One hour after takeoff from London’s Heathrow Airport on an intercontinental flight to the U.S., the pilot announced the aircraft was returning, “because my windshield just shattered.” After gasps from passengers, he calmly announced there was no danger, but there would be a long delay to secure and load a different aircraft. 

Once safely on the Heathrow tarmac, the pilot invited passengers to come up to the cockpit to see the windshield, something he’d never even heard of happening. Everyone got a wide-eyed story to tell friends and families. During the wait, flight attendants served gourmet snacks. There was an update every 15–20 minutes, and the captain came through the plane to reassure passengers and candidly answer questions. A few days later, passengers received a sincere apology letter from the airline CEO, along with 11,000 frequent flyer points. 

 …