Living the Aloha Spirit

Yesterday was a day that really challenged our patience.  Les and I spent two weeks on Oahu and were ready to get home.  We arrived at the airport at 1:30 p.m. for our 3:35 flight.   We boarded on time as usual and then sat on the plane and waited.  And waited...

Almost two hours later we had to deplane due to a mechanical issue.  We were told we would received an update at 5:30.  5:30 came and went and we were told an update would come at 6:00.  In the meanwhile, I watched several of our crew members walk through our gate area, with their luggage.  "This can't be good," I told Les.  Flight attendants can only work a certain number of hours before they must leave work.  It's for their safety and for the safety of passengers.

We received an announcement around 6:15 letting us know that our flight was delayed until 8:30.  Our plane was ready but a new flight crew had to be scrambled together for our long flight. Our original flight was scheduled to arrive in Los Angeles at 11:00 p.m.  Our delayed flight was scheduled to arrive at 4:00 A.M.  Ouch!

Did I mention most of the restaurants in the airport were closed because food service workers were on strike?

Here's where Hawaiian Airlines made a difference:
Because the restaurants were closed they brought in snack boxes and water/juice for everyone.
Thirty minutes later they brought in sandwiches, chips, and more water/juice.
Shortly before we boarded our flight, they made an announcement that everyone was going to receive a $100 travel voucher.

I have been on delayed flights with other airlines many times.  Not once have we received any of the things Hawaiian Airlines provided.  We've sat for hours in terminals with nothing more than an insincere "sorry" and spent our own money on overpriced airport food.  The Hawaiian Airlines ground crew did a great job making everyone as comfortable as possible.

All the things they did to make us a little more comfortable didn't get us to Los Angeles any earlier.  It didn't make going to bed at 5:00 this morning hurt any less.  But it did make us feel like they considered us human beings, not just a nuisance that was filling their airplane.

The lesson here?  There are some things that are unpleasant that can't be avoided.  A mechanical issue on a plane is not something to ignore.  Patience and kindness go a long, long way.  Patience on our part as we waited was key.  Stamping my feet and hassling the gate agent wouldn't have gotten me home any quicker and it would have made everyone a little unhappier.  Kindness on the part of Hawaiian Airlines as they tried to get us on our way.  Their sincere apologies, the food and travel vouchers, all of that said they understood how inconvenient this was for everyone.  They embodied the "Aloha Spirit" that Hawaii is known for.

While working on this post, I found that there is actually a state law in Hawaii called "The Aloha Spirit" law.  It says in part, "These are traits of character that express the charm, warmth and sincerity of Hawaii's people. It was the working philosophy of native Hawaiians and was presented as a gift to the people of Hawaiʻi. ''Aloha'' is more than a word of greeting or farewell or a salutation. ''Aloha'' means mutual regard and affection and extends warmth in caring with no obligation in return. "Aloha" is the essence of relationships in which each person is important to every other person for collective existence. ''Aloha'' means to hear what is not said, to see what cannot be seen and to know the unknowable."

We live in an angry world.  People lash out because they are "offended" at every turn.  They want to coexist as long as you agree with them.  The Bible has much to say about how we are to treat our fellow man.  The Apostle Paul summed it up nicely in Colosians 3:12-14, "Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering;  Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye.  And above all these things put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness."

In this final shopping weekend before Christmas, while you're slipping on your shoes, don't forget to also put on mercy, kindness, meekness, longsuffering and charity.  It won't make the line move more quickly, but you will go home without the baggage of unkindness.