15 Heartwarming Travel Stories You'll Love

With negative travel stories constantly in the limelight, it's important to remember how travel can be positive, kind, and restore our faith in humanity. From amazing flight attendants to viral airport videos, all of these stories will bring a smile to your face. Check out this collection of heartwarming travel stories that will reinvigorate your love for travel.

In October 2018, Tony D'Amico, a TSA agent at Mitchell International Airport, saved a 70-year-old man's life by performing CPR when he collapsed near the security line and began shaking violently. D'Amico's second career as a firefighter gave him the necessary skills to help the man.

Homeland Security federal security director Mark Lendvay said of D'Amico: "Heroic efforts saving someone's life, you don't do that daily. And if you talk to [D'Amico], he'll just say he was doing his job."

PSA Airlines, an American Airlines subsidiary, inducted their first flight attendant with special needs and a terminal illness on October 2018 and celebrated the day with music and a party.

Shantell "Princess" Pooser, 17, has Downs Syndrome, but her terminal illness, a series of airway defects, required her to frequently fly to Cincinnati's Children's Hospital. After constantly seeing flight attendants, Princess' dream was to become one herself, so the airline made that dream come true for her birthday.

Princess' mother said: "After the newest, recent scans, they were so scary to the point now where the doctors in Cincinnati say there's nothing more that they can do for her. So, you just figure what can you do to make a difference." Despite her serious condition, Princess continues to defy doctors' expectations.

In 2014, KLM teamed up with Schipol Airport for a campaign called "Cover Greetings," resulting in a video that was a real tearjerker.

The airline placed personal messages written by the passengers' loved ones on the headrest of their seat, only to be discovered by the travelers once boarding the flight.

Some travelers cried with joy upon seeing the messages, proving that KLM and Schipol Airport's campaign was a good idea.

Philippines Airlines flight attendant Patrisha Organo went above and beyond her duty when she assisted a traveling mother in a most heartwarming way.

After hearing a baby crying mid-flight, Organo went to check on the child and discovered the mother had run out of formula, rendering her helpless to the baby's cries. Organo, who has a one-year-old child herself, offered to breastfeed the baby and the mother sincerely accepted.

Organo wrote in a Facebook post that went viral: "I saw the relief on her mother's eyes. I continued to feed the baby until she fell asleep. I escorted her back to her seat and just before I left, the mother sincerely thanked me."

While being stranded at the airport is generally a nightmare, the kind gesture of one American Airlines pilot made it a little bit better.

After an American Airlines flight from Los Angeles to Dallas was diverted to Wichita Falls, Texas due to bad weather, passengers onboard were stranded overnight until the next morning. While the airline provided the travelers with hotel accommodations, the plane's captain, Jeff Raines, used his own money to buy 40 pizzas and delivered them to the waiting passengers himself.

Talk about soaring above and beyond!

In 2015, a six-year-old boy named Owen Lake left his stuffed tiger at the Tampa International Airport. After airport staff discovered Hobbes the Tiger in a children's play area, Manager Tony D'Auito had a brilliant idea-take Hobbes on a photographic adventure throughout the airport.

With the help of TPA police, airlines, operations staff and others in the airport, D'Auito photographed the tiger hanging out at the air traffic control tower, playing Jenga, working out in the employee gym, napping by the Marriott pool and riding in a luggage cart. When Lake returned to the airport to pick up Hobbes, he was handed a photo album showcasing his tiger's adventures.

"It was very, very sweet," said Owen's mother Amanda Lake. "We already told him over and over that Hobbes was on an adventure so it was nice to get back and show him that Hobbes really had been on an adventure."

Back in 2017, two-year-old Guy Jakubowicz was filmed fist-bumping all the passengers he passed by as he walked down the aisle of a Southwest flight.

"He does it every time he boards a flight," his mother Alya Jakubowicz said. "Ironically, he learned how to fist-bump when he was like 18 months. We were waiting on the tarmac and he was getting antsy so I let him run around the aisle a little bit and these guys behind us taught him how to fist bump."

A video of his signature move was re-posted by Southwest Airlines onto their Facebook page where it went viral and garnered 70,000 likes.

While social media can be addictive and often negative, one heartwarming travel story shows how people can use it for good.

In August 2018, Mikey Lythcott and Stacey Eno were driving a scooter in Bali when they were in an accident, both severely hurt and unable to move or find help.

