Skip to content
Search AI Powered

Latest Stories

Qantas CEO Responds To 10-Year-Old's Adorable Letter Asking For Advice On Starting His Own Airline

Qantas CEO Responds To 10-Year-Old's Adorable Letter Asking For Advice On Starting His Own Airline
@Qantas and @electriccaves (Twitter)

On today's edition of News That Will Make Your Heart Smile, we'd like to share the story of how Alan Joyce, the CEO of Australian airline Qantas, made one little boy's heart soar.


Alex Jacquot is a 10-year-old boy, wrote to Joyce to ask for advice on operating his "airline,"Oceania Express."

"I have already started some stuff like what types of planes I'll need, flight numbers, catering and more," Jacquot wrote in part.

He added that and he chose to name himself and his co-founder CEOs. Additionally, he sought advice on hiring a chief financial officer, head of maintenance, head of onboard services and head of legal.

He also asked the CEO for advice on how to ensure that passengers sleep comfortably on a 25-hour flight from Sydney to London.

"Seeing as it is the school holidays, I have more time to work," he wrote. "But I don't have anything to do (that I can think of). Do you have any ideas of what I can do?"

Jacquot received a swift response from Joyce himself, which Qantas shared to its official Twitter account.

"Our competitors don't normally ask us for advice, but when an airline leader reached out, we couldn't ignore it," the company wrote. "Naturally, there was only one way to respond: CEO to CEO."

In his own letter, Joyce wrote that he doesn't typically provide advice to his competitors, but that he remembers when he "too was a young boy who was so curious about flight and all its possibilities."

"My number one tip for starting an airlines id to put safety front and center," Joyce wrote. "And do everything you can to make travel as comfortable and affordable as possible for your passengers."

He then invited Jacqout to a private meeting to "compare notes on what it's like to run an airline."

"I would like to invite you to a Project Sunrise meeting between myself, as the CEO of Australia's oldest airline, and you, as the CEO of Australia's newest airline," Joyce replied. "And I'd like to offer you a tour of our Operations Centre (where we keep an eye on every Qantas flight, wherever they are in the world."

The letters soon went viral and Qantas earned significant praise for taking a young boy and his dream of flying seriously.





Investment professional Paola Rojas summed things up rather well:



Jacquot, as you can imagine, was ecstatic, telling Brisbane-based radio station 4BC:

"I ripped open the envelope and I quickly read it and I was so excited, I was running around the house for ten minutes. I can't believe it."

We want to know how that meeting goes! Fly high, little one.

More from News

Trump Is Weirding Everyone Out With His Bizarre Comments About Whole Milk

Trump Is Weirding Everyone Out With His Bizarre Comments About Whole Milk

President Donald Trump was widely mocked after he made a clarification about "hole" vs. "whole" milk—yes, really—during a press conference about bringing whole milk back to schools.

Trump signed legislation on Wednesday restoring whole milk to school cafeteria menus, a move that reverses a 2012 Obama-era policy that restricted schools participating in the National School Lunch Program to serving only skim or low-fat milk, an effort aimed at curbing childhood obesity.

Keep ReadingShow less
Person behind bars
Photo by Ye Jinghan on Unsplash

Prison Guards Describe Times They've Seen Former Inmates After They Got Released

We all make mistakes, but there are certain mistakes and bad decisions that might lead us to believe that there's no way to have a good life after making such a wrong turn.

But according to some Redditors, there can be a great life ahead, even in the chapter after jail or prison.

Keep ReadingShow less
Screenshots from Redditor dreamthorp's video
u/dreamthorp/Reddit

Firefighter Dubbed A Hero For Trying To Kick Down Gamer Neighbor's Door After Hearing His Cries For Help

Not many of us genuinely have a story that ends with a laugh and, "It was all just a big misunderstanding!"

But Redditor dreamthorp had quite the story of misunderstanding to share, based on his post in the "ARC_Raiders" subReddit.

Keep ReadingShow less
Robert Pattinson (left) and Timothée Chalamet (right)
Lionel Hahn/Getty Images; A24

'Marty Supreme' Director Reveals That Robert Pattinson Played Key Role In Film—And Fans Are Stunned

Timothée Chalamet’s Marty Supreme has become both an awards-season darling and a box office juggernaut, delivering A24 its second-biggest opening ever and cementing its status as one of the year’s most buzzed-about films.

But amid the Golden Globe wins, Critics' Choice buzz, and widespread praise for Chalamet’s performance, one delightful detail slipped past even the most attentive fans.

Keep ReadingShow less
Dad playing with his child
MoMo Productions/Getty Images

Dad Sparks Backlash After Admitting He Can't Stand Spending More Than 10 Minutes With His Kids

Most people who have chosen to have kids and become parents love their children.

That said, we generally can only spend so much time with people, whether they're our loved ones or coworkers, before we need a little break. It's okay that parents might like an occasional break from their children, like having a nice dinner out.

Keep ReadingShow less