United's "Operation North Pole/Fantasy" Flights
Dec 1, 2010, 10:07 pm
#121
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They were on Sunday night. They have little red paper airplanes taped all over the front desk and some photos from a previous Fantasy Flight on the pillar to the left of the desk. Just ask. They have envelopes for donations. Are you connecting through or overnighting?
Dec 1, 2010, 10:37 pm
#122
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CO also does these types of flights.
Dec 1, 2010, 11:08 pm
#123
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So I wonder which cities have the fantasy flights that are actual flights...my two year old has already flown over 50 times so she'd know if there was no actual take off and landing...lol. 
Dec 1, 2010, 11:52 pm
#124
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The SFO RCC has a small flyer and donation envelopes available at the front desk. We fly in Monday night, and the attendants made a gentle pitch. Since I had read about this before, it was an easy sell and we left a donation. Nice event.
Dec 2, 2010, 5:09 am
#125
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Dec 3, 2010, 11:01 pm
#126
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They do go up in the air for about an hour and then return to the gate, which has been decorated as the North Pole. That's what the RCC folks told me and is consistent with what I've read before.
Dec 11, 2010, 9:09 pm
#127
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The North Pole flight operated at IAD today from gate D7 or thereabouts. Don't know if they did an actual flight or not, but it showed up on the departure monitors, the gate screens, etc. 
Last edited by exerda; Dec 11, 2010 at 9:23 pm
Dec 11, 2010, 11:16 pm
#128
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The IAD Fantasy Flight was a 777. It didn't fly for the kids (according to our FA). She reported that it was a taxi, with the window shades down, to a hanger (North Pole) to meet Santa then a Moon Buggy trip back to the terminal.
After it's trip to see Santa, I flew on it as UA 245 (IAD-SFO). The Biz class section was still decorated with garland in the overhead compartments and snow flakes in the rest rooms.
Nicely done UA! Thanks for doing the right thing!!
After it's trip to see Santa, I flew on it as UA 245 (IAD-SFO). The Biz class section was still decorated with garland in the overhead compartments and snow flakes in the rest rooms.
Nicely done UA! Thanks for doing the right thing!!
Dec 11, 2010, 11:23 pm
#129
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I saw the SFO fantasy flight last Saturday.. Sorry the photos are a bit blurry, but I was heading towards the gate for HNL
Dec 13, 2010, 2:06 pm
#130
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Heh...I like that fake EasyInfo screen, especially "Yummy Snacks."
Dec 13, 2010, 2:30 pm
#131
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Dec 13, 2010, 2:35 pm
#132
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I did not get back in time from LAS to see it this year but I am very happy to hear UA did it again this year.
Dec 13, 2010, 2:40 pm
#133
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Location: CLE
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United did these for several years at CLE when it had it's large operation here in late 1970's and 1980's. It still did it after the hub was closed a few times in the 1990's. CO just did it here on Saturday. It really is a great thing to do and it is appreciated by all the families. Kudo's to all the airline employees whi volunteer their time for this.
Dec 13, 2010, 4:33 pm
#134
Join Date: Sep 2010
Location: Arlington, VA
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The IAD Fantasy Flight was a 777. It didn't fly for the kids (according to our FA). She reported that it was a taxi, with the window shades down, to a hanger (North Pole) to meet Santa then a Moon Buggy trip back to the terminal.
After it's trip to see Santa, I flew on it as UA 245 (IAD-SFO). The Biz class section was still decorated with garland in the overhead compartments and snow flakes in the rest rooms.
Nicely done UA! Thanks for doing the right thing!!
After it's trip to see Santa, I flew on it as UA 245 (IAD-SFO). The Biz class section was still decorated with garland in the overhead compartments and snow flakes in the rest rooms.
Nicely done UA! Thanks for doing the right thing!!
I ran into some of the folks at IAD preparing for this early on Saturday AM. At least according to them the plan was to get into the air for a short flight and then return for the meeting that you described at a different terminal (there are no UA hangers at Dulles, are there?).
Either way, it's an amazing thing they're doing for these kids who really need the diversion. Hats off to all involved.
Dec 13, 2010, 5:02 pm
#135
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According to FlightAware, UA9895 from IAD did make a short flight. They even beat the block time by 24 minutes.