Delta CEO Rewards Dad From Viral Airplane Seat Videos

Image: PHOTO: Delta Air Lines CEO Ed Bastian. (photo via Delta Air Lines Media)
Image: PHOTO: Delta Air Lines CEO Ed Bastian. (photo via Delta Air Lines Media)
Donald Wood
by Donald Wood
Last updated: 10:50 AM ET, Fri December 11, 2020

A man who went viral online for purchasing two seats from an old Delta Air Lines plane received a surprise message from CEO Ed Bastian and three first-class tickets.

According to The Washington Post, Windstar Cruises vice president of sales Steve Simao purchased a pair of leather seats on eBay from a decommissioned Delta MD90 and put them in his house.

Simao and his wife would send their daughter Annisa funny photos of the couple using the seats while she was away at college. When she returned, Annisa posted entertaining videos with her father and the seats on TikTok, which quickly went viral.

When Delta finally caught wind of the videos, the public relations team reached out to Annisa on Twitter asking for her father's information. A short time later, the family received a message from Bastian himself.

"I understand your dad really misses travel on Delta during this crazy year we've been through," Bastian said in the video. "I'm glad he's enjoying those first-class seats in your home, and we've got first-class seats waiting for him when he's ready to start traveling again."

When asked about how the Simao family would use the three round-trip, first-class tickets to anywhere in the United States, Annisa admitted they are still trying to decide, but Hawaii is an early favorite.


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