then she became resentful when I even hung out with guy friends. She also made it seem like if we stayed together, we would inevitably have to move to her home country of Japan, and I would end up working for her father, who was a successful entrepreneur." "They were yelling at me that they were 'the catch' in the relationship. All I was catching was raising an adult person who hoards, mistreats two cats, refuses to work, and funds smoking habits with payday loans." "He demonstrated a very poor work ethic after assuring me that he'd get his shit together, and then he bought me a mug and flowers on my birthday and treated that like some Herculean effort." "He told me what he saw as our future. We would move to Hawaii, he would grow weed in our basement, and I would work. While our relationship was already not great before then, I realized that this future he described made me nauseous." "This happened in my early 20s. He told me that when he gets home late from partying (like 2-3 a.m.), he wakes his mom up to cook him food. I had always heard that a guy treats you as well as he does his mother. Nope!" "He insisted on buying me a G Wagon once we got married because he needed a wife driving a G Wagon. I didn't even know what that was, and when I Googled it, I was shocked it was the price of a house. He also had about half a million in debt in student loans, credit cards, a car loan, etc." "She tried to guilt me into spending several thousand dollars on a vacation. Their family had money and decided to take a spur-of-the-moment international vacation. All of her expenses would be paid by the family, but I would be out at least $5,000. Technically, I had the money, but I was working 50 hours a week when she was working maybe 15. I was saving for our future." "I was working crazy hours at work for a short period and housesitting for his family while he was on holiday. He got mad at me for not texting him during my 15-minute 'lunch break.' I texted and called him morning and night. He told me that because of this, I was 'neglecting' him and that I 'wasn't missing him enough.' This was just the tip of the iceberg. Thank god I ended that engagement." "He played a game on his phone while I poured my heart out about how I had been struggling with my mental health and taking care of myself. I didn't really have the wake-up call until I stayed at his place for two weeks with my cat while I was very sick with a mystery illness that lasted about four months..." "Changing his personality drastically when he was with his friends. He was loving and romantic in private but would be disrespectful in front of his friends (like, 'Woman, you are here to serve me'). He was full of values with his family, especially about gay rights (his uncle being gay), but the first one to laugh and tell anti-gay 'jokes' with his friends." "We got into a conflict while he was driving, and he pulled some sketchy driving moves to 'show me how angry I'd made him.'" "In university I had a friend who passed on tragically and unexpectedly. She had a not-so-secret crush on me, which made my girlfriend at the time jealous. Upon hearing the news, my girlfriend's response was not that of sympathy or grief, but only smug indifference and schadenfreude. Totally awful." "I had a bad reaction to antibiotics and ended up in the hospital. I drove myself there and home. They spent the next three days on coke with friends (each day saying they'd be home that night just to come up with an excuse like their ride left already or something equally ridiculous.)" And finally, here's one that needs absolutely no explanation: "Finding him fucking my roommate in my bed two weeks before the wedding pretty much made up my mind." Was there a moment when you realized your significant other just wasn't the one? Tell me your story in the comments.
Buzz Feed
7 hours ago
- Buzz Feed
21 Brutal Truths Millennials Need To Hear
Every generation loves to complain about other generations, but millennials are on the receiving end more than anyone else. However, sometimes, the call is coming from inside the house. Reddit user _forum_mod asked other millennials, "What are some hard truths that millennials are not ready to hear?" People had A LOT to say in the comments. Here are some of the best and most interesting replies: "Your favorite politicians aren't going to improve your life in any meaningful way." —544075701 "A lot of you lie about how productive you are working from home. There are benefits (like cutting down on commutes), but I don't think a lot of you are getting as much work done as you say." "You need to work out five times per week. If you don't, you're way more likely to have health problems in the next decade." —544075701 "The climate apocalypse is happening in our lifetime. It's not a future generations thing. Sorry to be the bearer of bad news." "Other millenials who purposefully started a family in this difficult financial climate and tell me my life is easy because I didn't make that choice need to pull their head out of their ass. I'm sick of saying I'm going to do anything for myself (take a nap, go out with friends, etc.) and hearing a sarcastic 'must be nice' from my coworkers who have kids. Imagine having your parents resent you so much!" "50% of the reason I currently don't have kids is financial. If you actively chose to have kids knowing your income and the cost didn't line up, it kind of is what it is. I don't feel bad for you."—linandlee "Gen Alpha will blame us for everything wrong with the world in about 20 years." "You don't just magically get smarter or wiser or more responsible with age. Younger people might be considered naive or downright ignorant, but they're still learning. Grown adults tend to get complacent in their knowledge and don't bother to learn anything new or to keep up with changing times." "You have to strive to maintain awareness and exercise your brain regularly."—likeguitarsolo "Buying a ton of useless garbage will not fix your life. It's just ruining your finances and the environment." "A decent chunk of gentle parents are actually permissive parents." —AwarenessEconomy8842 "We need to make better financial decisions. Yes, we got a raw deal. But we're not doing a good job of adapting to that." "Chasing nostalgia and yearning for a better time is stunting your growth as an adult." —Franko_ricardo "Pretty soon, the world is going to be run by all the people you went to high school with, and it's going to suck just as much as when our parents' generation was in charge." "When the boomers are all dead and gone, we're still going to have problems. It's a class thing, not a generational thing." —Montreal4life "Time goes by faster as you age. Even if you're in your 30s right now, your life is already half gone in a certain sense, since the time from age 31-80 will feel like it passes by as quickly in your perception as the time from age 0-30." "I'm a nerd, and I love participating in the nerdy things I like. But collecting a bunch of toys and a lot of merch is really immature." —Anonymous "Rent doesn't go down." "Put. Down. The. Phone. While. Driving. No, do not lie to me. I know you're doing it. You're gonna get someone killed, and it might even be you." —Lonesome_Pine "You need to consistently challenge your way of thinking as you age. Striving to think the opposite of boomers isn't enough; you need to constantly adapt to the times if you don't want to be stuck in the past." "Capitalism has failed." —ConundrumMachine "Be better parents. The feral behavior of small youths is scary, and it's intensified by social media consumption starting at an earlier age." And finally, "Most millennials do look our age, and that's okay." —Old_Face_9125 H/T r/Millennials
