Resiliency Project for JFK International Airport

Entry Num:

1461

Company:

Edge4Vets

Employee:

rohan McGhie (JetBlue member of the N.I.C.E. Corps)

Comments:

A passenger approached me at the terminal seeking my help. The passenger claimed that he had just gotten off a flight and left his glasses and did not know what to do? The passenger claimed that he could not see very good without the glasses and that he would really appreciate it if i could help him.

I told the passenger to relax and stay calm because i knew where he could get all the help he needed. I took the passenger down to BSO where I contacted one of the agents and explained to them the the passenger's situation.

The passenger was very grateful and thanked me for my help. He said to him my help "meant a whole lot!"

Entry Num:

1460

Company:

Edge4Vets

Employee:

rohan McGhie (JetBlue member of the N.I.C.E. Corps)

Comments:

Two concerned elderly passengers approached me wanting to know the arrival time of their friend's flight. The two ladies claimed that they had being waiting on the flight that should have arrived more than an hour ago but still they have not seen there friend and were very concerned.

I interrupted what i was doing to listen to them, which calmed them, then I told the ladies that i would go find out what had happened to their flight. I went to one of the crew members working at the ticket counter and was informed that the flight was delayed due to weather conditions. I informed the concerned ladies of the delayed flight and they were very relieved to hear the news, and that they had not missed their friend. The ladies said thank you for my help and thanked me for taking time to help them and solve their problem.

Entry Num:

1459

Company:

Edge4Vets

Employee:

Rohan McGhie (JetBlue member of the N.I.C.E. Corps)

Comments:

I observed a passenger running from the security line with all her belongings in her hand. The passenger had just came through the TSA screening and heard her name called on the Intercom that her flight was about to depart in five minutes. She started running without taking the time to put her stuff together after passing through security and as she ran I saw things start to drop out of her back and scatter on the terminal floor behind her.

I interrupted what I was doing and ran behind her gathering up her items and called to her. She heard me call out and she stopped. She said thanks as i handed her a belt and other things that had fallen out of her bag. She quickly repacked them and said she was really late and did not want to miss her flight. But she said she not want to lose anything either and she thanked me over and over for my concern for her, as she ran again toward her gate to catch her flight.

Entry Num:

1458

Company:

Edge4Vets

Employee:

rohan McGhie (JetBlue member of the N.I.C.E. Corps)

Comments:

A passenger rushed up to me in a hurry sweating as she kept looking around. The passenger stated that she needed to catch her flight but she needed to give her son money before she went through security- but she could not find an ATM machine in the terminal - and it was getting really late.

I told the woman to calm down and not to worry there were ATM machines located throughout the terminal. I point to one located close by the escalator at departures. The passenger was surprised and claimed that she had passed by the machine numerous time and had not see it.

She told me thank you for my help and rushed off to get her money and she kept waving to me, “thank you!”

Entry Num:

1457

Company:

Edge4Vets

Employee:

Rohan McGhie (JetBlue member of the N.I.C.E. Corps)

Comments:

I was at JetBlue Airways Building 81, when i received a phone call from the security guards at post G that a delivery truck was stuck and needed my assistance.

A delivery truck driver was trying to make a delivery of Water to JetBlue Airways Building 81, when the driver accidentally made a wrong turn and ended up at Post G. The driver had no way of backing up so he gave the security guards my number to call me to come and help him.

On receiveing the call i had to walk over to the guard post to talk to the driver who was yelling to the other drivers that was honking their horns because he was blocking the road. I told the driver to back the truck out and watch me has i guided and monitor him through the traffic and stop lights because he could not turn due to the size of the truck.

Once we were able to turn the truck and drove to the loading dock at Building 81, the driver was very happy and thank me for my help. The driver told me that if i was not for me he might have been stuck forever!

Entry Num:

1456

Company:

Edge4Vets

Employee:

Rohan McGhie (JetBlue member of the N.I.C.E. Corps)

Comments:

A couple approached me very upset because they were scheduled to connect on a flight to Boston scheduled to leave in an hour and they were totally confused about their luggage. They had just come off a flight at Terminal 4, and had come to Terminal 5 and feared that their luggage, which they had on a cart would not make the flight to Boston because it had not been rechecked. I could see how upset they were and even though I was busy I took a moment to explain to them how the luggage system worked for connecting flights. I showed them on their ticket that their luggage had already been checked in to Boston and their ticket had the B6 to indicate that they were travelling on JetBlue Airways. I told the couple that all they had to do was to put their luggage on the carousel then go through security check point. I showed them the Carousel and directed them to Security Check point. The couple kept thanking me all the way to security check point as they hurry through to catch their connecting flight.

Entry Num:

1455

Company:

Edge4Vets

Employee:

Rohan McGhie (JetBlue member of the N.I.C.E. Corps)

Comments:

I Rohan McGhie from JetBlue Airways helped two elderly ladies that did not want their car to be towed.

I was at Terminal 5 waiting for a ride to get over to Provisioning building 81, when I observed two elderly ladies trying to get their luggage inside the Terminal to check in for their flight. The ladies were running back and forth looking around to see if there was any tow truck insight, so as not to get their car towed.
One of the ladies saw me and came over and asked if it was possible for me to watch their car while they bring in their luggage? The lady further stated that whenever they came to catch a flight they were being told by the traffic personnel that they will have to move and it is very annoying. I told the lady that I could but it would be much easier next time if they had had used the Curb Side check-in which is more convenient since they were unable to carry their luggage.

When the ladies were finished they thank me for my help and say that in the future they will used the Curb Side to prevent all the problems.

Entry Num:

1454

Company:

Edge4Vets

Employee:

rohan McGhie (JetBlue member of the N.I.C.E. Corps)

Comments:

I Rohan McGhie from JetBlue Airways was working the ticket counter when a passenger traveling to Boston approached me saying he was very concerned. He said he was flying on the seven o’clock flight but wanted to know if he could go on an earlier flight. He was scared that if he did not make the earlier flight he would lose his original flight and not be able to get to Boston. He also said he did not want to spend anything extra and wanted to know the best possible options available?

I told him not to worry while I quickly checked the flight load. The earlier flight to Boston had open seats so I told him I could change his flight but he would now have to travel standby. I told him that for any reason if he did not make that early flight then he I would confirm for him that he could just go back to his original flight.

The passenger was really happy with all the options available and the time I took with him to lay them all out, he said, and he decided to go on the earlier flight. He kept saying thank you over and over, as I pointed him in the direction to the security check point.

Entry Num:

1453

Company:

Edge4Vets

Employee:

Rohan McGhie (JetBlue member of the N.I.C.E. Corps)

Comments:

A Passenger approached me as I was walking through the Terminal. The passenger had just arrived off a flight and was about to catch another flight to his final destination. He had a little time to spare and wanted to know where he could go to take a smoke break?
I said I could help him, and pointed him through the exit area to go outside. I informed the passenger that he would however had to check back in through security to catch his flight. I informed the passenger where to go outside to find the smoking area. He was very happy and thanked me for interrupting what I was doing and taking time to provide assistance.

Entry Num:

1452

Company:

Edge4Vets

Employee:

Rohan McGhie (JetBlue member of the N.I.C.E. Corps)

Comments:

A group of people approached me at Jetblue Terminal 5 departure area. A gentleman from the group told me that they were there to meet some church members arriving for a convention. The gentleman stated that they had been there for awhile looking around but could not find where to go to meet arriving passengers as they were coming out. I told the man that they were in the wrong area. I pointed the group in the direction to the arrival area. I told them that they would have to go down the escalator and walk to the middle of the building and they should be able to see the arriving passengers. The whole group of people were very happy and each thanked me for my help.

Entry Num:

1451

Company:

Edge4Vets

Employee:

Rohan McGhie (JetBlue member of the N.I.C.E. Corps)

Comments:

I was at Terminal 5 waiting for a ride to get over to Provisioning building 81, when I observed two elderly ladies trying to get their luggage inside the Terminal to check in for their flight. The ladies were running back and forth looking around to see if there was any tow truck insight, so as not to get their car towed.

One of the ladies saw me and came over and asked if it was possible for me to watch their car while they bring in their luggage? The lady further stated that whenever they came to catch a flight they were being told by the traffic personnel that they will have to move and it is very annoying. I told the lady that I could but it would be much easier next time if they had had used the Curb Side check-in which is more convenient since they were unable to carry their luggage.