Lythcott wrote on Facebook, "Help. In danger. Call police." After a concerned friend saw his post and reached out, Lythcott was able to drop a location pin for her. Soon enough, people from all parts of the world were reaching out to authorities in Bali, trying to get help for the two injured friends. Through the power of social media, the pair was eventually discovered and taken to a hospital where they made a full recovery.

In 2017, Youtuber Mahshid Mazooji was stuck at Charlotte Douglas Airport on an overnight layover. Rather than sulk, Mazooji decided to dance.

Mazooji filmed herself dancing with late-night employees and other passengers to Lionel Richie's, "All Night Long." The video went viral, bringing smiles and joy to travelers who know the struggle of being stuck in an airport "all night long."

Have a box of tissues handy. This next travel story will make you cry as much as it will make you smile.

Leora Wildi was diagnosed with two types of bone cancer at just 14 years old, requiring her to fly more than 50 times for treatments in Vancouver. With flights being as expensive as they are, Wildi's family just couldn't afford them. That's when WestJet and Hope Air, a charity that arranges free transportation to medical appointments for Canadians, stepped in and provided the family with free flights.

After being cancer-free for eight years, Wildi, 23, teamed up with Hope Air and WestJet to say thank you to everyone who supported her throughout her cancer treatment. You can watch the heartwarming video here.

Every year, United Airlines works to bring holiday cheer to children who need it most. In what they call "Fantasy Flights," United Airlines flies children from all over the world to Santa's Workshop at the North Pole to meet Santa and see how toys are made.

The children chosen for these flights often come from disadvantaged backgrounds, are patients at local hospitals or have various disabilities. Once the children board the flight, the plane takes off for a short ride and lands at a gate decorated like the North Pole. There, children are immersed in holiday-themed activities.

Fantasy Flights take-off at about 11 airports worldwide, bringing joy to numerous children for the last 30 years.

Wildfires have ravaged California this year and brought devastation and damage to so many residents. While the destruction has been immense, one travel story surrounding the fires stands out.

Canadian couple Paul and Destinee Klyne were meant to have a relaxing vacation in Paradise, California. After the wildfires burned down their Airbnb, ultimately ruining their vacation plans, the Klyne's were inspired to keep their flights and made their way Chico, California to spend their vacation helping the wildfire victims.

Not only did they use their vacation funds to provide food and gift cards to those affected, but they also helped local food trucks feed thousands of people in a Wal-Mart parking lot. "It is so nice to be able to bring forth the Canadian spirit of giving, of compassion and generosity," said Destinee. "You are our American neighbors and we love you.'"

Some travel experiences are made memorable through small acts of kindness, and one deaf boy discovered that at Disneyland in 2017.

In a viral Facebook video, Minnie and Mickey can be seen using sign language to communicate with a deaf boy visiting the park. They signed "I love you" and "Nice to meet you." An ASL translator stood behind the boy and guided Minnie and Mickey on what to sign.

The boy was visiting the park through the sponsorship of Olive Crest, a non-profit that helps children at risk for abuse and neglect. By simply sharing in the boy's language, he was inspired to hug Minnie, a move his Olive Crest caseworker called particularly special as the boy doesn't often give hugs.

In 2016, a Thai Airways flight attendant was caught helping an elderly passenger in the most kindhearted way-by spoon feeding the elderly man his meal.

The flight attendant wasn't aware that he was being photographed assisting the elderly passenger. Instead, the story broke out when traveler Thomas Lin shared a photo of the flight attendant on the internet.

Lin wrote, "This elderly gentleman has problems eating by himself so this air steward helped him to eat. Very good to see kindness like this. His kindness should be applauded and praised."

Everyone loves a good wedding story and this one will make you smile.

Jurgen Bogner reached out to Austrian Airlines to help him organize a surprise proposal and wedding ceremony for his girlfriend, Nathaly Eiche. After the couple boarded a flight to Greece, Bogner proposed to Eiche and then revealed that their family was on the flight and they would be performing the wedding ceremony in the air.

Bogner supplied the engagement ring and wedding bands, a wedding gown, a bridal bouquet and a violinist. He even brought onboard an official to perform the marriage. A video of the wedding was shared on Twitter, complete with Eiche walking down the "aisle" with her father.