Lost Teddy bears flown home for a reunion and pizzas delivered to the cabin: The ultimate heart-warming acts of kindness by airlines revealed

  • A Delta Air Lines captain turned a plane around to collect a grieving family
  • Passengers on a delayed plane were treated to takeaway pizza by Delta  
  • BA flew a teddy bear 4,600 miles home to be reunited with its young owner 

Cramped cabins, lost luggage and delays mean airlines often generate grumbling among passengers, but sometimes they push the, well, boat out and do something that makes everyone's heart soar.

The captain who turned the plane around to pick up a grieving family and the airline who flew a teddy bear 4,600 miles home after it was lost in an airport are just two examples of positive PR being pushed forward at full throttle.

Here MailOnline Travel rounds up the ultimate examples of airlines turning on the charm.

Scroll down for video   

Delta Air Lines pilot turned plane around and returned to gate to pick up family... so they wouldn't miss their father's funeral

Rick Short's father Jay died of lung cancer aged 56 on December 16. His wish was to be buried with his family in Bolivar, Tennessee. A Delta aircraft went back to the gate to pick the family up so they could make the funeral

Rick Short's father Jay died of lung cancer aged 56 on December 16. His wish was to be buried with his family in Bolivar, Tennessee. A Delta aircraft went back to the gate to pick the family up so they could make the funeral

A Delta Airlines pilot was hailed a hero after he turned a plane around and picked up a family to ensure they made it to their father’s funeral.

The pilot made the decision after he spotted distraught family members, who were gathered at the gate after they arrived late due to an earlier delay, from his seat in the cockpit at Minneapolis-St Paul International Airport.

If not for the act of kindness, the Short family would have missed their connecting flight to Memphis

If not for the act of kindness, the Short family would have missed their connecting flight to Memphis

If not for the act of kindness, the Short family would have missed their connecting flight to Memphis – the last flight of the day – and likely would have missed the funeral the following morning.

Rick Short's father Jay died of lung cancer aged 56 on December 16. His wish was to be buried with his family in Bolivar, Tennessee.

The bear necessities: British Airways documents Pooh the teddy bear's extraordinary journey home to an eight-month-old boy after being left 4,600 miles behind in Buenos Aires

Once the family realised he had gone missing during their trip last month they took to social media to try and find their furry family member

Once the family realised he had gone missing during their trip last month they took to social media to try and find their furry family member

These adorable pictures show the moment a baby boy, who was devastated after leaving his beloved cuddly teddy bear 4,600 miles away in Argentina earlier this year, was reunited with his toy.

When Woody Cranmer left his treasured teddy 'Pooh' in Buenos Aires, the eight-month-old thought he would never see his lovable companion again.

The toy had been passed down from his father Scott, 30, from Wakefield, who was given Pooh as a baby.

Once the family realised he had gone missing during their trip last month they took to social media to try and find their furry family member.

And thankfully within days, Mr P Bear - now the owner of a gold executive club card - was located by the British Airways team and flown back to Leeds Bradford Airport, West Yorkshire, to be reunited with his anxious family.

When Woody Cranmer left his treasured teddy 'Pooh' in Buenos Aires, the eight-month-old thought he would never see his lovable companion again
The toy had been passed down from his father Scott, 30, from Wakefield, who was given Pooh as a baby

When Woody Cranmer left his treasured teddy 'Pooh' in Buenos Aires, the eight-month-old thought he would never see his lovable companion again

Lost... and found! Airport documents Ra Ra the teddy bear's extraordinarily cute journey home to a four-year-old girl after being left 1,800 miles behind in Toronto

RaRa the bear soon began his long journey back to Saskatchewan in Canada after being lost in Toronto

RaRa the bear soon began his long journey back to Saskatchewan in Canada after being lost in Toronto

One small teddy made the journey of a lifetime in September after it was accidentally left 1,800 miles behind at Toronto Pearson International Airport by four-year-old Phoebe Steel.

After discovering the much-loved stuffed toy was not with the family on the airplane, mother, Jen Heuvelmans Steel, messaged staff in a bid to track down Ra Ra the bear.

One day later Mrs Steel was informed that the toy, which was given to Phoebe as a baby, had been discovered in lost and found - and it was soon to begin a long journey back to Saskatchewan in Canada. 

