it say VOLUMES about the incredible compasion these Southwest employees showed
Thank you, Southwest, for getting me home to say goodbye to my beloved dog and your kindness in the process.
I've been wanting to make this post for a few days, but every time I've sat down to type it out I just couldn't bring myself to put all my thanks into words, but hopefully this is sufficient.
On 6/25, my partner and I loaded up in Nashville and made the long trek to Honolulu with 6 friends. It's a trip we'd been planning for months and were both eagerly looking forward to. We are fortunate to travel pretty regularly, but not with a group of friends so this was especially exciting. However, we had 4 dogs at home and that always caused some anxiety when we travel. 1 is a 14-year-old male dachshund in a wheelchair (Governor), 1 13-year-old a female beagle (Layla) that was diagnosed with kidney disease in October and undergoes a variation of dialysis a couple times a week, 1 13-year-old male beagle (Baxter) and 1 12-year-old female chiweenie (Mini). Fortunately, we both have wonderful parents who are extremely supportive of our travels and stay at our house with the dogs while we are away so they are never boarded.
I'm going to skip ahead a bit here through some phone calls and a couple missed meals, but Mini died suddenly the afternoon of 6/26. According to my vet, she didn't think it was preventable. Based on the way Mini presented in the hours before her passing, it seems like it may have been an intestinal rupture or something quick that was unavoidable and undetectable. My partner and I gathered our things after not having been in Hawaii for quite 24 hours and began our journey home. I called Southwest immediately from the rental car and said, "I need to change my flight and get back to Nashville immediately." I gave the agent on the phone my name and she said, "You want to go to Nashville today? Didn't you just arrive in Hawaii yesterday?" I told her that I had, but my dog died and I need to get back ASAP.
Since I was driving in an unfamiliar area and trying to get to the airport as quickly as humanly possible I told the agent I didn't have any of my booking details handy. She assured me that was ok and that she could handle it. She had me wait a couple minutes and then came back on the line and told me that my partner and I were booked on the next flight out. It was at this moment I realized that I'd need to pay the difference in fare. I asked the agent what the charge was and assured her it didn't matter what it was, I was going home regardless. She informed me that it was $750, but added, "Don't worry, I waived the fee. Get home to your dog." So, there I am bawling my eyes out trying to get to the Daniel K. Inouye airport at the kindness of this stranger.
My partner and I arrive at the airport and begin the trek home. I submit a ticket on the Southwest app just to say thanks for waiving the fee and how much it meant to me. At some point, during one of the legs home I had to get up and use the restroom. There is a short line in the rear of the plane so I stand and wait my turn. As I'm waiting, one of the flight attendants asks me if everything is ok. I guess my face was swollen and my partner and I had been crying on and off during the flight and normally I'm the type of person to say, "Yea, I'm good. Thanks.", but not that day. I told her no, I wasn't good. My dog had died and I just wasn't in a good spot at the moment. She expressed her condolences and told me that my partner and I could have any drink we wanted and to just let her know. I told her I appreciated it and used the restroom and went back to my seat.
About 5 mins after sitting down, this flight attendant brought my partner and I a handwritten card and some Southwest goodies. It was all simple stuff: coloring book, mini playing cards, pilot's wings, keychain, etc. She said that she and her colleagues were so sorry for our loss, but hoped these simple things could make us smile for a moment. Well, mission accomplished. We couldn't help but smile at the prospect of two mid-thirties men getting a coloring book from flight attendants.
Upon landing, I thanked the flight attendants again and deplaned and rushed home. We got to see our girl for the last time before kissing her goodbye and having her taken to be cremated and returned to us the next morning. It was her only night away from home.
Later that day I received an email from Southwest again expressing their condolences on the loss of my dog and once again, I cried. Southwest went above and beyond in their attempts to make me feel seen and respected during a moment of deep grief and sadness. I will never be able to repay them for the kindness they showed me that day. Thank you, Southwest and thank you to flight crew 2173!
I've added some photos for those Reddit folks that live in the "pix or it didn't happen" world. I've also added a picture of Mini because she was too cute not to and I miss her every day."
The system would not let me upload th pics, so here are the links to the three pics.
pic of a note from SW FA's
pic of the pup
updated flight arrangement
