Mijn KLM moment • Interview in The Herald
In oktober 2019 gaf KLM een feestelijke editie van de The Herald uit ter ere van het 100-jarig bestaan van de KLM. In deze verscheen een interview met mij over mijn KLM-moment.
A lesson in life
Amanda Nugteren is a Dutch business coach who teach the essential value of human interaction.
“On my way home to the Netherlands from Curaçao recently, I was checking in my baggage at the airport. Everything went smoothly except that one of my cases was a bit too big to qualify as hand luggage. I did not make an issue out of it: the woman at the check-in desk weighed the suitcase and was about to put it on the belt. Then I suddenly realised it contained important documents relating to my mother who died in March of this year. I had to have them with me on the plane. “Wait!”, I exclaimed. When I had explained the situation, the woman retrieved the case and was very understanding. She didn’t even charge me extra to have it with me in the cabin.
I went through customs and co the departure gate. I had just entered the jet bridge leading to the plane when she hurried over with a big smile. “Did you get the blue card?” she asked. When I said I hadn’t, she asked me to wait there and disappeared. I waited. And waited. The plane filled up with passengers and I wasn’t sure whether to wait any longer. I was half-way down the jet bridge when she rushed up to me again and handed me a little blue card. On the back was a hand-written message of condolence, wishing me strength during this difficult time. I was immensely touched. And just had time to give her a thank you hug. I will always remember that encounter. It was a lesson in life. And it reinforced my belief in the importance of human contact in this digital age.”