When the ladies were finished they thank me for my help and say that in the future they will used the Curb Side to prevent all the problems.

Entry Num:

1450

Company:

Edge4Vets

Employee:

Rohan McGhie (JetBlue member of the N.I.C.E. Corps)

Comments:

A couple approached me very upset because they were to connect on a flight to Boston that will leave in an hour and they were totally confused as to what had be done with their luggage. The couple had just come off a flight at Terminal 4, and had come to Terminal 5.

I could see how upset they were and even though I was busy I took a moment to explain to them what had to be done. I showed the couple that their luggage was already checked in to Boston and their ticket had the B6 to indicate that they were travelling on JetBlue Airways. I told the couple that all they had to do was to put their luggage on the carousel then go through security check point. I showed them the Carousel and directed them to Security Check point.

The couple kept thanking me all the way to security check point as they hurry through to catch their connecting flight.

Entry Num:

1449

Company:

Edge4Vets

Employee:

Raj Manchanda (JetBlue employee)

Name:

Rohan McGhie (JetBlue vet on N.I.C.E. Corps)

Comments:

I Rohan McGhie observed Raj Manchanda from JetBlue Airways help a very scared and frightened passenger who made a dumb mistake.

Raj was checking in a group of passengers going to Sacramento, California on a perfectly normal day when suddenly everything went wrong. As Raj was weighing and tagging each bag, placing them on the floor behind her to be placed on the carousel, the passengers kept laughing and talking paying little attention to what Raj was doing. Raj asked the passengers to place their bags on the carousel, but one lady, who was telling a story to her friend, accidentally placed her carry-on bag on the carousel. Realizing what she had done suddenly she started screaming and rushed the bag belt to retrieve her bag. Raj restrained her, then quickly got on the phone and called various locations informing everyone what had taken place. Raj gave everyone he called a description of the bag, as the passenger walked back and forth saying, “I am so stupid, I am SO stupid!”

Raj continued to calm her down and made a few small jokes to break the tension. That did the trick. It took a little time, but Raj’s efforts worked and before long the passenger’s carry-on bag was retrieved. The passenger was so overwhelm with joy that she told Raj that she could not find words to express her gratitude and said, “From now on I will ALWAYS pay attention to you!”

Entry Num:

1448

Company:

Edge4Vets

Employee:

Rohan McGhie (JetBlue member of the N.I.C.E. Corps)

Comments:

I was working at the ticket counter when a very concerned passenger approached me seeking some information before checking in.

A passenger approached me to check in a bag to San Francisco. The passenger claimed that she was flying standby, however because of the thunder storms we had recently she was not able to make the flight. She said that her checked bag had made the flight, however, and Jetblue was holding her bag at the baggage service in San Francisco.

The passenger told me that when she tried to check in again the kiosk was showing that she had checked in a bag and now it was charging her for a second bag. The passenger was very concerned that if she flew she would not be able to get her bag since another bag was in the system for her.

After reviewing the passenger reservation I saw that she had not been removed from the first flight, that is why she was being charged for a second bag. I engaged her to show my concern and that calmed her, then I took her over to the supervisor on duty and explained what had happened and with the supervisor’s permission I was able to waive the charge fee.

The passenger was really happy and thanked us all for our help and said this service made a very favorable image of JetBlue for her.

Entry Num:

1447

Company:

Edge4Vets

Employee:

Rohan McGhie (JetBlue member of the N.I.C.E. Corps)

Comments:

I Rohan McGhie from JetBlue Airways was working the service line when a very upset and frustrated passenger approached me seeking help.

It was about 6:30pm when the passenger said that he had been waiting a long time at the baggage carousel to pick up his daughter who was a minor flying alone. He said he had been told to wait at arrivals near the carousel and someone would bring his daughter there.

The passenger was upset because according to the monitor the flight had arrived and his daughter was nowhere to be found. I informed the passenger that maybe the person who gave him the information was not aware that he was there to pick up an unaccompanied minor. I told him not to worry, we would get this resolved and that relaxed him. I immediately called the Gate Agent for the flight and was informed that the passenger’s daughter was there waiting to be picked up and they had her safe and sound with them. I took the passenger to the ticket counter, where he was given a gate pass to the gate to pick his daughter up.

He was now very happy and he told me thanks. He said that he really appreciated what I had done, as he rushed off through security check point.

Entry Num:

1446

Company:

Edge4Vets

Employee:

Attyah Rehan - Delta employee

Name:

Caroline Henry (Delta vet on N.I.C.E. Corps team)

Comments:

I observed Attyah Rehan of Delta Airlines dealing with a customer who was under stress. The customer required a return ticket from his destination which he could only verify from his hotmail email account. The customer had a limited amount of time to check his email and show that he did indeed have a return ticket booked.

To solve the problem, Ms Rehan was outstanding by offering her phone to the customer to retrieve his booking for the airline's approval. She then rushed him through the security check point to prevent him from missing his flight.

The customer thanked Ms. Rehan for her help and left with a smile on his face.

Entry Num:

1445

Company:

Edge4Vets

Employee:

Ralph Paccione - JetBlue employee

Name:

Rohan McGhie (JetBlue vet on N.I.C.E. Corps)

Comments:

I Rohan McGhie observed Ralph Paccione from JetBlue Airways help a passenger that needed to heed the call of nature – fast!

Ralph was outside JetBlue Airways Building 81 on a break when a gentleman rushed out of his car pleading, “Sir, do you have a restroom?” He said he was on his way to the terminal, but when he saw the sign for Building 81, he turned off in the desperate hope that someone would help him. Ralph said sure come this way and he took the passenger inside and directed him to the restroom.

The passenger thanked Ralph repeatedly as he got back in his car. He said it wasn’t that Ralph had saved his life exactly, but “it was close!” he said.

Entry Num:

1444

Company:

Edge4Vets

Employee:

Larry Coar (jetBlue vet on N.I.C.E. Corps)

Comments:

While working at Jetblue terminal 5 I had just finished a flight and decided to grab a snack during my break. I was walking to the food court when a woman asked me for help. I could see she was perplexed and confused and I asked where she was flying to. She gave me her ticket and I told her she needed to go to terminal 4 for her flight to Dubai. I explained how to get there, either walk or the Air Train and she said she don't know, this was her first time in NY from India and she said, “I want to walk, can you show me?”

It was “Snack time can wait!” and I told her I would be happy to walk with her to a spot in T5 where she could see T4. When we got there I explained that all she had to do was follow the safe path I pointed out and that would get her there. But still she had a confused look on her face and she said, “Can you walk me?

I smiled and said, Of course,” as I thought to myself, “Goodbye snack!” but I could see it made her very happy and comfortable to have me at her side. I walked her to the door at T4, where I signaled to a security guard who took her the rest of the way to her carrier’s ticket counter and she said, “Thank you” over and over.

Entry Num:

1443

Company:

Edge4Vets

Employee:

Rohan McGhie (JetBlue member of the N.I.C.E. Corps)

Comments:

I Rohan McGhie help a lady that was very upset and confused when she was told that she was not booked for a flight. I was walking past the ticket counter when I saw a lady walk away saying over and over aloud, “This is IMPOSSIBLE!” I walked over to see what the problem was and if I could help, since there was a very long line – busy summer traffic. All our agents were extremely busy, but I did not want her to feel she was not important.

The lady claimed that she was very frustrated and confused because she was supposed to fly to Rochester on the 9:41 flight that morning but the computer did not show her as listed on the flight. Said her son worked for JetBlue Airways and had made her reservation so that’s why she was so confused by the computer.

Thinking out of the box and being very proactive I asked her is she could call your son to confirm what he had done. The lady called her son and he stated that he had booked her on flight 36, departing at 2:25pm that evening. The lady said, “Oh my!” when she realized she had made a huge mistake. In all her excitement she had forgotten to ask her son what was her departure time before showing up at the airport. I told her not to worry, mistakes happen, and quietly I worked with her son on the phone and we were able to get her rebooked so she could depart at 9:41am.

The passenger was very grateful that I was there at the right time to help her and for making her feel that JetBlue cares about her.

Entry Num:

1442

Company:

Edge4Vets

Employee:

Rohan McGhie (JetBlue member of the N.I.C.E. Corps)

Comments:

An elderly gentleman was extremely upset with the prospect of dumping his cologne and other liquids found in his carry-on bag when he went through security.

