The unfathomably brutal and violent terrorist attacks committed by Hamas on innocent Israeli civilians has, no doubt, been weighing heavily on everyone’s hearts and minds this past week. My heart aches for the victims and all the innocent civilians suffering right now. Immediately after the terrorist attacks, which have been compared to the September 11 attacks in the United States, journalists boarded planes to report live. RELATED: 12 Things in Travel You Need to Know Today
Since I work in the travel industry and have always been fascinated by the miracle of flight, I wish more reporters would share their stories about their frequent flights. One who did this week is Sara Sidner, who works for CNN.
On my way to #Israel to report on the war.
I got on the @airfrance flight & the entire crew was singing in Hebrew. Caught this tearful moment as people boarded.
The flight attendant Jean Paul hugged people including me. I nearly burst into tears too. #Love still wins. pic.twitter.com/vo6UxPJIEg
— Sara Sidner (@sarasidnerCNN) October 13, 2023
Sara shared the emotional video embedded above on X, formerly known as Twitter, with the caption, “On my way to #Israel to report on the war. I got on the @airfrance flight & the entire crew was singing in Hebrew. Caught this tearful moment as people boarded. The flight attendant Jean Paul hugged people including me. I nearly burst into tears too. #Love still wins.
I watched the 20-second clip and I got teary-eyed too. I’m not sure the backstory of the passenger they were serenading as she broke down in tears but it was touching. Given the heightened emotions everyone is feeling right now, this isn’t surprising, as it seems crying on airplanes happens more than you might think. According to TPG, “Virgin Atlantic famously conducted a Facebook survey back in 2011 and found that 41% of men reported hiding their tears under a blanket, while 55% of men and women reported that flying intensified their emotions overall. What’s interesting is that much of it can be triggered by something as seemingly harmless as the movies people watch on the in-flight entertainment screens. (It even prompted Virgin Atlantic to issue “emotional health warnings” before certain flicks.)
I can relate to this. I find that when I’m watching movies up in the air, a faucet seems to open up in my tear ducts. For instance, if you watch Rocky II on an airplane, be prepared with a box of tissues – and consider warning your seatmates. The scene when Adrian wakes up from a coma (2:24 into the video embedded below) and tells Rocky to win has made me bawl my eyes out.
But back to the topic at hand. One thing about flying to Israel is that it’s one of the few destinations in the world where passengers clap when they land. According to CheapAir, “The Israeli airline El Al, also has a tradition on its flights to Israel to encourage clapping on landing. It’s a sort of homecoming.” I’ve flown El Al to Tel Aviv and I can confirm that almost everyone on the plane clapped once the wheels touched down and I was one of them.
KEEP READING:
–8 Ways To Make Sure An Airline Doesn’t Lose Your Bag … And That You Don’t Get Robbed or Stalked
–The Trick For Getting Airport Luggage Carts for Free
–Airline Lost Your Luggage? Do This If You Want to Get Compensated
–Why Frequent Fliers Use Apple AirTags or Samsung SmartTags When They Travel
–An Airline Executive’s Number One Tip for Avoiding Lost Luggage When You Fly
Want more travel news, tips and deals? Sign up to Johnny Jet’s free newsletter and check out these popular posts: The Travel Gadget Flight Attendants Never Leave Home Without and 12 Ways to Save Money on Baggage Fees. Follow Johnny Jet on MSN, Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and YouTube for all of my travel posts.
