Stranded traveler gifted flight upgrade after chance encounter with airline CEO
A woman who said she recently found herself stuck at an international airport with no flight home ran into an airline CEO who turned her entire day around.
Julia Jaroslawski is a 20-year-old student from Chicago who ran into some travel trouble while trying to get back to the U.S. from Bangkok, Thailand.
She told Fox News Digital that she flew to Doha, Qatar, for a layover and was hoping to fly standby to Chicago that day.
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“Initially, conversations with the airline staff gave me confidence that I wouldn’t face any issues flying home, especially since there were plenty of seats available on the flight from Doha to Chicago,” she wrote via email.
Julia Jaroslawski was distraught upon learning she would be stuck in Doha until another flight became available to Chicago. (Julia Jaroslawski)
She added, “So, it came as a shock when, at the end of boarding, they informed me that I couldn’t be given a seat due to a weight restriction.”
With no realistic flight options for the rest of the day, Jaroslawski said she was feeling discouraged and overwhelmed.
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“At that point, pure exhaustion hit me, and I couldn’t hold back my tears. I started searching for alternative flights with better connections, hoping to get home sooner, but the Doha-to-Chicago flights in the coming days were all fully booked.”
Jaroslawski said she was shocked to learn that she had been speaking with the CEO of Qatar Airways. (Julia Jaroslawski)
Feeling stressed, Jaroslawski decided to walk around the airport and pray the rosary to try and calm herself down.
She then visited a coffee shop and continued to look for alternative flights home.
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“I ordered a simple matcha latte and took a seat at a table, unknowingly sitting just a seat away from the Qatar Airways CEO, facing the same direction,” she said.
Jaroslawski ate food, enjoyed the entertainment and more while on her flight to the United States. She was upgraded to business class. (Julia Jaroslawski)
“While I was on my computer searching for flights, the CEO noticed me and asked, ‘Is everything alright?’ Although I wasn’t crying anymore, the stress and exhaustion were still evident on my face,” she said.
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She continued, “He was genuinely kind, so I replied, ‘It’s been a tough morning, but I’m alright.’ We exchanged a brief conversation about my morning, and that’s when he mentioned business class.”
The man introduced himself as Qatar Airways CEO Badr Mohammed Al-Meer and said, “I’m the CEO of Qatar Airways, and I’m giving you business class,” according to Jaroslawski.
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The college student said she was “in complete shock” as she was guided toward the business lounge to take a shower, eat and enjoy herself before her flight.
An Illinois woman was surprised with a free business class seat after she unknowingly started talking to an airline CEO at the airport. (Julia Jaroslawski | iStock)
“Within a matter of moments my day had flipped completely around, and I was filled with extreme gratitude,” she said.
Jaroslawski described her flight as “luxurious and comfortable” and that she “slept like never before.”
But after arriving at JFK Airport in New York City, there were no connecting flights to Chicago that night, so she had to stay at the airport before getting on a flight to Chicago the next morning, Jaroslawski said.
“While my journey turned out to be much longer than expected, it’s one I’ll remember forever,” she said.
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Fox News Digital reached out to Qatar Airways for comment.
Brittany Kasko is a lifestyle production assistant with Fox News Digital.
