The fine folks of the airline industry work extra hard this time of year so that the rest of us can enjoy the holidays. As if that weren’t enough, some of them volunteer to help share seasonal spirit with people in need. As one example, United operates “Fantasy Flights” that bring children experiencing significant medical issues or other hardships to visit Santa at the North Pole.
We were able to join this year’s Fantasy Flight out of United’s Newark hub. Between pre-flight festivities, caroling onboard a decked-out 767, and watching the children meet Santa, it was one of the most heartwarming aviation-related experiences we’ve taken part in.
Read on for plenty of photos, videos, and a heavy dose of AvGeeky holiday cheer. Plus we’ll clue you in on how our crew made a trip to the North Pole happen.
Kicking off a festive flight
This year’s event was held on a crisp clear Saturday at Newark Liberty International Airport.
A small army of United employees had volunteered to make the day’s adventures possible. The fun started with a holiday-themed check-in area. It was there that we started meeting the guests of honor: patients from New Jersey-area pediatric hospitals who were dealing with severe conditions like cancer.
After check-in was complete, the children and their families made their way to a departure gate that volunteers had decked out in holiday decor.
We got a look at the 767-300ER that would be playing the role of sleigh for the day.
The crew for the flight — again, all volunteers — had a quick photo moment before jumping into action preparing the flight for departure.
We were impressed to see that our captain would be John Weigand, the Managing Director of United’s Newark station operations who also boasts 40 years of flying experience. He gave us a quick intro to the day’s mission:
The kids and their family members were clearly excited to get on board.
Getting onboard
After a warm welcome onboard we got a look at the cabin’s holiday decor.
Is it just me or does the Polaris branding lend itself to a Christmassy vibe?
It was fun watching a bunch of young kids, some of whom had never flown before, get introduced to a business cabin seat.
The rear cabin was brightly decorated too.
Next stop: North Pole
It was a beautiful day to fly, and Captain Weigand and his crew looked excited to hit the skies.
Our focus was on the holiday festivities, but we also got some INCREDIBLE city views after takeoff. Captain Weigand told us later that his team had coordinated with ATC so our flight could take the perfect sightseeing route over Manhattan. Given the extreme congestion in NYC airspace that was no small feat. Which goes to show that this flight was a team effort, involving help from ATC, the TSA, and ramp staff in addition to the more visible faces of the flight crew.
But wait, you might ask, did we actually fly to the North Pole? Well … no. Though for any of who who thought we did, we admire your belief in Christmas magic.
In reality, our destination was a separate gate at Newark that United’s volunteers had decorated as Santa’s workshop. To sell the kids on the ruse, the crew had everyone close their window shades after the sightseeing loops over New York City. Captain Weigand announced that he would be pushing the flight speed up to Mach 3, allowing us to reach the North Pole in around 45 minutes.
Santa’s Welcome
After finishing the flight to the North Pole (AKA circling back to land at Newark) the kids got off the plane to a HUGE welcome.
It was impressive how elaborately the volunteers had decorated their makeshift North Pole. There was a band, arcade games, food, a member of the NY Giants signing autographs, and (of course) a sit-in-Santa’s-lap setup.
My day job is in healthcare. And so I could appreciate how amazing it was for the invitees, who spend tons of time in clinics and in hospitals, to escape that tough reality for a day. UA purser Yolanda Hughes, one of the volunteer crew members, told us “our objective was to give these children the ability to focus on the magic of today.” Regarding the massive team effort required to make the event happen, she said “this is what makes Newark such a great place. When it’s time to get things done and come together, this hub is the first place to do it.”
United operates a few fantasy flights a year across its network. Each one is allowed to showcase its hometown spirit, which was clear from the Newark event.
To all of you Avgeeks, from all of us at AirlineReporter: best wishes for an amazing holiday season!