I went to him and reassured him that everything would be okay if he would just go back to the ticket counter and have his bag checked in. I told him to remove all his personal belongings and take it with him. I escorted him to the ticket counter and explained to the counter agent what had happen. They assisted him in checking in and he was very happy because he did not have to pay any baggage fees because he had not checked a bag previously.

The gentleman said, "Thank you so much!”. He told me that he was really upset to throw his stuff away, but he was grateful for the personal attention. I was happy to help out.

Entry Num:

1441

Company:

Edge4Vets

Employee:

Jordan Prescott (jetBlue employee)

Name:

Rohan McGhie (JetBlue vet on N.I.C.E. Corps)

Comments:

I Rohan McGhie observed Jordan Prescott from Jetblue Airways help a cold and agitated passenger. As I was boarding flight 181 to San Diego California, I saw a passenger running from the back of the aircraft to the front. However as she was about to go through the door she was stopped by flight attendant who reminded her that the flight that was about to depart in ten minutes. The passenger claimed that she had forgotten her coat by the gate she needed to retrieve it. .

Jordan Prescott, a JetBlue agent, approached the passenger and asked her where she had been sitting at the gate area. The passenger told Jordan her exact location and he assured her that he would go and see if he could retrieve her coat before the flight departed. The passenger took her seat but set sat fidgeting and never took her eyes off the front door of the plane. Just then, as the flight was about to be closed out, I saw Jordan come running up to the flight attendant and hand her a coat. The flight attendant waved the coat in the air and the passenger nodded her head smiling broadly.

The flight attendant handed her the coat and again she smiled and said thank you., thank you. Jordan had just made her day!

Entry Num:

1440

Company:

Edge4Vets

Employee:

Michele Hawk (JetBlue employee)

Name:

Rohan McGhie (JetBlue vet on N.I.C.E. Corps)

Comments:

I Rohan McGhie observed crewmember Michele Hawk from Jetblue Airways help a very anxious passenger who could not use the Kiosk Machine.

Michele was working the Service line when she observed a passenger who kept looking around as she struggled with the kiosk. With her experience working the Service line Michelle knew something was wrong. As such she was proactive and went over to find out. Michele approached the passenger smiling and said hello. The passenger stated that she had purchase her ticket through Travelocity.com but was unable to locate her Confirmation number. She also stated that the Full Service line was too long and she just wanted to print her boarding pass to avoid the long line. Michele said sure I can help you, do you have a credit card available? Yes replied the passenger. The passenger gave Michele her credit card and after swiping numerous cards was able to find the right one to access her information. Michelle went over each step with the passenger and upon receiving her boarding pass, Michelle directed her to the security check point.

This might seem like a small thing, the passenger said, but she was very appreciative and told Michele that she saved her a lot of time, and that was no small thing!

Entry Num:

1439

Company:

Edge4Vets

Employee:

Anthony Christian (FJC Security and a vet on the N.I.C.E. Corps")

Comments:

The Terminal One security checkpoint was congested as the busy summer passenger crowds tried to get through security to catch their flights - when suddenly a young woman on her way to Italy suddenly passed out in the line and fell to the floor.

I rushed in to help as Security Officer Mohamed Islam informed me about what had happen and I indeed found the passenger on the floor. Her companion had elevated her feet and as I spoke to the young woman to assess her condition she told me she felt dizzy. I could see she was pale and looked dehydrated so we called for water and got her something cool to drink.

At the same time I called for EMS and PAPD and when they arrived the young woman was taken to an ambulance and given more fluids and her vital signs were checked. After a 30 minute rest she said she felt much better. I had stayed with the entire time to monitor the situation and she said she was ready to ge up and begin her journey again I escorted her to the fast lane at the check point.

At this time she was feeling much better and was skiing and she thanked everyone for kindness in helping her to continue her journey home.

Entry Num:

1438

Company:

Edge4Vets

Employee:

Reazin CharlesBaron

Name:

Caroline Henry (Delta vet on N.I.C.E. Corps team)

Comments:

Caroline Henry: here's a case where a little water calmed a lot of stress.

I observed Reazin CharlesBaron (Delta Airlines) dealing with customers were waiting a long time to retrieve their bags from the carousel. They were getting very agitated and restless.

To solve the problem, Reazin was creative as well as thoughtful. She went and got water for all the passengers that were waiting for thier bags. They looked at her stunned for a moment, then took the water and soon they were all were revived

One customer said, "I felt like I was going to faint, you read my mind, thank you". Many more customers told Charles Baron she was their hero for that flight.

Entry Num:

1437

Company:

Edge4Vets

Employee:

Bill Spencer (Delta Airlines)

Name:

Caroline Henry (Delta vet on N.I.C.E. Corps team)

Comments:

Caroline Henry: I observed (Bill Spencer/Delta Airlines) dealing with a stressed customer who had checked her cooler bag with milk for her baby. It was special milk for the baby and she was very anxious because all the bags had hit the belt but no milk! She was getting extremely anxious, and Delta staff joined in to search, but it was no where to be found.

Mr.Turner said he had an idea, he said there was one place left for him to check. A few minutes later he came walking out with a big smile on his face. The customer ran to meet him saying, "Yeah! Phew you saved our day!!!!!"

Entry Num:

1436

Company:

Edge4Vets

Employee:

Paul Brown (Delta Ground Services)

Name:

Caroline Henry (Delta vet on N.I.C.E. Corps team)

Comments:

Caroline Henry: I observed (Paul Brown/DGS) dealing with a customer who was under stress altering going to Terminal 2 thinking that her bag would be at that terminal after arriving from a flight. She took the wrong exit out. She should have exited at Terminal 3. She had her son with her and it was raining outside. She was very upset and did not know what to do.

To solve the problem, Mr. Brown was outstanding. He offered to walk in the rain to Terminal 3 to retrieve the customer's bag for her. He was given the ok by the airline to transport the customer's bag for her. He was drenched by the rain when he returned to Terminal 2.

The customer left happy saying, "This is wonderful!". She thanked Mr. Brown and asked if there was anything she could do to help him get his clothes dried. Mr. Brown gracefully denied any compensation from the customer. She left feeling happy and said she now has an excellent impression of Delta customer service.

Entry Num:

1435

Company:

Edge4Vets

Employee:

Junior Steward (Delta Ground Services)

Name:

Caroline Henry (Delta vet on N.I.C.E. Corps team)

Comments:

Caroline Henry: I observed (Junior Stewart/DGS) dealing with a stressed customer who left her backpack at the recheck counter in Terminal 4. She returned to the counter frantically screaming "somebody stole my backpack and I have all my documents, passport and money in it!"

The agents at the recheck counter were very busy, but Mr Stewart intervened and told the pax he would be back he was going to check baggage service office to see if the backpack was found and handed over to them. He returned from the baggage service office with the backpack in his hand, holding it high.

The customer said to him "Oh my God, thank you, thank you so much!". She began crying tears of joy. She gave Mr. Stewart a big hug and continued thanking him as she walked away saying "May God bless you and your family!". Thank you.

Entry Num:

1434

Company:

Edge4Vets

Employee:

Herman Joseph (Roma Cleaning)

Name:

Larry Coar (Vet on the N.I.C.E. Corps)

Comments:

While walking to baggage claim I observed Herman Joseph of Roma Cleaning doing his daily chores when suddenly he was approached by lady very stressed out. She was carrying a baby in a car seat in one hand and a suitcase in the other as she came from security screening and ran up to him.

Immediately, Herman stopped what he was doing and interrupted his chores cleaning bathrooms and asked if he could help her.

She said she was confused and lost, and he took her bag and helped her with her baby and led them to the gate she was flying out of. She was so thankful. She offered to pay him, but Joseph said, no, no, he was happy to help her and she thanked him with a big smile.

Entry Num:

1433

Company:

Edge4Vets

Employee:

Ari Mulla (FJC Security)

Name:

John Ponte (FJC Security vet on the N.I.C.E. Corps)

Comments:

On June 23 I John Ponte received a call that one of my FJC Security guards named Ari Mulla who was assigned to the departure post at terminal 4 was in the middle of responding to a call from a passenger that needed help. The frantic passenger told agent Mulla that his 3 year old child was caught in the seat belt in their car and the father could not release the belt causing the child to have difficulty breathing.

Agent Mulla did not hesitant, he acted. He saw that the situation was critical and called central to have the PAPD respond to the area. Then he ran inside the terminal and asked a TSA officer for a pair of scissors and he turned around and sprinted back to the vehicle and cut the safety belt which released the 3 year old as the father pulled the child out of the seat.

