Category Archives: SkyWest People

Dec 31

SkyWest’s Top Service Moments of 2015

As 2015 comes to a close, it’s time to take a look at some of the exceptional service that SkyWest employees have provided during the past 12 months. The following are seven of SkyWest’s top service moments of 2015.

Flight Crew Brings Family Together One Last Time

When the Vandenberg siblings received a call that their mother’s health had taken a turn for the worse, they immediately booked their flights to reach her. When a delay made it seem like they would never make their connecting flight in Denver, the SkyWest crew on board went above and beyond to help get the Vandenbergs onto their next flight moments before it left the gate. Thanks to the efforts of crewmembers on both flights, the Vandenbergs were able to spend precious final moments with their mother.

“The little things in life matter, as they add up to big things. And, in doing the little things very well, your flight crews allowed us the precious moments with our mother that we would have missed otherwise,” wrote Thom Vandenberg. “For that, we want to express our heartfelt thanks and recognize a job very well done.”

First Officer Gives Wings to Young Cancer Fighter

A brave six-year-old girl was fighting cancer and having a tough day when she met Joe Myers, a SkyWest first officer, on the shuttle ride to the airport. Joe immediately began trying to make her day better and by joking with her. He even removed the wings from his shirt and pinned them on her, telling her he was making her an honorary pilot. The little girl’s parents said that she wouldn’t part with the wings and even slept in her shirt that night with the wings safely secured on it.

“I was blessed that night,” said Joe. “That little girl touched my heart and gave me far more than I could have ever given her. When I pinned my wings on her, I told her that she could fly with me anytime. Maybe with some prayers she will be able to fly for SkyWest someday!”

SkyWest Flight Attendant Runs to End Thirst

Before she started training for her first half marathon in 2013, Kelsey Galiano, a Minneapolis-based SkyWest flight attendant, had never run a race and didn’t really care for running. Even now that she has trained for and run multiple races, including a marathon, there are plenty of days she doesn’t want to run. But Kelsey continues the grind because of the cause that fuels her: helping to provide clean water for people in Africa who don’t have access to it.

“There are many days I detest running but I detest people not having something simple like clean water even more,” said Kelsey.

Not having access to clean water takes the lives of hundreds of children every day and is the number one preventable cause of death in the world. To help, Kelsey joined Team World Vision in 2013 with the goal of bringing clean water to as many people in Africa as possible. Thanks to the efforts of World Vision and people like Kelsey, one new person is receiving clean water every 30 seconds.

Kelsey’s personal goal is to provide clean water access to as many as 200 children.

“I donated to provide clean water for two children and I’m hoping to find 99 others to match my donation,” she said. “Just $50 is enough to provide one child with clean water for life!” And with the global water crisis expected to end in 2030, Kelsey hopes she will only need to run for this cause for 15 more years!

Since joining Team World Vision, Kelsey has run the 2013 Monster Dash Half Marathon in St. Paul, Minnesota, the 2014 and 2015 Minnesota Half Marathon in St. Paul, the 2015 Hood To Coast Relay in Portland and the 2015 Twin Cities Marathon. While most of these races were in Minnesota, Team World Vision participates in races all across the U.S.

Kelsey with her World Vision team.

Whether it’s helping a co-worker or sending aid around the world, Kelsey’s focus on giving back is one shared by many of SkyWest’s more than 11,000 employees. If you are interested in donating to Kelsey’s team or joining Team World Vision, no matter your location, go to Kelsey’s fundraising page. More information about World Vision can be found at www.worldvision.org.

Dec 21

SkyWest Flight Attendants Deliver Holiday Magic

It was one of the most amazing acts of sheer kindness she had experienced in a long time – her family’s own Christmas magic. That’s how Jaimi Nielson described SkyWest flight attendant Erin O’Shea’s actions after Jaimi’s son, Owen, left his bag at a gate in San Francisco before boarding a recent flight.

A prized collection of LEGO sets, his “best friend” (a well-loved stuffed lizard) and favorite storybooks were among the possessions that five-year-old Owen accidentally left in SFO. After realizing what happened, he was heartbroken and cried the whole flight.