After discovering the much-loved stuffed toy was not with the family on the airplane, mother, Jen Heuvelmans Steel, messaged staff in a bid to track down Ra Ra the bear
One day later Mrs Steel was informed that the toy, which was given to Phoebe (pictured) as a baby, had been discovered in lost and found

After discovering the much-loved stuffed toy was not with the family on the airplane, mother, Jen Heuvelmans Steel, messaged staff in a bid to track down Ra Ra the bear

Now THAT'S a pizza party! Airline orders takeaway for five planes full of stranded passengers who were diverted due to bad weather

Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport said that the weather - and a radar-confirmed tornado near the airport - was the reason behind the delays at the world’s busiest airport

Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport said that the weather - and a radar-confirmed tornado near the airport - was the reason behind the delays at the world’s busiest airport

Passengers on a delayed plane were treated to takeaway pizza by an airline when their flight was diverted last November.

The travellers on-board the Delta Airlines flight to Atlanta were given margherita and pepperoni pizzas while they waited to be given the all clear following a diversion to Columbia in South Carolina.

Photos of the takeaway feast, which was delivered to five of the airlines planes diverted to the airport, were posted on social media.

Flight attendant wins the hearts of thousands online after photograph emerges of him feeding an elderly passenger

Thomas Lim, who snapped the photo and shared it on Facebook, wrote online that he was touched by the act

Thomas Lim, who snapped the photo and shared it on Facebook, wrote online that he was touched by the act

A flight attendant won the hearts of people around the world after he was photographed feeding an elderly passenger on a Thai Airways flight.

The photo, captured by a fellow traveller on a flight from Bangkok to Kuala Lumpur, went viral on the internet.

Passengers who witnessed the moment were moved by flight attendant Chakkrit Ratanawethin’s kind gesture and heaped praise on him for helping the disabled man, who was unable to feed himself when a meal of garlic chicken and rice was served.

Canadian pilot diverts packed passenger jet to save the life of a dog in the hold after the cargo heating system broke at 38,000ft

Pilot decided to lose altitude and divert to Frankfurt International Airport, which is a major hub for Air Canada

Pilot decided to lose altitude and divert to Frankfurt International Airport, which is a major hub for Air Canada

An Air Canada pilot was declared a hero after he decided to divert a packed passenger jet to save the life of a pet dog being carried in the aircraft's hold after the cargo area's heating system failed.

The jet was travelling between Tel Aviv and Toronto last September when a warning light flashed in the cabin that the heater in the cargo hold was not functioning.

The Boeing 787 Dreamliner was about to cross the Atlantic when the system failed, meaning temperatures in the cargo hold could drop below freezing.

It is understood that the decision to divert the jet would have cost an additional $10,000 (£7,000) in fuel, but the French bulldog, Simba, 7, would have probably not survived the long ocean crossing in sub zero temperatures.

JetBlue erects hilarious interactive advert and surprises unassuming New York locals with FREE flight tickets

The virtual woman present on the advertising board put the unassuming locals through their paces first before making their day

The virtual woman present on the advertising board put the unassuming locals through their paces first before making their day

Budget airline JetBlue surprised a number of New York locals last June with free flight tickets as part of a humorous campaign.

The commercial featured an interactive advertising board designed to showcase the level of customer service provided by the company.

However, the virtual woman present on the advertising board put the unassuming locals through their paces first before making their day.

Some seem a bit dubious at first but before long they all follow the command and are instantly informed that they have received a free travel certificate.

The virtual woman then walks away from the screen before emerging through a door in person and presenting the people with their tickets.

Now that's a front row seat! Pilots circle over North Atlantic near Faroe Islands to give passengers ultimate view of total eclipse

For some eclipse chasers, a final destination wasn't required as a number of private charters set off for the sole purpose of seeing the phenomenon which won't happen again in northern Europe until 2026

For some eclipse chasers, a final destination wasn't required as a number of private charters set off for the sole purpose of seeing the phenomenon which won't happen again in northern Europe until 2026

Forget sanding in a clearing and squinting through the clouds for a glimpse of the eclipse, passengers on flights en route to Iceland got the view of a lifetime of the natural phenomenon in March 2015.

The flight path taken by the pilot of EasyJet's flight 6747 from Belfast shows an amusing squiggle as it approaches the Faroe Islands, one of just two places on Earth along with Norway's Svalbard archipelago where a total eclipse could be observed.

With a cluster of planes appearing to linger around the archipelago between the Norwegian Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, EZY6747's pilot gave those on board the Airbus A319 the best possible chance to capture the moment after taking off at 8.05am.

For some eclipse chasers, a final destination wasn't required as a number of private charters set off for the sole purpose of seeing the phenomenon which won't happen again in northern Europe until 2026.