Both the mother and father were crying and screaming, but then they were only crying as they hugged agent Mulla for his quick response and the safety of their child.

Entry Num:

1432

Company:

Edge4Vets

Employee:

Angela Calvao and Erlyn Serrano (Delta employees)

Name:

Khaimraj Bacchus (Delta vet on N.I.C.E. Corps)

Comments:

Khaimraj Bacchus: I observed Delta Performance Leader Angela Calvao and PSA Erlyn Serrano who were dealing with a disabled passenger off a delayed Delta arrival who needed assistance.

The passenger had brought his own personal wheelchair onboard. However upon arrival his wheelchair was damaged due to tension on a bolt and the wheelchair would not function.

Along with myself; PL Calvao and PSA Serrano searched the Delta Baggage Service Office for a loaner wheelchair to provide to our customer. This brought him great peace of mind and you could see it in his face. Both Angela and Erlyn coordinated for transportation paid for by Delta to take the man and his wife to their destination and also offered to fix the wheelchair and have it delivered to the Hotel before they were ready to depart back to France.

The Delta Supervisor stayed with the man and his wife until they were on the van provided and he also loaded their belongings into the Van. The customer was overwhelmed with the assistance provided by Angela and Erlyn throughout the ordeal and was very relieved that the situation was resolved and being foreigners they were treated as they were family

Entry Num:

1431

Company:

Edge4Vets

Employee:

Gina Hartman and Joyce Macellan (AA employees)

Name:

John Fenech (AA N.I.C.E. Corps vet)

Comments:

I John Fenech observed AA employees Gina Hartman and Joyce Macellan get approached by a Lan Chile customer telling them he left his Ipad on the plane. He was very stressed and beside himself because he could not find a rep from his airline, and as so often happens he ran up to the first person he saw in a uniform. In this case, Gina and Joyce. And he was lucky for that choice!

To solve the problem, Gina and Joyce interrupted what they were doing and went to the gate where the aircraft was parked and boarded the plane and located the iPad. They were calm and professional and explained the situation to the security service employee that watches the plane. He gave them clearance to take the Ipad off the plane.

The customer was ecstatic… he couldn’t thank them enough and said he appreciated them going out of the way even though he was a passenger on another airline and that made a positive impression on him of JFK.

Entry Num:

1430

Company:

Edge4Vets

Employee:

Rohan McGhie (JetBlue member of the N.I.C.E. Corps)

Comments:

I Rohan McGhie from JetBlue Airways helped a passenger that was very frustrated because they could not find their way to Terminal 5.

I was at Building 81 working when a passenger rushed into the building looking around trying to locate someone. Upon seeing me he came into the office, saying I am lost and I need your help. I smiled and focused my full attention on them and said relax and just tell me where you would like to go and I will guide you there.

The passenger stated that he and his wife were on their way to Cancun for their vacation but seeing the JetBlue sign on the building they thought this was Terminal 5, and took the exit off the main road without looking and now could not find their way back. He further stated that he was trying to stop a Taxi Cab to ask for directions but none would stop for him and he was getting very nervous that they would miss their vacation. That’s when he decided to come inside to look for help.

I took the passenger outside on the main dock and point him in the right direction, knowing from past experiences that even though I would give directions many people would still get lost. I went and located a map of the airport to show the passenger exactly where he was and after verifying that he was able to find his way without any problems I gave him another advice which was to follow the Yellow Cabs that were on their way to the Terminals. “They know the way,” I said.

The passengers were very happy and said thank you repeatedly that I would interrupt myself and give them such special attention, and then they drove away to Terminal 5 to catch their flight.

Entry Num:

1429

Company:

Edge4Vets

Employee:

Rohan McGhie (JetBlue member of the N.I.C.E. Corps)

Comments:

I Rohan McGhie from JetBlue Airways helped a very frustrated passenger who was having difficulties using the Kiosk.

I was on my way to the ID Office located in Terminal 5 to get my ID renewed when I suddenly felt a tap on my shoulder. I turned around expecting to see someone that I knew, however it was a passenger. I was a little surprised but in the Army I learned to expect the unexpected and I said how can I help you?

The passenger said that she was in a hurry to check in for her flight but was having difficulties using the Kiosk. She also stated that the full service line was too long to see an agent; furthermore, she had no bags to check so using the kiosk would be faster giving her ample time to go through the security check point. I turned from what I was doing and focused on her and said ok, let’s see what we can do. I watched her try to use the Kiosk again and I realized that whenever she tried to input her name the kiosk would not recognized it so I asked her if I could see her reservation. I looked at it then I said let’s use the confirmation number instead. I input the confirmation numbers and all her information came up on the screen. I ask her to verify that it was correct, before I printed the boarding pass.

When I handed her the boarding pass she thanked me and stated that she thought the Kiosk was broken because she never had problems before. She thanked me once again for such personal service from JetBlue as she walked away to the security check point.

Entry Num:

1428

Company:

Edge4Vets

Employee:

Regina Zedereki and Marie Daddario (AA employees)

Name:

John Fenech (AA N.I.C.E. Corps vet)

Comments:

AA passenger service agents Regina Zedereki and Marie Daddario were sent to the IAT to meet an El Al flight that had 75 close connections going on our AA flight with a very close departure time. With their help the passengers were able to get to Terminal 8 and make the AA flight. The passengers were all students traveling as one large group.

To solve the problem, Regina and Marie coordinated between the El Al agents and AA to get all the passengers onto the Air train and to our terminal quickly.

The customers thanked Regina and Marie and complimented them how they were able to keep everyone together and expedite the process quickly and without flaws and what a great impression they made of customer service for American.

Entry Num:

1427

Company:

Edge4Vets

Employee:

Chris McCue (AA employee)

Name:

John Fenech (AA N.I.C.E. Corps vet)

Comments:

I John Fenech observed AA employee Chris McCue assisting a passenger who could not find her ticket for her flight on one of our Oneworld Partners Iberia Airlines

To solve the problem, Chris was outstanding. She didn’t just do a search, she got the Iberia Oneworld desk on the phone, had another ticket printed up and gave it to the passenger.

The customer left happy saying… Please give me your name, I want to write a letter to AA to thank you for your assistance

Entry Num:

1426

Company:

Edge4Vets

Employee:

Edmonson Gordon (Delta Ground Services)

Name:

Caroline Henry (Delta vet on N.I.C.E. Corps team)

Comments:

Caroline Henry: I observed (Edmondson Gordon/Delta Ground Services) dealing with a customer who was under stress. The customer was travelling with her baby, a toddler and her elderly mother. She waiting for a Skycap representative at Terminal 3 to assist her with her seven bags to Federal Circle. She was very irritated and the baby and toddler were both tired and crying. The customer said she needed to get her family to bed asap as they were on a long flight from SFO which had also been delayed.

To solve the problem, Mr. Gordon was outstanding. He was cheerful as he loaded the passengers bags on his cart and took them to the Airtrain. The baby and the toddler stopped crying and I saw the stress on the mom's face literally melt away by the cheerful attitude Mr Gordon showed them. The frowns on the mom's face were replaced with a big smile for Mr. Gordon.

The customer left happy saying Mr. Gordon was her guardian angel. Not only did the customer thank him but also the baby did with a big smile too.

Entry Num:

1425

Company:

Edge4Vets

Employee:

Lesley Callender (Delta Airlines)

Name:

Caroline Henry (Delta vet on N.I.C.E. Corps team)

Comments:

Caroline Henry: I observed Lesley Callender/Delta Airlines dealing with a customer who was under stress. The customer spoke no English and communicated by showing Miss Callender airline papers. The customer was travelling with a foreign carrier and was gesturing to Miss Callender that she needed serious help.

To solve the problem, Miss Callender didn't just explain the way to T4 to get with a representative from the airline, she walked the passenger to the airtrain and left her with another staff member to make sure she got off the train at the correct terminal for her airline/flight.

The customer left happy thanking Miss Callender repeatedly in her native Russian language.

Entry Num:

1424

Company:

Edge4Vets

Employee:

Larry Coar (jetBlue vet on N.I.C.E. Corps)

Comments:

Larry Coar (jetBlue vet on N.I.C.E. Corps team)

I Larry Coar helped three anxious passengers at Jetblue Terminal 5. While I was on a break, I saw Flight 619 at Gate 19 to Jacksonville had closed boarding and the gate agent was on the plane closing out the flight. Just then I saw a lady with two other passengers come running to the gate. The lady in front was screaming for someone to help her. I came over and identified myself as a crewmember asked what I could do to help her.

