Nearly 80 Airplane Passengers Surprise Co-Pilot Before His Wedding by Writing Marriage Advice on Napkins (Exclusive)

Mar. 15, 2025

Photo:Courtesy John Phan

Courtesy John Phan

An engaged co-pilot couldn’t stop smiling after a sweet surprise from his crew and passengers.

“I told the captain that I would try to do something memorable,” Phan tells PEOPLE.

He continues, “The first thought that came to my mind was how ironic that this event was taking place on this flight because we were flying from San Antonio to Dallas that day.”

Passengers wrote relationship advice on beverage napkins.Courtesy John Phan

They were flying “The Texas Triangle,” which refers to SWA’s origin story. The story goes: More than 50 years ago, two men — Rollin King and Herb Kelleher — walked into a bar in San Antonio and drew a simple triangle on a cocktail napkin. They wrote “Dallas” at the apex of the triangle, “San Antonio” on the bottom left and “Houston” on the bottom right to represent their business plan, which was to fly between the cities several times a day, every day.

“LUV was born that day,” Phan tells PEOPLE. SWA’s ticker symbol, LUV, comes from the company’s early love-themed marketing.

Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer​​, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

One passenger wrote, “Always put each other first,” before adding, “Never stop dating!”

“Enjoy the moments not in the air — those will mean the most to your wife,” signed a pilot and his wife.

John Phan, Warren Wudtke and Curtis Merdan.Courtesy John Phan

The crew collected the napkins from passengers as they secured the cabin for arrival. They also quickly created a “Love is in the Air” crown for Wudtke to wear.

“After we arrived at the gate and the cockpit door opened, I made an announcement congratulating the first officer, and asked the passengers to give a round of applause,” Phan says.

A shocked Wudtke was then presented with the crown and napkins. Almost all 76 passengers participated in the surprise.

“Of course, the mood was infectious,” Phan tells PEOPLE. “The passengers wished the first officer well-wishes as they deplaned, and the first officer was overwhelmed with such ‘LUV’ and kindness from our passengers and crew.”

Wudtke married Jenna Ryan on Oct. 18 at Cog Hill Golf and Country Club in Lemont, Illinois.

source: people.com