The Nielsen’s searched for a way to retrieve the bag, but what they found wasn’t good. The bag had to be picked up in person and the cost of a flight to reclaim the items would cost well over $1,000.

Enter Erin O’Shea, a SkyWest flight attendant.

Flight Attendant Erin O'Shea with the bag of toys.

Erin O’Shea with Owen’s bag of toys.

Erin met Owen while he was flying from San Francisco to Salt Lake City and offered to help. After she finished her trip with a flight to Chicago, Erin jumped on a different flight back to San Francisco, rather than flying directly home to Salt Lake City. In SFO, she was able to work with TSA to ensure all the security requirements were met and picked up the bag. Erin then flew back to Salt Lake and delivered it to Owen’s family.

“We asked her why she would be willing to do this,” Jaimi explained, “and she simply said, ‘Because he captured my heart.'”

Thanks to Erin’s quick thinking, Owen was overjoyed to find his most treasured possessions back at his side when he woke up the next morning.

But Owen wasn’t the only young boy who experienced some holiday magic this month. More than 1,000 miles away, in Minneapolis, five-year-old Ethan and his younger brother were on their way to live with their Nana in Duluth, Minnesota. There were sure to be a number of changes in store and the one thing Ethan really looked forward to was snow.

Having lived in Mississippi, Ethan had never seen snow before and he couldn’t wait to get to his Nana’s house to have a snowball fight! When his flight from Minneapolis to Duluth was delayed due to weather, he couldn’t help but feel disappointed. Ethan told Linzie Clayman and Jacie Vonada – Minneapolis-based SkyWest flight attendants all about his plans for the snow. But as the hours passed by, Ethan’s excitement turned to frustration.

“Their Nana looked pretty stressed out,” Linzie said. “When the snack cart rolled around, Jacie and I helped her get some snacks for the boys, but Ethan still seemed pretty sad.”

That’s when Linzie and Jacie concocted a plan – a secret mission to make Ethan’s day special.

They talked to the first officer for the delayed flight, and within a few minutes, he returned with a snowball, just for Ethan.

Ethan’s first snowball!

Ethan’s whole face lit up at the sight of his first snowball. But he wasn’t the only one. Other travelers around the gate area saw the exchange and couldn’t help but smile as Ethan carried his snowball around until it melted. That simple act of kindness helped keep Ethan’s spirits high until he was able to arrive at his new home.

The actions of Linzie, Jacie, Erin are repeated by countless other SkyWest employees on a daily basis as they work to provide incredible customer service for every passenger, especially during the busy holiday travel season.

Dec 17

A Look at the SkyWest Maintenance Operation

In the airline industry, the operation never sleeps. When aircraft are done flying for the day, they often make their way over to a hangar where Maintenance teams will ensure everything remains in top condition.

Just take a look at this behind-the-scenes video from one night in SkyWest’s Salt Lake City hangar. In about 14 hours, the team worked on 13 different aircraft!

And this kind of work is being done in more than a dozen SkyWest hangars and line stations around the country every day. To start working on SkyWest’s growing fleet of jet aircraft, fill out an application today: http://ow.ly/VZ9zj

Dec 14

Now Boarding SkyWest’s Fantasy Flight to the North Pole

SkyWest’s ninth annual Fantasy Flight took of this weekend in Colorado Springs, bringing the Christmas spirit to underprivileged children and their families.

“This event is cherished by everyone involved,” said Lori Hunt, SkyWest’s vice president – People. “Every year SkyWest employees help provide treasured holiday memories for children whose families struggle to meet their basic needs.”

This year, more than 40 children were able to participate in the Fantasy Flight where they took a 30-minute flight from Colorado Springs Airport (COS) to the “North Pole” (Gate 11 at COS). There, the little passengers were greeted by Santa Claus himself, who presented gifts to each child in attendance. The night also included dinner for the children and their families, as well as appearances from local Olympians and Sox the Fox, photos with Santa, a petting zoo and more!

What makes this SkyWest tradition even better is the incredible efforts of the employees and members of the community who volunteer to make the entire night special for everyone involved. In fact, the aircraft, fuel, gifts, dinner and more is all donated to the event. And seeing the excitement of the kids involved makes it all worth it.