She told me that flight 619 was their flight and they desperately needed to make the flight. I told her the flight had closed, but I would go down and find out if there was any way they could still board. I asked the gate agent on the plane if there was anything he could do for them. He told me to get their boarding stubs and bring them down and he would make that happen.

I brought the people to the gate agent, with their boarding stubs and you could just see the relief in their faces, especially the lady who had been so upset. They said thank you very much then board the plane, and I thanked the gate agent.

Entry Num:

1423

Company:

Edge4Vets

Employee:

Rodney Mitchell (JetBlue employee)

Name:

Rohan McGhie (JetBlue vet on N.I.C.E. Corps)

Comments:

I Rohan McGhie observed Rodney Mitchell from JetBlue Airways, helping a passenger who was having difficulties carrying her luggage.

Rodney was at Terminal 5, waiting for a ride to Building 81, when he observed a passenger walking around in circles reading signs with a very perplexed facial expression. Rodney realized that the passenger was in need of help just by looking at her body movements and went over to help her.

The lady claimed that she had just come off a flight from Long Beach California, and had two pieces of luggage that were really heavy. She further stated that she was on her way to Brooklyn but could not locate the B15 bus stop to Brooklyn. Rodney pointed the passenger in the right direction to the bus stop but he also realized she would have difficulty carrying the two bags and he offered to carry and the bags and help her to the bus stop.

The passenger was very surprised of Rodney’s generosity, you could see it on her face, she thanked him consistently. Rodney helped the passenger unto the bus and the passenger thank him another time as she waved from behind the glass door, thank you, thank you!

Entry Num:

1422

Company:

Edge4Vets

Employee:

Anthony Christian (FJC Security and a vet on the N.I.C.E. Corps")

Comments:

Anthony Christian – FJC Security

While monitoring a baggage drop off site I noticed an elderly female passenger in distress. She was near panic and she explained that she had misplaced her passport and could not find it anywhere. I calmed her by showing her she had my complete focus and I asked her the last place she remembered seeing it and she said at the airline counter.

We retraced her steps back to the counter and I asked her to point out the agent who had served her. She did and when we approached that agent we saw her holding a phone and she broke out into a big smile because she was about the have the woman paged. The passport had dropped on the floor and the agent was going to locate the woman.

Suddenly the woman relaxed and her whole body went calm and she thanked me and the agent for taking such a personal interest in her.

Entry Num:

1421

Company:

Edge4Vets

Employee:

Lourdes Sakedo (Air Serv)

Name:

Rohan McGhie (JetBlue vet on N.I.C.E. Corps)

Comments:

I Rohan McGhie observed business partner agent Lourdes Salcedo from Air Serv helping a passenger who could not walk and was having difficulties getting to the gate to board her flight.

Lourdes was dispatched to gate14 for wheelchairs to meet a flight coming in from West Palm Beach. However, as she was passing by the check in service desk she noticed a passenger who was trying to get help from other passengers passing in her direction. Even though Lourdes was in a hurry she went over to ask the passenger if she was in need of help. Apparently the lady could not speak English fluently and was having difficulty asking for a wheelchair to assist her to the gate. She said her flight was about to start boarding and she was worried she would miss it. Lourdes assured the lady that she would get her help and that's when Lourdes was proactive.

She quickly get on a radio and called her dispatch to send a wheelchair over. In a few minutes a wheelchair was there and Lourdes quickly helped get the passenger seated and helped her with her bags. Then she wished the passenger luck and her wheelchair attendant colleague wheeled the lady away.

The passenger kept thanking Lourdes repeatedly. She also told Lourdes that God would bless her as she was pushed away to catch her flight and she kept waving at Lourdes over her shoulder.

Entry Num:

1420

Company:

Edge4Vets

Employee:

Joshua McMeechan (

Name:

Khaimraj Bacchus (Delta vet on N.I.C.E. Corps)

Comments:

Khaimraj Bacchus: this report is about a co-worker of mine, Mr Joshua McMeechan, who was dealing with a very unique issue. While working in the Delta JFK Ramp Tower I noticed Joshua assisting a flight dispatcher who was calling from Atlanta to resolve a lost item left onboard a Delta inbound flight .

To resolve this issue, Joshua coordinated with the aircraft provisioning team to retrieve the lost item while simultaneously contacting the passenger and flight dispatcher via email ( Passenger was onboard a connection flight).

Although the customer benefited greatly from Joshua's proaction, the PAX was not directly involved in the transaction. However, Joshua received a thank you letter and an above and beyond award by the Atlanta based flight controller who was very impressed with his diligence and commitment to customer satisfaction.

Entry Num:

1419

Company:

Edge4Vets

Employee:

John Pointe (FJC Security vet on N.I.C.E. Corps)

Comments:

One night recently, I John Ponte, Director of Operations at Terminal 4 for FJC Security, came out of the A concourse and was approached by a female with her teenage daughter after just arriving from Hong Kong China. The mother could not speak English and was trying to reenter the A concourse to find her husband who did not come out with them.

The daughter only spoke a little English and they were distraught. I could see that so I calmed them with my eye contact and smiling and I received a partial description of what the husband looked like and what he was wearing (a black waist band bag and that he is 75 years old.)

I reentered the A-concourse and began a search of the gates, seating and stores but could not locate him. As I was about to exit the concourse to get the name of the husband from the family to have him paged, I noticed an oriental man standing near the exit door and I asked him if his last name was Yia Yauling, and he nodded excitedly, indicating Yes!

As I escorted the husband out of the concourse and into the arms of his waiting family the family made many joyful sounds and this stressful situation became a positive one at JFK.

Entry Num:

1418

Company:

Edge4Vets

Employee:

Christopher Ducles (AirServ emplloyee)

Name:

Caroline Henry (Delta vet on N.I.C.E. Corps team)

Comments:

Caroline Henry: I observed Christopher Ducles who works for AIRSERV dealing with a customer who was under stress. The man, a passenger's son, came to meet his mother at the airport. He did not know the flight arrival Terminal. He said he had circled the terminals twice and was anxious to see his mother.

Mr. Dules checked with a Delta representative to confirm he was sending the son to the right Terminal which was Terminal 2. Mr. Dules then gave directions to the son and told him he was walking to Terminal 2 and with a brief description he offered to look to see if he saw his mother.

The gentleman was very appreciative to Mr. Dules. He told him he felt he was not being sent on a merry-go-round this time and he said he cannot wait to see his mother.

Entry Num:

1417

Company:

Edge4Vets

Employee:

Richard Bauman (AA employee)

Name:

John Fenech (AA N.I.C.E. Corps vet)

Comments:

A passenger approached AA employee Richard Bauman asking where Terminal 7 was. Richard explained to her how to get to 7 from Terminal 8, but each time the woman just stood there and asked the question again. There was clearly a language issue, but Mr. Bauman never wavered from being patient.

He continued to explain, but the woman continued to stand there, looking confused. Finally, Mr Bauman said with a smile, here, come, follow me. I'll take you to the Air Train.

That's not a little walk. But Mr Bauman told her he didn't want her to get lost and so off they went. Not surprising Mr. Bauman is also a Marine.

Thank you, Thank You, the woman said. You are so kind.

Entry Num:

1416

Company:

Edge4Vets

Employee:

Gina Ricci (AA employee)

Name:

John Fenech (AA N.I.C.E. Corps vet)

Comments:

A passenger had missed her flight June 5th. She understood that part of it since she had gotten to the airport late, but she was very upset that she could not find her bag when it was sent back for her to pick up at baggage claim.

Gina Ricci, an AA employee, was the one who put the bag on the belt originally. The woman had been calling for 3 days looking for her bag and she showed up at the airport wanting to know where her bag was.

Gina Ricci was called into the situation, and she personally searched the bag room for the bag and she didn't stop trying until she solved the issue. It rarely ever happens but Gina determined the bag had been sent to Brussels on the 7th of June. Gina called and confirmed the bag was there and made arrangements to have it sent back to JFK immediately.

Although the woman was upset she said how grateful she was that someone had gone out of their way to assist her and locate the bag. She told Gina how thankful she was personally for all the work Gina did to solve the problem and help her.

