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Video: Two-year-old's fist-bump greeting aboard flight goes viral

Two-year-old's greeting aboard flight goes viral
Posted at 12:41 PM, Jul 29, 2017
and last updated 2017-08-01 12:50:11-04

More than ever, flying on an airplane can be stressful for many Americans.

But sometimes all it takes is a simple "hello" to help ease the stress of air travel. Or in some cases, a fist bump.

Alya Jakubowicz posted a video on Instagram last week of her two-year-old son, Guy, boarding a Southwest flight from Kansas City to Chicago.

But instead of walking quietly and avoiding eye contact like most of us do when boarding, Guy set out to make friends with the entire flight.

Southwest Airlines also posted video out, which has been shared nearly 8,000 times on Facebook.

"When he was 18-months-old we were stuck on the runway in Dallas waiting to depart to New Orleans. He was getting antsy so I let him loose in the aisle," Jakubowicz said. "Some fun gentlemen then taught him to fist bump. I think that really stuck with Guy because he loves to fist bump and does it everywhere he goes."

Guy could be seen in the video greeting and fist-bumping passengers. Even the flight attendant, Amy, joins in the fun.

Guy even waited at times until someone looked up to pay him attention.

"Grown men were chuckling and laughing, saying how great he was. He even encouraged those with their heads in a screen to look up and interact in a positivity way. He actually waited until they did," Jakubowicz recalled.

Jakubowicz said she encourages her kids to greet everyone as they board a flight to help put other passengers at ease. Her six-year-old daughter also welcomes everyone to the flight when she is on a plane, she said.

"Whenever a child, especially a young child, boards a flight I think it is only natural for the passengers to be a bit uneasy about how their flight will go," Jakubowicz said. "I always felt if those people sitting among us first liked or even fell in love with my kids they would be a bit more patient if my children suddenly acted out during the flight."