Are You This DAL Captain?
 

My husband and I had a fairly long wait in ATL on our way home from SJU yesterday. So we were sitting and waiting in Gate T03 when we saw a captain push a wheelchair (with a disabled woman in it) with his right hand and pull his own rollaboard with his left. It became apparent very soon that she had asked him which gate to SEA and he decided to take her there himself instead of calling someone else.

He parked his rollaboard in front of the customer service counter and pushed her wheelchair towards the window. He was very solicitous, asking her if she would be ok where she was. She assured him she was ok and thanked him profusely for taking the extra effort. He then went to get his stuff when he suddenly went back to her and asked if she wanted to go to a restaurant or something since the wait was at least another 2 hours.

In the many years I've been on APC, I have heard stories of passengers mistaking pilots for skycaps and how some pilots are not too happy with this. Well, I think part of being a professional is to go take that extra step for someone else. The woman in the wheelchair will certainly remember this, and so will the other passengers who saw this. Being a professional is not going on the internet to nit pick with others, complain and whine about certain regional pilots, make snide remarks about FAs, disparage the passengers who pay your salary, and some of the many things I'm seeing regularly here. Remember, it's what you do, not what you say.

If this captain is an APC member, could you send me a PM? If not, I'd like to publicly acknowledge you.

I hope she tipped him.

I think APC is a fine resource. However, I am willing to bet that an overwhelming majority of pilots do not frequent this site. To see if this Captain is on this site is taking a shot in the dark.

Good story though

I would have to agree with the above, chances are someone at that level isn't on here. I'm a commuting reserve FO, that's why I have the time to post. It's still nice to hear stories like this. I've flown with some really classy guys and gals. I think Delta has a lot of pilots of this caliber. Now that I think of it I've met Alaska, United, US Airways and American pilots I didn't like, but never a Delta or Northwest pilot I didn't like.

Bean

Definitely a nominate for cool of the day! Even if it were not a customer service thing, I still take my hat off to this captain for his kindness.

Funny, I, and most pilots that I know in this industry, have had just the opposite experience with respect to airline pilots as a whole versus Delta Pilots (former Northwest Pilots excluded of course).

What can I say, jumpseated on Delta in the states and several times to Europe, all great experiences. The funny thing is the worst non-rev experience I've ever had was on my own airline. It wasn't an east/west thing, the guy was a west captain.

Bean

Why? It's not like he was the hotel van driver or anything.

That captain is a class act. All airlines have those in the top and bottom 5%, he is obviously a top 5%er, at least in the customer service department. Thanks for sharing the story.

Sorry guys, this has nothing to do with being a professional. It's being a good human being.

It was Timbo.

Great story! Class and empathy are two things that can't be taught----you either have it or you don't. That Captain sounds like a fine human being and I'm sure this wasn't his first time assisting passengers. (Oh, and he probably looked great in the hat as well!! ;))

It think it has everything to do with being a professional. I was raised that it was our job to take care of our passengers the best we can. Many of my fellow pilots say "it's not my job to push a wheelchair" and have berated me for it. I say that if it doesn't take away from my primary job of safety and I can help a customer, I should.

Hahaha, you beeg funny boy!

I think we've all done it many times, but I was at home yesterday, thanks for the vote of confidence though. :D

Awesome story! Perhaps if it gains enough traction here, somebody will know who the CA is?

......Agreed!

Have flown with several Mad Dog captains that fall into this description....several of them give me the desire to stand in my chair and salute saying, "Captain...my Captain..."

As one guy (a lot smarter than me) said,

"I do it for the same reason others don't, it's the way I was raised."

Thanks Mom and Dad.

Or are you this one?
 

Passenger has a meltdown on the airplane. Starts YELLING at the other passengers, the flight attendant, and even the red coat that was summoned to remove her. Said individual was non-revving in uniform two rows behind this occurrence, and when asked if he could be used as a witness to the goings on, replied, no.. I didn't see anything. (Wasn't asked to intervene or help in any way I might add) Stevie Wonder would have seen what happened, and Hellen Keller certainly would have heard it. I'll take door number one any day thank you.

To the CA in the OP.. Thank you for living up to the Delta tradition, and also for being a human being. To the other guy.. nevermind.

I was nonrevving in "civvies" and seated towards the front of a CRJ. A Delta captain in uniform is sitting right behind. FA gets on the PA and says she needs two people to move from the front of the half full plane to the rear. I was thinking, this is easy. It will be me and the other pilot. Nope, FA has to make PA a second time, because no one else, including the Delta captain would move. Finally a paying pax has to move.

Bean, I think you're just getting lucking not running into DL's 5%.

Cant count the number of times Captains and I have pushed wheelchairs, helped find lost items and escorted passengers. It isn't part of the job, but it is appreciated. Usually the wheel chairs are the generation of people who still remember the "romance" of flying and who are generous in their praise when they have "a Captain" to help them out. They believe we are the best and it is a pleasure to make that little corner of Disney World a reality.

Doing nice things for folks is more reward than work.

Besides, Flight Attendants are stuck until the passengers are off the airplane. If a W/C passenger is not getting picked up it can make their day difficult.

Very typical from my experiences. Seen many also run clear across an airport to give someone something they left on an airplane. Many do this here at DAL.