Entry Num:

1415

Company:

Edge4Vets

Employee:

Esther Lashley and Mary Ellen Nash (AA employees)

Name:

John Fenech (AA N.I.C.E. Corps vet)

Comments:

This one is solving a problem for a celebrity:

I, John Fenech,observed AA employees Esther Lashley and Mary Ellen Nash from premium services walking to meet a passenger by ticketing when they saw Fergie of the Black Eyed Peas who all of a sudden was surrounded by 20 paparazzi hounding her for pictures. Fergie was trying to be polite but at one point was yelling ok enough already, can I please get thru. I need to catch my flight. Please!

Esther and Mary Ellen were able to approach the crowd and use a decoy to distract them and get Fergie thru security and then they brought her up to the Admirals Club Lounge and then to her gate without further incident

Fergie was so happy. She said, "You guys are amazing. Thanks you so much, I don’t know what I would have done out there without you."

Entry Num:

1414

Company:

Edge4Vets

Employee:

Nyasha Greene

Name:

Caroline Henry (Delta vet on N.I.C.E. Corps team)

Comments:

Caroline Henry: I observed Nyasha Greene who works for NYC Airporter dealing with a passenger who was under stress. The passenger did not speak English. She had been dropped by a taxi at Terminal 3 but was completely lost. She was travelling to the Dominican Republic but no one around her understood Spanish. She was almost in tears.

Miss Green personally took this passenger to Delta's baggage service office where they were able to check her boarding card and found out that she was departing from Terminal 3 to the Dominican Republic. Miss Greene waited for the passenger and took her upstairs to the departure lounge.

Although the passenger did not speak English she gave Miss Greene a big smile and thanked her with all her heart in Spanish and with a lot of hand signals saying “thank you!”

Entry Num:

1413

Company:

Edge4Vets

Employee:

Dwayne McLaren (AirServ employee)

Name:

Caroline Henry (Delta vet on N.I.C.E. Corps team)

Comments:

Caroline Henry: I observed Dwayne McLaren who works for AIRSERV dealing with a customer who was under stress. Here’s what happened: a passenger arrived at terminal 3 from a flight and was meeting her daughter who was arriving at terminal 8 on American Airlines. The passenger was at the wrong terminal and was confused as to where to go and what to do to get there. She approached Mr. McLaren who was pushing a wheelchair passenger with the passenger’s family following along behind him.

Mr. McLaren was extremely professional. Rather than say he was busy or simply ignore her problem, he asked his passenger to give him a moment and he proceeded to direct the confused passenger to the elevators which would take her to the correct terminal for American Airlines to meet her daughter. He was calm and patient and the passenger continued to thank them.

Then he went back to his original passenger in the wheelchair and continued his pleasant conversation with them as he pushed the chair.

Entry Num:

1412

Company:

Edge4Vets

Employee:

Anthony Christian (FJC Security and a vet on the N.I.C.E. Corps")

Comments:

I saw an elderly woman having trouble standing in the crowded terminal. I could see that her daughter who was with her was getting very distraught. I immediately went over to them and asked what airline carrier they were flying.

I got the name and went to the airline counter and asked for a wheelchair pusher as quickly as possible. I located the wheelchair person and brought him over to the elderly lady. When she was comfortable I took them over to their airline and waited with them while they got checked in. I could see this really calmed the elderly lady, but it really calmed the daughter who continued to thank me over and over.

Just seeing them happy, though, was all I needed to feel good.

Entry Num:

1411

Company:

Edge4Vets

Employee:

Two travelers from Italy

Name:

James Taylor (Air Train vet on the N.I.C.E. Corps)

Comments:

I encountered a couple travelers from Italy who had lost their travel bag, The bag contained their passports, $2,000 in cash, credit cards and all their important papers. The couple was frantic - as the man was pacing back & forth speaking Italian and the woman was(his wife) sitting on the suit case crying. I approached them to find out what was wrong.

As I continued to talk with them, they proceeded to calm down. I called the Operation Center and had them announce over the AirTrain O& M Radio the description the couple's lost bag to all AirTrain Agents. The details of the bag's content was given to the Operation Center. I got on the train with them and rode the system myself to check if the bag was on any train or in the station. I continued to make every effort to encourage them to settle down and all would be ok.

I called PAPD and asked them to send an Officer who spoke Italian, they did exactly that, the officer had a very positive impact on them and explained how they could retrieve their passports and to cancel their credit cards. They were in a much better frame of mind a couple hours later, After the Police had finished taking the report they said its a shame that these people had to come to NY and experience such an incident. I was at the end of my tour so I decided not to leave them. I offered the two to stay at my house and have supper. They wanted to get to the city to a certain hotel, they had reservations.

At that time Pat Thompson the Customer Service Manager came by and I told her the story. She was quite upset by the incident and said she would follow up and try to see if we could spot something on the cameras. To no avail. I told her I was going to give them $50 out of my pocket, she gave me a $20 bill and said its not much but I hope it helps.

I realize the cost of a cab, so I drove them to the city with my personal car.Took them in the hotel, l made sure they still had their reservations. Then they hugged me and took my number and said they would never forget me, and that New Yorkers made a great impression on them. I was happy knowing we had done everything we could possibly do to help these people get some sense of security. They called me each time they received a passport, or a credit card and then before they went back home they called me from the Airport to see if I was available for food again to thank me. It gave a great sense of satisfaction to see these two go from tears to smiling faces under the circumstances.

Entry Num:

1410

Company:

Edge4Vets

Employee:

Altagracia Liriano (jetBlue employee)

Name:

Rohan McGhie (JetBlue vet on N.I.C.E. Corps)

Comments:

I Rohan McGhie observed crewmember Altagracia Liriano from JetBlue Airways helping a passenger who was very upset because she had made a mistake.

Altagracia was checking in a passenger for a flight to Orlando (MCO) Florida, when she saw the PAX was breathing very hard. Finally, after Altagracia had tagged the passenger's bag and put it on the carousel, the passenger shouted out that she had forgotten her medication in the bag. Altagracia rushed to stop the bag but could not catch it in time. It was gone, taken away by the belt.

The passenger claimed that she had asthma and needed to take her medication during the flight. The passenger was really upset with herself for making such a big mistake. Altagracia told the lady that she would try and retrieve her bag but it could take a very long time since it had to go through TSA security check. Altagracia made a few calls to the Ramp Agent Lead and various locations for help in locating the bag. Altagracia told the passenger not to worry, that if the bag was not already boarded then she would find it. The passenger was told to have a seat as Altagracia went to locate the bag. Finally after about 30 minutes I saw Altagracia coming back with the bag, the passenger was very relieved.

After retrieving her medication from her bag the passenger was very appreciative and thanked Altagracia repeatedly. The passenger stated that with all the help Altagracia had shown her JetBlue is now her airline of travel.

Entry Num:

1409

Company:

Edge4Vets

Employee:

Angela Zimbardo (JetBlue employee)

Name:

Rohan McGhie (JetBlue vet on N.I.C.E. Corps)

Comments:

I Rohan McGhie observed crewmember Angela Zimbardo from JetBlue Airways helping a very nervous customer who was about to miss her flight.

Angela was working the ticket counter when a passenger rushed up to her to be checked in for her flight. The passenger stated that she was caught up in traffic on the Belt Parkway and was late for her flight. Angela tried to check her in but could not because the Gate Agent had closed the flight and was about to start boarding.

Angela apologized to the customer and told her that the flight was closed and that she would have to book her on the next available flight that was leaving the following day. The customer stated crying and told Angela that she had no money and would not be able to stay till the next day. Angela asked the passenger if she had any bags to check in and she replied no. Angela said she would see what she could do and she called the Gate agent again and explained the situation. The Gate Agent said as a one-time courtesy she would re-open the flight so that the passenger could be checked in. However, the passenger would have to run to the gate. Angela checked the passenger in and escorted her through the security line.

Once the passenger was through the security line and directed to her gate, she thanked Angela repeatedly as she rushed off to board the plane to her destination, waving behind her and saying thank you, thank you, as she ran.

Entry Num:

1408

Company:

Edge4Vets

Employee:

Marie Lindor and Michael Radano (Jet Blue employees)

Name:

Larry Coar (Vet on the N.I.C.E. Corps)

Comments:

While standing at Jet Blue Just Ask (customer service) desk in terminal 5 I observed Marie Lindor, a Jet Blue Airport Operation (AO,) and Michael Radano, a lead Airport operations, help three customers that had just arrived from Washington D.C. The first one explained that he had missed his connecting flight to Syracuse and wanted the next flight out. He was very upset.