Children aboard the Fantasy Flight are enrolled in the Community Partnership for Child Development early childhood education programs. These children live below the poverty level, have an identified special need, or have a home situation that puts them at risk for school failure. To learn more about the organizations SkyWest partners with to make this event possible, visit www.jlcoloradosprings.org and cpcdheadstart.org.

Dec 02

SkyWest Movember Mustaches

There have been a few more mustaches than usual among SkyWest employees this past month. No, the trend does not signal a change in uniform requirements. The increase in facial hair was part of Movember, a health initiative designed to bring more awareness to men’s health throughout the month of November.

Salt Lake City CRJ Captain Jon Warner

Nick Pearson, a Los Angeles-based CRJ captain, led Team SkyWest in supporting Movember, rallying other employees to also participate in improving awareness and encouraging conversations surrounding men’s health.

“When I heard about this cause, I thought it’d be great to contribute,” said Nick. “I also used to be very fond of growing a winter beard but the mustache is the only facial hair we’re allowed to have as pilots, so I looked on this as the next best thing!”

Los Angeles CRJ Captain Nick Pearson

Movember challenges men to alter their appearance by growing a mustache for 30 days to raise awareness and educate about men’s health issues. SkyWest employees were encouraged throughout the month to look into their own health, including screening and preventative care visits.

Thanks to Nick’s efforts, along with several dozen other SkyWest employees on his team, thousands of dollars will be donated to the Movember Foundation this year!

Oct 14

Kindness Leads to One Last Goodbye

In late August, a couple was traveling through Gillette, Wyoming when they received a phone call no parent ever wants to receive: their son had been in a car accident in West Virginia and was being taken by Life Flight to a nearby hospital. They felt helpless being so far away from home and unable to rush to the hospital to be with their son.

That’s when Don Mortimer, a SkyWest cross utilized agent in Gillette, noticed their distress. Don stayed at the airport two hours after closing to help them find a way home. He didn’t want to leave until new flights were booked and he had them checked in.

Don Mortimer – GCC Cross Utilized Agent.

Don Mortimer – SkyWest cross utilized agent

But Don didn’t stop there. The next morning, he met the couple at the airport and continued to help them through their terrible situation. He ended up flying with them to Salt Lake City to ensure they made their connecting flight home.

With Don’s well wishes, the family made it home and was at their son’s side when he passed away two days later.

In a letter describing their experience, the family expressed their gratitude for the compassion and kindness Don showed by giving them precious moments with their son; something that they will never forget.

“Thank you, Don, for giving us those last few hours with him. We will forever be grateful. We just wanted SkyWest to know that they have a very special person working for them and he went above and beyond. Let him know how much we appreciate him.”

Don’s actions are a great example of the effort that many SkyWest employees make every day to provide exceptional care to their passengers and to help those around them.

Sep 05

SkyWest Appreciation Week!

Safely operating 1,700 daily flights to nearly 200 cities across North America is no easy task, and no one does it better than the SkyWest team! That’s because everyone works together and they continually go above-and-beyond. To recognize the hard work being done by countless teams across the country, SkyWest designates one week every year as Appreciation Week.

This year, Appreciation Week was filled with games, food, team parties and much more, including:

Dunking coworkers and raising money to help fellow employees in need…

Vice President of Market Development Greg Atkins takes a dunk in the tank set up by the Operational Control Center Department at SkyWest HDQ.

Shoe shines…

Minneapolis Assistant Chief Pilot Chris Mayer shining Captain Strohshein’s shoes!

And just hanging out to enjoy a meal together.

Teams around the country celebrated with various events!

SkyWest’s 10,700+ aviation professionals are some of the best in the industry and celebrating Appreciation Week is just one example of how the airline is working to be the employer of choice!

Aug 26

SkyWest Crews Going the Extra Mile

SkyWest is home to countless caring and considerate employees. Recently, three stories about some of our incredible crews were shared with us that illustrate the type of people who make up the SkyWest family.

On a recent trip in Los Angeles, Salt Lake City based SkyWest Flight Attendant Jill Roundy noticed a small detail about one of her young passengers.

