Repentant Passanger Returns Airline Blanket
I got a snicker out of reading this today. (VBG) Here is the direct link if you would rather go there-
http://english.chosun.com/w21data/html/news/200608/200608180032.html
Korean Air officials were surprised when they found that a thick pink envelope delivered to the carrier’s center at Incheon International Airport contained a checkered blanket of the kind provided to passengers on long-haul flights together with a letter. The sender was a man identified as Min from Cheongju, who recently traveled aboard Korean Air from Incheon to the Philippines and back.
On getting off the plane, Min wrote, he saw many passengers stuffing the blankets into their bags or simply carrying them off the plane and, assuming they were free, did the same. But once home, Min opened the wrapping and found a notice saying the blanket was the property of Korean Air. Feeling guilty, he decided to return it and apologize.
"The other people who were taking the blankets with them said it was included in the price of the ticket, so I took mine as well. I am very sorry," Min wrote. "Next time I have an opportunity, I will again fly Korean Air. Fly safely." Indeed, a message attached to the blanket reads, "PLEASE LEAVE ON THE SEAT AFTER USE KOREAN AIR."
However, each year more of the blankets go missing as many passengers either do not know or do not care. In 2001, 176,000 were lost, soaring to 300,000 in 2005, costing hundreds of millions of won. The blankets are light, warm, easy to carry and made from pure wool --making them a prime target for travelers who intend to go backpacking.
From time to time, there are passengers like Min who repent and return the blankets, but airline staff cannot check every passenger as they leave the plane. An airline staffer says, "When I was working in America, we had one Korean-American passenger whose child had left with the blanket on a trip back from Korea, but the woman returned it saying that was a way to educate her child.” He added, "It’s easy to say that it’s just one blanket, but we are grateful for the letter."
How interesting. I wonder if that's why the ones on American flights are so flimsy now, and they only have a few on each flight - not enough pillows or blankets for every passenger - and the pillows are a joke.
ReplyDeleteI love this story of honesty! There are always opportunities for us to be dishonest or to shrug it off as "no big deal" but doing what's right is one of the best witnesses we have! Thank you for sharing.
ReplyDeleteWow! Who would have thought to take a blanket off of an airplane? I guess this goes on the list with towels from hotels, and cloth napkins from restaurants. Well at least this story proves that there are still honest people in this world. Thank you for sharing this with us.
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