Marie explained that the flight to Syracuse was not going departing that night because of a mechanical problem with the aircraft, but she would rebook him for a confirmed flight the next day. She referred him to Michael who assisted him in getting a voucher for airport hotel lodging. This was followed by another traveler coming up with the same issue, he was upset because he was transferring from JetBlue to his connecting flight to United Emirates, but that flight was not leaving that night.

Marie called United Emirates Airlines and explained what happen and ask them to rebook his flight for the next day. Afterward she calmed him down by telling him she would refer him to Michael for airport lodging and this made him very happy. She said she was sorry for the inconvenience. The customer thanked her for doing all she could and being so considerate of his needs.

Entry Num:

1407

Company:

Edge4Vets

Employee:

Paula Melhauser Schuermann (AA Flight Attendant)

Name:

Thomas Richards (AA vet on N.I.C.E. Corps)

Comments:

I observed Paula Melhauser Schuermann an American Airlines Flight Attendant dealing with customers Julie and Surgio Fiumara and their son Alex who were under stress.

Julie and her family had been unable to board their original flight to Orlando at 3 pm and were moved to the next flight to Tampa at 7 pm. This put a damper on their entire trip to Disney World, a first time trip. After being moved from their original flight to a later one not even landing in the same city they were very stressed out. To add to their distress the flight to Tampa was delayed 3 hours because of mechanical malfunction. Now this poor family has been at the airport for nearly 10 hours and they were tired and hungry. At this point I introduced myself and was talking to them to try and ease the tension on behalf of the airline.

As we boarded the plane I approached the flight attendant (Paula) and mentioned to her what had happened to this poor family. Paula had already been briefed by the gate agent and told me she had something special in mind. After making sure they were comfortable she began to bring them food and beverages from the first class cabin (free of charge).

This incredible act of compassion made these customers feel much better despite the situation. After a nice meal and a few drinks they approached me exiting the plane and expressed their gratitude for the hospitality, I ensured them I would pass it along to Paula.

Entry Num:

1406

Company:

Edge4Vets

Employee:

Mary Alice Castine (American Airlines)

Name:

John Fenech (AA N.I.C.E. Corps vet)

Comments:

I John Fenech observed AA Employee Mary Alice Castine walking with a passenger’s passport and boarding pass. Since we were working a project together, I teased Mary Alice, “What are you sneaking out on me?” She informed me she had found the passport on the sink in the ladies restroom and she was going to find the rightful owner.

Mary Alice was outstanding. She went to the gate where the flight was departing from and asked the female passengers if they were or knew Miss Simone, the name on the passport. She was not at the gate so Mary Alice waited till it got closer to departure time and found the passenger at the gate.

The customer left happy saying… Thank you so much, I have been looking all thru the terminal for it.

Entry Num:

1405

Company:

Edge4Vets

Employee:

Mary Alice Castine (American Airlines)

Name:

John Fenech (AA N.I.C.E. Corps vet)

Comments:

I John Fenech observed AA Employee Mary Alice Castine asking passengers if they lost their passport and boarding pass (submitted in a previous story) and a passenger approached her asking if there was a mail box in the terminal? Mary Alice informed her that we no longer have mailboxes inside the terminal since 9-11

The customer got this frantic look on her face and said she had her taxes in an envelope and that it had to be postmarked by the following day or else she would be in big trouble and she was leaving on a flight today. Mary Alice told her if you trust me with it I will mail it for you myself.

The customer left happy saying, thank you so much, You saved my life !!!

Entry Num:

1403

Company:

Edge4Vets

Employee:

Pat Smith (American Airlines)

Name:

John Fenech (AA N.I.C.E. Corps vet)

Comments:

I John Fenech observed Pat Smith, an AA employee, assisting a customer. The woman walked up to Pat and spoke no English. Pat was trying to figure out what the woman traveler needed but to no avail because of the language barrier.

Pat was quick thinking and spotted someone who spoke Spanish. Pat asked the man to assist and he did and Pat realized thru the translator that the PAX was an inbound customer trying to get to baggage claim to retrieve her bags. Pat explained to the translator where the baggage carousel was and the customer still seemed very confused. At that point Pat told the translator just tell her I will take her there myself and he did.

The customer left happy saying…
Gracias!!!!!!!

Entry Num:

1402

Company:

Edge4Vets

Employee:

Marlene Bauer (jetBlue)

Name:

Rohan McGhie (JetBlue vet on N.I.C.E. Corps)

Comments:

I Rohan McGhie observed crewmember Marlene Bauer from JetBlue Airways helping a customer who had missed his flight and was very irritated.

Marlene was working the ticket counter when a customer approached her to be checked in. The customer stated that he was in New York for a Conference and was flying back home to Burbank California for work the next day. I watched as Marlene was having difficulties trying to retrieve the customer reservation. However, when she finally found the reservation she realized that the passenger had missed his flight, which should have being the previous day and had shown up the following day, missing the only flight that Jetblue had for the day.

Marlene informed the customer what had happened and I saw his facial expressions changed, and he began shaking with fear. The customer was very nervous and told Marlene that he was not aware of the reservation dates. He also stated that if he did not get a flight out to Burbank that night to be at work the next day, he might be in the process of finding another job.

The customer kept walking back and forth mumbling to himself in a state of trance not knowing what to do. Marlene tried her best to keep the customer calm, while she went over all the options available that might be of some help to him. Marlene tried numerous options which the customer kept on refusing because of the arrival time in BUR, the options all would have been too late. Suddenly she had an idea and asked, would you mind traveling on another airline?

The customer replied no. Marlene went on Cheapticket.com where she found a flight with American that was leaving JFK into BUR that day. The customer agreed to fly with American realizing that was the best option available. Marlene gave him direction to Terminal 8, and informed him that he will be able to get his reservation done at the ticket counter once he arrived at Terminal 8.

The passenger was very happy and thanked Marlene repeatedly as he ran to take the Air train over to Terminal 8.

Entry Num:

1401

Company:

Edge4Vets

Employee:

Wilmer Bonilla and Regina Menon (Jeblue)

Name:

Rohan McGhie (JetBlue vet on N.I.C.E. Corps)

Comments:

I Rohan McGhie observed two crewmembers Wilmer Bonilla and Regha Menon from JetBlue Airways helping a passenger who was lost and confused.

Regha was the first to observe this passenger walking around in circles trying to figure out where he was. She tried to communicate but could not because she was unable to speak Spanish. She saw Wilmer working and knew that he spoke Spanish, and she called him over to help.

Apparently this particular passenger had just arrived on a flight at Terminal 4, with the intention of taking the first bus he saw home because he was so tired. However, once he realized that he had taken the wrong bus he got off without any idea of where he was and that's how he ended up at T5. The passenger claimed that because he spoke very little English he was unable to ask the bus driver or anyone for directions.

Wilmer tried to give the passenger directions back to the terminal but realizing that he would get lost again if he took the bus, Wilmer decided to ask him where he lived. The passenger gave Wilmer his home address and told him that no one was at his house that could come and get him. Wilmer told the passenger that he lived in that area and if he could wait for a few minutes he could take him home.

The passenger was very happy and thank Wilmer as they walked to the break room where he sat and watched TV a few minutes, till Wilmer had wrapped up his shift and took the man home.

Entry Num:

1400

Company:

Edge4Vets

Employee:

Emillen Daniel

Name:

Caroline Henry (Delta vet on N.I.C.E. Corps team)

Comments:

I Caroline Henry observed Emilien Daniel, a porter from IAT (Terminal 4,) dealing with two customers who were under stress. The customers were running in the arrival hall not knowing if they were going in the right direction to the storage office. They had to retrieve their bags and proceed to the check in counter.

Mr. Emilien Daniel saw them in distress and not only pointed them in the right direction but, he proceeded to take them to the storage office.

They kept thanking him and told him they would not have found the office without his help as someone sent them in the opposite direction to where the storage office was located. The customers were happy and followed Mr. Emilen with a smile on their face.

Entry Num:

1399

Company:

Edge4Vets

Employee:

Gregory Andrews (Delta)

Name:

Caroline Henry (Delta vet on N.I.C.E. Corps team)

Comments:

I Caroline Henry observed a DGS worker Gregory Andrews dealing with a customer who was under stress. The situation was the passenger was struggling with two suitcases (one was broken and in a plastic bag).

