"Soldiers get a first-class gift"

Wednesday, July 28, 2004

Soldiers get a first-class gift
A generous man starts a trend of trading seats with war-weary troops
By REBECCA ANN MARKWAY
Knight Ridder Tribune News


WASHINGTON - A group of American soldiers returning from Iraq got ticket
upgrades on an American Airlines flight last month, but not from the
airline. 

A first-class passenger on American Airlines Flight 866 from Atlanta to
Chicago on June 29 started a "domino effect" in first class when he
decided to give up his seat to a soldier, according to American Airlines
spokeswoman Jacquie Young.

The man, whom the airline declined to identify, noticed the group of
soldiers in the boarding area.

As he boarded the plane, he asked the flight attendant if he could give
up his first-class seat to one of them.

The flight attendant shrugged him off and went about boarding
passengers, Young said.

When the first soldier boarded the plane, the man asked, "Hey, soldier,
where are you sitting?" Young said.

When the soldier replied that he was sitting in seat 22E, the
first-class passenger said, "No, you're sitting here," and he gave him
his seat.

As the 11 other soldiers boarded the plane, other first-class passengers
surrendered their seats, too.


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