A match made in the skies
At WestJet, care is at the core of everything we do and in some unique circumstances, this means playing match maker. In celebration of love and Valentine’s Day, a special WestJet guest is sharing her love story that took off on the runway, 16 years ago.
On December 20, 2006, Jenn was flying back to London, Ontario for Christmas from Calgary where she had recently moved. After arriving at the airport, Jenn waited in line to check in with her friend and noticed “the good-looking guy” checking in ahead of her. Maybe it was fate, or maybe love was in the air, because when it was Jenn’s turn, the WestJet agent checking her in said "Oh wow, your bag matches the bag of the guy I just checked in! You know what? I'm going to sit you right next to him. You never know, maybe something will happen!"
As Jenn boarded, she sat down next to Chris, and it was a match made in the skies. The pair connected immediately; telling stories, getting to know one another, and exchanging contact information, however, like any good love story, Jenn and Chris were bound to hit some turbulence. About half an hour before their flight was set to land, while waiting in line to use the bathroom, Jenn began to feel lightheaded.
“The last thing I remember is the pilot asking me if I was flying home for Christmas, before I fainted, 40,000 feet in the air,” Jenn recalls.
As Jenn regained consciousness, a WestJet cabin crew member ensured she was okay and escorted her to a different seat, where an oxygen mask awaited her. A few minutes later, Jenn’s flight began its descent into London where she was greeted by four EMS boarding the plane, who despite her embarrassment, carried her off the plane and straight to an ambulance.
After a thorough examination, Jenn was released from EMS care to greet her parents, where she found Chris waiting to make sure she was okay. Although the two said goodbye, something told Jenn, this was only the beginning, and she was right.
After returning to Calgary, Chris and Jenn immediately started dating, and have now been together for 15 years. The couple is looking forward to celebrating their tenth anniversary on September 1, 2022.
“I've always believed that everything happens for a reason, and our love story is proof. Over the years we have flown many times back and forth to Ontario to see family and taken trips to warm destinations for vacation,” Jenn reflects. “WestJet continues to be our airline of choice because that's where our story began and without the wonderful agent who checked me in, I'm not sure Chris and I would have met.”
