Rich Man Mocks Poor Lady Flying 1st Class until Another Passenger Says She’s a Regular Client – Story of the Day

Gordon wanted to have a peaceful, quiet flight when an older woman sat next to him. But she started speaking to him and trying to start a conversation, so he asked to change seats. Then he met Nicholas, who told him a shocking story about the woman.

"Hello, there," the woman sitting next to Gordon said unexpectedly. He turned and frowned at her.

He was about to put on his headphones and sleep for the rest of the flight. He was looking forward to his trip to the Dominican Republic and bought business class tickets on American Airlines. He was flying from JFK Airport in New York and hoped it would be the best vacation.

Gordon got on the flight and was ready for his vacation. | Source: Shutterstock

But suddenly, the woman grabbed the seat next to him and said hello. Why? He didn't want to speak to anyone. Besides, she didn't look like someone who should be in business class. She was dressed poorly and looked haggard. He grinned awkwardly and greeted her back, then put on his headphones and tried to fall asleep.

But the woman touched his shoulders. "What's your name? You look just like my son—"

"I'm sorry, ma'am," Gordon interrupted. "I don't really want to talk right now. I just want to relax with my headphones."

Gordon thought that was it. But once again, the woman tapped his shoulder, and he yanked his headphone off angrily.

"I know you want some privacy, but I just wanted to tell you that—"

He called the flight attendant over. | Source: Pexels

"Excuse me, excuse me, miss," he interrupted the old woman, flagging down the flight attendant, who came to him immediately. "Could I possibly change seats, please?"

"May I ask why sir? Is there a problem?" the stewardess asked.

"Just because. I'm uncomfortable with this woman speaking to me," he replied mockingly. The attendant nodded in a subdued manner, and the old lady stayed quiet, looking at her lap. She was probably embarrassed by his words, but Gordon didn't care.

He transferred to a seat next to a man who seemed pretty busy with a newspaper, and he was ready to relax again. He fell asleep right away and woke up a couple of hours later. As he ate his food, he was no longer angry.

He asked the man next to him for the time and thanked him. "I'm Nicholas. Are you traveling on business?" the man asked.

He fell asleep in his new seat. | Source: Pexels

Gordon was calmer and decided to be more polite because the man looked like someone who belonged there. "I'm Gordon. No, I'm traveling on vacation. What about you?"

"Me too. I'm actually a pilot with this airline, and I'm using my discount and miles for this trip," Nicolas revealed. "So, may I ask you something? Why did you change seats?"

"Oh, I just wanted to sleep and the old woman next to me wanted to talk. I was not going to put up with that," he responded and smiled as if Nicholas would understand.

"What did she want to talk about?"

The man next to him started talking about the old woman. | Source: Pexels

"Well, she said I looked like her son, but I didn't care," Gordon said and nodded.

"Hmmm, and why are you speaking to me now?"

"I already slept, so I'm in a better mood. But honestly, that woman isn't someone I would be wasting my time with."

"I see," Nicholas muttered. "You know… that woman's name is Mrs. Walter. She takes this same flight every year for a reason."

Gordon frowned at that information and had no idea where Nicholas was going. "Ok...."

"Her son was a pilot too. A young apprentice at the time, but a promising lad. I knew him."

"Knew him?" Gordon asked.

Something happened to Mrs. Walter's son. | Source: Pexels

"Yeah. He died on this flight in 2001. This same route. Everyone on board died. It was tragic for everyone," Nicholas explained, shocking Gordon.

"Wow… I'm so sorry. I didn't know," he responded, not knowing what else to say.

"So Mrs. Walter takes this same flight on the same day every year, on the anniversary of her son's death. After the third year, the airline decided to just gift her the flight," Nicholas continued. "And you look like her son apparently."

"Jesus…," Gordon breathed, stunned to his core. He had been horrible to the woman. He had mocked her and changed seats because she spoke a couple of words to him. What kind of man was he becoming that treated people so poorly? He needed to do something to make up for his overreaction.

So when the flight finally reached the airport in Santo Domingo, he waited at the gate for Mrs. Walter. He invited her for coffee and spent the rest of his vacation with the woman, who told him many stories about her son.

He reflected on the man he had become and did better. | Source: Pexels

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When they returned to New York, they exchanged phone numbers, and he called her once in a while to chat and remember her son. That's all she ever wanted.

Meanwhile, Gordon reflected on his actions and biases and tried to be a better person each day. He never treated anyone on a flight just like that. A bit of polite chitchat on a plane never hurt anybody.

What can we learn from this story?

• Make up for your mistakes. Gordon treated the older woman horribly until he discovered her story. He made up for it as quickly as possible and became a better person.
• Never judge a person based on your own biases. Gordon judged the older woman based on her appearance, determining that she was not wealthy enough for business class. But those were his prejudices, and he was wrong for doing it.

Share this story with your friends. It might brighten their day and inspire them.

If you enjoyed this story, you might like this one about a woman who visited her grandparents, only to discover that their house was demolished.

This account is inspired by our reader's story and written by a professional writer. Any resemblance to actual names or locations is purely coincidental. All images are for illustration purposes only. Share your story with us; maybe it will change someone's life. If you would like to share your story, please send it to info@amomama.com.