“He had a Make-A-Wish button on his shirt. Passengers may think we don’t pay attention to them but we really do,” Jill said. “This is the reason I’m a flight attendant. Everyone has somewhere to go with a purpose: a wedding, funeral, job interview, promotion or a birth of a child. We do our best to get them there and with the best intentions to read their mannerisms. But this was a first for me.”

SkyWest Crew (Flight Attendants Jill Roundy and Lacey Finnell, First Officer Aiden Eye and Captain Charles Butler) with the family.

The young boy and his family were on their trip home from fulfilling his wish to go to a concert of his favorite artist. Jill and the rest of her crew took the time to make the family’s trip special, giving them an extra tour of the aircraft after it landed. The little boy was thrilled at the opportunity and after looking into the flight deck, he asked Jill if he could sit in the captain’s seat. Captain Charles Butler was happy to oblige and stepped out as First Officer Aiden Eye took the time showing this young passenger the controls on the flight deck while explaining their functions.

“This only shows that the employees at SkyWest are by far just one great big family caring for the people that fly with us!” said Jill. “Happy to be part of the family.”

A brave six-year-old girl was having a tough day. As her family arrived at the airport in the evening, they made their way to the shuttle for a ride to the parking lot. As the young girl boarded the bus with her parents, noticing there were no open seats, Palm Springs based First Officer, Joe Myers, stood up to give his seat to the mother and daughter.

The girl has lost all of her hair as a result of cancer treatments. During the shuttle ride, a little boy made a comment to the girl about her lack of hair, and she began to cry. As the family got off the bus, Joe walked over to the little girl and told her she was the prettiest little girl he had ever seen. He then took off his hat and showed her his own bald head, telling her she was very special. Joe made her night when he removed the wings from his shirt and pinned them on her, telling her he was making her an honorary pilot.

First Officer Joe Myers

Joe made the girl laugh when he jokingly told her, “Boys are made of cotton and are rotten!” before thanking the parents and walking away. The parents were in tears and so moved by Joe’s compassion and love toward their daughter that they went the extra mile to contact SkyWest and share their gratitude for First Officer Myers.

“I was blessed that night,” said Joe. “That little girl touched my heart and gave me far more than I could have ever given her. When I pinned my wings on her, I told her that pilots don’t cry and she could fly with me anytime. Maybe with some prayers she will be able to fly for SkyWest someday! I didn’t do anything that another SkyWest employee wouldn’t have done when faced with the same situation. I feel so fortunate to SkyWest and my wife Jackie for allowing me to pursue my dream! This is a family that I am so proud to be a part of.”

That night the little girl wouldn’t part with the wings and slept in her shirt with the wings safely secured on it. Even now, she will not take them off.

While boarding a flight in Seattle, Tiffany Miller, a Salt Lake City-based flight attendant, noticed one impeccably dressed young woman.

“Out of the corner of my eye I saw her turn around, so I turned to meet her sweet face. Tears were welling up in her eyes, and she spoke to me in a voice I haven’t heard in a while,” Tiffany said. “It was the same tone my children would have when there were monsters under their bed. ‘I’m very scared. Is it going to be really bumpy?’ and after hearing herself she openly started to sob.”

The passenger explained that she flies a lot but just passed through a storm that had “terrifying turbulence.” Tiffany told her that she too had just been through a similar storm, but that she anticipated that everything was going to be fine on the short flight and that she was in very capable hands.

Tiffany then went up to the flight deck to find that Captain Carl Wager had witnessed the exchanged and was wondering what he could do to help. He offered to go back and talk with the girl if she would find it reassuring. The young lady, still full of fear, accepted the offer. Carl went back to her seat, taking up precious moments needed to stay on schedule, to let the passenger know that he understood her fears and was aware of his tremendous responsibility to keep everyone safe.

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Captain Carl Wager speaking with passenger

“I am always confident with my pilots. I am grateful for the level of training, skill and knowledge they work hard to possess. Today I was truly grateful to also have a wonderful and kindhearted captain,” Tiffany said. “I looked down the aisle to see a very relaxed, very sweet moment. It was one that I hope I never forget. It was empathy in action: pure and simple.”