Mr. Andrews saw that the passenger needed help and he approached her and offered to help her carry her bags on his smart cart. The passenger sighed and said "this is not my day." Mr Andrews proceeded to ask her where she was going and she told him she needed to connect to another airline. She had someone waiting for her curbside and she needed to hurry to American Airlines. He transported her bags to the door where I had full view of the situation at hand. He then directed the driver to the correct terminal.

The passenger smiled and thanked him profusely for all his assistance. Mr. Andrews then told her to get to her destination safely and it was his pleasure to be of assistance always.

Entry Num:

1398

Company:

Edge4Vets

Employee:

Rohan McGhie (JetBlue)

Name:

Larry Coar (Vet on the N.I.C.E. Corps)

Comments:

I Larry Coar observed Rohan McGhie help a couple who was going to Pittsburgh. The couple claimed they had only an hour to make their flight at terminal 5 and they rushed up to Rohan and asked him to please help them.

Rohan and I had earlier had attend the class for N.I.C.E. Edge4Vets now within one hour after the class Rohan put the training to action.

Rohan explained to the couple the quickiest way to check in was to use the kiosk machine and then use the bags drop off point which had no line.

The couple tried to use the kiosk machine but with no success. Rohan saw them having trouble and doubled back to assist the couple who was getting fustrated with the machine. He patiently help them get their boarding passes and directed them to the bags drop off point.

The couple thank Rohan for his assistance to their special needs.

Entry Num:

1396

Company:

Edge4Vets

Employee:

Oswald Jaudon (JetBlue)

Name:

Rohan McGhie (vet)

Comments:

I Rohan McGhie observed a crewmember Oswald Jaudon working at Jetblue Airways Provisioning Department BLDG 81, helping a passenger who was lost irritated and confused.

It was about 4pm, just as I was about to leave work. I noticed Oswald walking toward a car in the middle of the intersection trying to figure out which direction to go. All the cars behind that car were honking their horns. Apparently this driver was running late for his flight at Jetblue Airways Terminal 5, but missed his exit and ended up at the Cargo area of JFK.

Oswald told the driver to pull over off the main road away from danger then proceeded to ask the driver questions about where he needed to go and what flight he was going on? The driver stated that he had never being at Terminal 5 before but when he saw the JetBlue Airways sign on the building he thought it was the Terminal 5 and exited off not knowing he was at the wrong location. Once he got to the cargo building, he could not find anywhere to go or park and kept driving around in circles.

Oswald told the driver to relax, he showed him a map of the airport and all the terminals. He also pointed out exactly where the driver was at, and how to get to Terminal 5. Oswald also informed the driver that he had enough time to make the flight and should not worry.

The driver was very appreciative and thanked Oswald, and I could see he was fully relaxed now. They even shared a few laughs, then the driver drove off to the terminal with enough time to park his car and check-in for his flight.

Entry Num:

1395

Company:

Edge4Vets

Employee:

Jean

Name:

Tom Murphy

Comments:

This is a story I’m posting, so I can complete a piece of unfinished business.

When we kicked off the “N.I.C.E. Corps” program on May 22 in T4 in our session I used an employee from Au Bon Pain in T4 as an example of the kind of N.I.C.E. “action” we are asking our vets to “spot” and report to us – so we can post your stories of customer service excellence on the usanice.com website.

In the training class I didn’t have the name of the lady from Au Bon Pain I had watched while on the terminal floor one day preparing for the program kick off. I said I had observed her calming an upset PAX and using extra energy to do that. Well, today I went back to see if I could find her and get her name. She works for SSP - Food Experts and her name is Jean.

I asked Jean why she was so warm, friendly and helpful to the customers and this is what she said, with a big smile of course: “Sir, we can never know what the people have been through before they come to our booth for a cup of coffee or something to eat. Maybe they have hardships, something sad happening to them, or maybe they are just upset about an extra expense in their trip. When I smile at them, it says I care. I give them my smile, to let them know I know the day can be hard. But that gives me something too. It makes me feel good to make things a little brighter for someone.”

Wow! That says it all!

Entry Num:

1394

Company:

Edge4Vets

Employee:

Basilio Disimone (jetBlue) and Arice (Air Serv)

Name:

Jeffrey Wilson (jetBlue)

Comments:

From N.I.C.E. Corps vet, Jeffrey Wilson:

I observed Mr. Basilio Disimone (Jetblue) & Mr. Arice (Airserve) dealing with a customer who was under stress. The situation was as follows...

Jetblues policy is to close the aircraft doors 10 minutes prior to the scheduled departure to ensure an ontime departure.

Tonight our Raleigh Durham flight was completely boarded except for 1 customer that just didn't show up in the alloted time. The gate agent, Basilio Disimone, closed the doors and finished the flight and pulled the jetbridge at which point a wheelchair attendant, Mr. Arice, came rushing up with a customer and asked me to call the Raleigh gate. I did and was advised that everything was done and it was closed. At this point many people began to chatter on the radio in an effort to get this customer on the aircraft, even though it was officially closed.

To solve the problem, Mr. Disimone was outstanding. He was in immediate contact with our operations and was advised that he should go ahead and reattach the jetbridge, which is rarely done, to accommodate this differently abled customer.

I'd like to commend Mr. Arice, the wheelchair attendant for even trying when it didn't look possible and Mr. Disimone for going the extra mile to accommodate a jetblue customer with special needs.

I'd like to say the customer left happy, but Mr. Disimone told me subsequently that the customer was still a bit anxious and this reduced his appreciation for the effort and initiative taken to get him on the flight. That does not mitigate the effort and intention of Mr. Disimone who thought quickly and acted instinctively and with compassion for our passenger.

Entry Num:

1393

Company:

Edge4Vets

Employee:

Johnny Semento

Name:

Rohan McGhie (vet)

Comments:

I, Rohan McGhie, observed a crewmember, Johnny Semento, working the service center at Jetblue Airways terminal 5, when two passengers, a husband and wife, came up to him angry and confused.

Johnny was very proactive and even though he had a long line of customers waiting he made the time to find out what the reason was for their outburst of anger and frustration. Apparently the couple was traveling from India to Boston. Their flight from India was delayed into JFK terminal 4, and they had trouble finding their way to Jetblue terminal 5. However by the time they arrived at terminal 5 the plane had already left and no gate agent was available to help them.

They were angry because they thought that they would have to pay for another flight and would be delayed until the following day. In addition, they were afraid the person who was going to pick them up in Boston would leave without them. Johnny was calm all the time speaking directly to the couple assuring them that he would help.

Johnny informed them that JetBlue Airways had three more flights for the remainder of the day flying into Boston Airport and that he would rebook them for the earliest departure. Once Johnny was finished rebooking them for the flight he also gave the couple his cell phone so that they could call their pick up person and inform him of their new arrival time into Boston Airport.

The couple left happy. After speaking on the phone and confirming that their pick up person would be there to pick them up, they were overwhelmed with appreciation for Johnny’s help. They hugged him and thanked him stating that they never knew New York people were so kind after all the stories they had heard of New Yorkers.

Entry Num:

1392

Company:

Edge4Vets

Employee:

Edge4Vets "N.I.C.E. Corps"

Name:

A Salute to Airport Vets

Comments:

Edge4Vets, developed by the Human Resiliency Institute at Fordham, helps veterans turn their leadership strengths from the military into "tools" to create successful civilian lives. The N.I.C.E. program is the institute’s resiliency training and incentive program designed to help airports enhance customer service.

The Edge4Vets “N.I.C.E. Corps” combines the two and gives airport vets a chance to help their airport recognize and reward front line employees for being N.I.C.E. (Neutralizing Irritations Customers Experience) and stepping up to relieve stress for travelers in need.

The N.I.C.E Corps program will kick off Tuesday, May 22, at 10am in T4, with a training workshop for our lead group of vets who are volunteering to be part of the "N.I.C.E. Corps" at JFK.

Check back at this site to read the N.I.C.E. stories our vets will be posting about the N.I.C.E. employees they "spot" in the course of their day being helpful "problem-solvers" for airport customers!

Both the employees and the vets who nominate them will win awards!

Meet JFK International Airport's N.I.C.E.™ Problem Solvers

"Resiliency Edge" Success Stories