Airlines often seem to make headlines for all the wrong reasons these days. That’s why it’s so heartwarming to see United Airlines make headlines for something truly positive that happened on one of their flights.

Rebecca Kuchar Krutz was recently sitting in a United Airlines first class seat when she saw the airlines’ CEO Oscar Munoz come onboard and take his own first class seat. Minutes later, a frail elderly woman started trying to board the plane, and that’s when Rebecca saw Oscar do something incredible.

“I’m a pretty loyal Delta Airlines customer,” Rebecca recounted on Facebook. “But tonight I was on a flight w the CEO of United. I was a bit surprised seeing him walk back into the economy section of the plane to take his seat. Seated in front of me on the plane was an elderly lady in her 80’s (maybe even early 90’s). She didn’t appear to be in great health and had a bit of a hard time with her speech. Prior to boarding, I’d seen Oscar (the CEO) make his way out of a crowd of people in order to go over and speak w her.”

Rebecca thought it was sweet for Oscar to take the time to greet the woman, but she was stunned when he then offered her his first class seat!

When they landed, Rebecca heard the elderly woman telling someone next to her that she had not flown for a long time and that she had been very nervous for the flight. She was very grateful that Oscar had made the experience easier for her by giving up his seat!

“That, ladies and gentleman, is how it should be done,” Rebecca said. “Treat our elders with the respect and care they deserve. I may very well be a lifelong United customer after witnessing that act of selflessness by a man who likely has his own private plane, and yet was humble enough to give up his seat to an elderly lady he’d never met before, because he thought she’d be more comfortable there. United??”

Oscar later explained that he was raised to respect the elderly from the time he was a young child:

“I was brought up in a house where we were taught to respect our elders. I have a grandmother in her 90’s and if she walks into a room where family is seated, we rise and offer her the most comfortable seat. We do this out of love and respect as she is the matriarch of our family and we feel she deserves to be treated this way. You did this exact thing; only for a woman you’d never met before, and likely will never cross paths with again. Thank you for extending such kindness and respect to an elderly passenger. While it may have been a small gesture for you, I can assure you it meant a great deal to her, and though I don’t know her, it meant a great deal to me as well.”

Oscar added that he would like to see more people in the planet treat others with kindness as he did!