Once flew with a Captain who was chided by a ramp steward for the union in CLT because he carried a stroller from the base of the stairs up to the top of the jetbridge. Then again I guess the ramper in question thought it was okay for the customer travelling solo with three kids to have to wait another 10 minutes. Point is, he tried to help and got scolded. Never again would I be inclined to help out after seeing that experience. Such experiences - which really aren't a huge deal as it was made out to be, are the reasons why perhaps more pilots don't take such initiative. It's not that we wouldn't want to, it's just sometimes not worth the hassles. Either way kudos to him.

No worries about that anymore, no more union shop for the rampers!

Nowhere in my FOM does it say I can't help passengers if I want to.

Many Delta pilots would, and for the most part, that's exactly why we got hired.

Of course, there was a contract that went beyond our CBA, where the company would take care of the employee, and the employee taking care of a customer was just an extension of taking care of the company.

Now that the contract has been broken, our culture doesn't ridicule this kind of behavior, but it doesn't punish those who don't go the extra mile either. It's an individual choice. In my opinion, we still tend to be the kind that will push the wheelchair.

We just do it for ourselves, our sense of self-respect, our simply for the humanity in it.

I DARE them to say anything to me.

Me too...

Denny

Well stated.

Agreed!He is just a decent man. but i'd rather be happier if there are more

Most excellent...of course the object of the "Oh Captain, my Captain..." reference was dead (Lincoln), but I certainly agree with the sentiment! Hats off to a good man (although I bet he had his hat ON)

I got a call from the CP's office chastising me for helping the lone ramp agent unload the yellow tag bags on a 1 hour turn. Pax were off and the APU was shutdown, I walk off the airplane to burn one and there's everyone still standing there waiting for their gate checked bags. I help the ramp guy drag those around, then helped unload the checked bags.

7 days later I got the call telling me not to do it again since I wasn't trained in lifting heavy stuff. Went to a fractional shortly thereafter. Screw 'em.

Seen it, experienced it, and I think 90% of Delta pilots would do the same as long as they had time between flights. That being said, the fellow professionals I run across from other majors would gladly do the same, IMHO, and probably do. I don't think DAL has the market cornered on the golden rule. But it's great to hear a word of appreciation when one witnesses a gracious and courteous act as this.

IMHO I don’t think it’s a Delta thing. It’s not just a customer service issue either. Had this Skipper been in a different uniform with a different carrier under the same circumstances, he, along with the majority of us would have done the same thing. This thread would have a different title… “Are you this Brand X Captain?”

Delta did not train this person to be a decent human being… That came from his upbringing and his heart. Bottom line is he’s a good person, and would have done the same even if he were not a pilot.

^^^ This..

I am first and foremost a believer in and follower of Jesus Christ. I work for a company that doesn't have a favorable opinion of it's pilots or other employees. However, because of my love for Christ I must help passengers who need help. Many in our employee force say I should only do my job and nothing more. I understand and mostly agree with that. However, when it comes to helping those who are not being helped by those at my company that are not doing their jobs, I must help them. It's in my DNA and I can't help it. I will always help older people in wheel chairs and mothers traveling alone and so forth. I have changed flats in my uniform on the way to work and given rides to stranded people(probably get killed someday for that). I went down and got a woman's scooter because no one else would. I have retrieved strollers many, many times. I have gotten wheel chairs many, many times. Even though it's not my job, I will continue doing those things.

Bravo......I'm glad you mentioned older people. If more people treated others as they would want their parents or grandparents to be treated-----this planet would be a much better place! (Also parents traveling alone with more than one child and UMs.)

I didn't get a PM so I must assume the Captain I saw that day in ATL is not a member of APC or too modest to call attention to himself.

However, I am pleased to see the direction this thread has taken. The title of the thread was deliberately nuanced in that it can be read to mean I am looking for a particular person, or it could be a rhetorical question about yourself and your own behavior, motivation and initiative.

I have found that many times, it doesn't take much to lend a hand and this little bit of help makes a tremendous difference to someone else. My philosophy is that if I can help, why not do it? I'm sure that one day, I will need some help and hope that someone would do for me what I try to do for others.

This discussion reminds me of the time I was waiting in CPH for a connecting flight to Budapest. I saw an elderly man from India staring at the monitor obviously confused about where to go. I went up to ask him if I could help. He said he just arrived from New Delhi and was looking for the flight to Bergen to visit his son, who was living and working there. Checking the monitor, I saw that the flight was boarding ... and in a gate far away. So I grabbed the man's arm and his little carry on and did our best OJ Simpson run through the airport, dodging fat businessmen and strollers along the way. At the gate, I practically shoved him into the hands of the agents, but he made it. I still think about him sometimes and hope he had a good visit.

Another time in Dulles, the customer service agent near my gate asked if anyone nearby spoke [a foreign language]. Since I happen to speak that language, I went over and interpreted a little bit for some guy who had just arrived from somewhere and didn't understand they did a gate change on him and that he'd better do his own OJ Simpson real quick.

My point is that whether you are flight crew, ramper, or passenger, it's a good thing to help out someone else whenever you can. If nothing else, it feels good and beats sitting there watching CNN.

Pretty much.

This is a word for paraphrase of something I heard once at slightly informal meeting with an HR rep. The company doesn't really matter, it was just funny to hear it said in the way it was;

"Look, you can teach any ********* how to fly a plane. We're ALL proof of that. We wanna hire good people that want to work here".

...Tim Tebow? Is that you! ;)

There's only one way to tell. Post a pic of your GF ASAP!