United Airlines is spreading the holiday magic and encouraging the spirit of needy children through a heartwarming initiative, "Fantasy Flights." This program offers a getaway to the "North Pole" and aims to bring smiles and festive joys to families with children grieving a loved one lost on active duty or caring for a child with cancer. United Airlines Offers Free 'Fantasy Flights' this December in thirteen cities all across the globe, including prominent destinations such as Denver, Houston, Honolulu, Tokyo, and many more.
The concerned airline stated in a release that more than 65 children and their families boarded a United flight decked out for the holidays for a short flight. The plane took off for a short duration at Chicago O'Hare and landed at another gate that doubled as the North Pole. These flights were hosted on Saturday in partnership with Make-A-Wish Illinois and Cal's Angels, a Chicago-area pediatric cancer foundation.
The press release highlighted, "The children enjoyed games, treats, and visits from special friends, including Santa Claus and real reindeer – all provided by United employee volunteers and partner organizations." Furthermore, the Chicago flight was not the only holiday flight; it also included flights to Washington Dulles, Houston Bush, Los Angeles' LAX, Heathrow in London, and San Francisco.
One such Fantasy Flight also occurred in Honolulu this week on Thursday. The pilot announced over the intercom Thursday afternoon that the flight had to divert. Luckily, no passenger appeared to freak out at this news. The next very moment, the pilot announced, "Santa has invited us to Christmas Island, and all his elves are waiting there on the ground for us." And all the families cheered.
An estimated 125 children and their adult chaperones arrived at the Honolulu International Airport for the Fantasy Flight. They all were gathered at the check-in counter to click a special passport photo and an actual printed ticket labeled the airport code "JOY." The passengers were costumed in different characters, including Mickey, Minnie Mouse, and Disney Princesses.
Lena Wong, a United customer service agent who planned Hawaii's Fantasy Flights and has been involved in this flight scheme since 2017, said, "There are so many little kids that have never even been on a plane." Moreover, she stated, They're so amazed with the ride, and then especially coming here, I think some of them think that they're actually gone to like Christmas. So many of the kids we impact, it's amazing, they're so strong."