I fly quite a bit, mostly for business and sometimes for pleasure. To any frequent fliers who are reading this, you know that this experience is more stressful than it used to be. First TSA, then most recently a global pandemic and now limited schedules, overbooked flights and airline challenges with staffing. It’s been rather hard on travelers but, I believe, it’s been even harder on those who serve us in the skies in the airline industry.

When the pressure is on, humans reveal both ends of the emotional spectrum. Some lash out under stress, yet others find a way to offer a personal touch of civility that makes interaction better in the moment. I had just such an experience flying home from a busy week of work out of town.

It was a Friday afternoon and I was on board for the last leg of my journey, with head-down into my laptop, working on some follow-ups generated from the week and planning for the next one. I had already noted, from the moment of reaching the gate, that this particular flight crew seemed remarkably cheerful. Perhaps they were as happy as I was at wrapping up the week and the thought of getting home; then again, they may still have had other places to travel before completing their schedule.

On this day, the flight attendant working my section was especially attentive. There were no nonsense announcements or silly jokes, just a pleasant attitude and service focus that stood out. I sensed that right away, but it was another simple gesture mid-flight that made me pause and look up from my computer. Along with my refreshment came a hand-written note, the one pictured at the top of this post. Since the image is rather small and the handwriting only slightly better than mine, here’s what it says:

“Mr. Dellecker — We are grateful for your Delta loyalty!”

That personal touch produced a remarkable moment of truth. There were many other touch points on this particular journey, but it was this unexpected extra gesture that stood out for me. It made me grateful, again, that I chose to take my business to this airline.

I imagine that quite a few other passengers also felt good to be appreciated in such a personal way by this flight attendant. The gesture wasn’t scripted; it was a genuine extension of service with a personal touch.

Tempus Maximize!