Flight attendant’s son thought he was flying to California for his birthday — until his mom turned to the passengers with a request and left him stunn
Birthday trips are exciting. But it can be more thrilling when the surprise is revealed at the last moment. For Southwest Airlines flight attendant Danie, it was a special experience flying with her son Caleb for his birthday trip. Caleb thought they were headed to California, but his mother chose to break the surprise in a fun way, with a special request to the guests, leaving him stunned. Southwest Airlines' (@southwestair) official handle shared the adorable video on Instagram on December 19, 2025, captioning that the mother will have a hard time topping this surprise next year.
Danie had told Caleb they were flying to California to celebrate his birthday. As soon as they boarded, she called him over and announced to the passengers that Caleb thought they were going to California. However, she wanted the passengers to reveal to him where exactly the flight was heading. After the mom requested them to name the state on the count of three, the passengers shouted, "Hawaii." Hearing the news, the little boy was dumbstruck. He immediately hugged his mother as the passengers reacted to the sweet mother-son moment with cheers and claps.
Southwest Airlines, which shared the video, wrote, "Ok… but like how will she top this gift next year?!" Soon after the video was posted online, many users reacted to it with heartwarming comments. People were thrilled to witness the little boy's reaction and appreciated the mother for making the little boy's dream come true. They also lauded fellow passengers for positively taking part in the sweet moment.
@1i11ianmoze noted, "His little smile is getting bigger when he goes down the aisle. Bless this family's heart!" @machetemyke remarked, "My heart! I haven't been feeling well lately, and this just put the biggest smile on my face!" @kymdiamond420 expressed, "Goosebumps and tears because I remember when I was young, my mom would fly with me to Puerto Rico and spend time with family. May she RIP."
A mother's love knows no bounds. In another story, a teen named Ben Szaram was leaving for college when his mother decided to give a surprise that left him in tears. In his TikTok video, he revealed that his mother lined up all of his childhood toys around the room. "All my childhood toys came to say bye," he wrote. The toys were also accompanied by a sign at the entrance from his mother that read, "We love you." The sweet gesture by his mother brought him to tears, as the toys held a special place in his life. Interestingly, all of the toys were lined up in the order in which he received them as a kid.
For more such videos, you can follow @southwestair on Instagram.