About 6 years ago, my wife and toddler daughter were traveling to San Diego on Southwest. Amid the pre-takeoff distractions, my wife misunderstood our daughter's repeated questions about whether her ears would "pop." To my wife, the correct answer was a reassuring, "Yes, they'll pop (or re-open and relieve the pressure) soon after we take off."
What my daughter heard was, "Yes. Your ears are going to pop (as in explode) soon after we take off."
Needless to say, my daughter, usually a better traveler than nearly any adult, became more and more upset as the question and answer was repeated a dozen times. Eventually, she threw up all over herself, the seat, my wife... you name it.
Our SWA attendant swooped in with comfort, tons of clean towels and motherly understanding. She got everyone involved comfortable and calm and then went a step further. During the flight, she opened her own suitcase and produced a clean t-shirt that fit my daughter like a dress and became her new travel outfit.
In short, this SWA associate turned a horrible episode into one of our happiest travel memories and won our loyalty to SWA for all time. We talk of her often, and although we returned the t-shirt with a letter praising her to her supervisors, I still feel the need to mention her kindness and service every time the subject of toddler travel or airline service comes up.
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