Written by Staff Writer
CNN
There’s nothing like seeing love through the eyes of the passengers on your flight. While traveling was on plenty of people’s minds, it can be difficult for us to connect with the real world around us — especially when we’re stressed and tired.
“Until the plane lands and we have time to reflect, it’s hard for us to stay in touch with the work of what we’re doing — the task at hand,” explained crew member Jose Gonzales.
According to Gonzales, this makes the moments leading up to a long haul trip a time of reflection.
“Between pre-flight, pilot briefing, landing, and terminal entry, sometimes between all of those lots there’s space to sit and just talk to your fellow passengers,” he told CNN.
Inspired by their flying companions, the crew at London-based short-haul airline Nacional flew around Europe to accompany their customers to a loved one’s hospital.
From Dublin to Vienna and back
Here is a total of six stories. When you’ll never get to see them.
1. “I bought a scarf, as my patience was running out with the wait.”
Around 300 passengers from Munich to Brussels were delayed on Dec. 1, 2018. Upon landing in Belgium, passengers not able to pay for food or accommodation were turned away from the airport. The passengers waiting in Brussels Airport were told they would be taken to a hotel in Brussels, though they didn’t get this information for 24 hours. Once there, the crew with Nacional boarded the flight. They were awarded two free seats in the row at the back of the plane, reserved for those sick passengers.
2. “I remember this moment and I remember getting them into bed.”
A 24-hour delay meant these passengers were delayed for an extended period of time. But during that time, Nacional offered a flight to Vienna from Hong Kong and back.
But Nacional’s flight that took off to Vienna ended up being delayed as well, because the pilot was sick, forcing the crew to be in the air for an extra night.
3. “Now we are all friends.”
“I can remember very well when I finally joined them all and saw how happy they were to see me, all had so many tears in their eyes and so much love for one another,” said Simon.
“For a lot of us, we have been apart a long time, so these trips have given us a chance to reunite and connect with each other.
4. “We experienced devastation and and music from Vienna.”
Andrew arrived in Vienna on Nov. 28, 2018.
“We experienced devastation and without the help of Nacional crew, we would not have managed to have fun,” said Kevin.
5. “Not a few people could barely find their seats”
“We had around 750 passengers on this flight and not a few people could barely find their seats for the flight,” added Jose.
6. “I want to stay connected with all of you.”
After doing this for several years, the crew of Nacional brought this campaign to the popular video sharing platform YouTube. They’ve even created the It’s All Waiting With You series, which feature their video dating journey with passengers and has become a strong fan favorite on YouTube.