In June of 2025, my wife and I travelled with our then 1 year old son Henryk to Poland. It was his second flight ever and his first international flight. Like many parents, we were nervous – nervous that he wouldn’t sleep, would cry the whole time and of course that we would be those passengers that disturbed others.
As our journey began, KLM provided exceptional service and our son thankfully rested in solace. Our flight attendant was efficient in her job duties but more importantly, she was genuine in her approach and care. She made eye contact, smiled and of course asked about Henryk. Where were we headed? How old was he? Had he flown before?
When she learned it was his first international flight, she smiled and disappeared for a moment. She came back with something we didn’t expect: a little baby flight kit.
Inside was a children’s eye mask, a kids bag tag, a coloring kit, and a handwritten note congratulating Henryk on his first international journey.
It was such a small thing and likely cost KLM a few dollars. Operationally, it took the flight attendant maybe three minutes of her shift, but in that moment we felt the magic of true hospitality. Our family felt seen, heard and that we mattered. The flight attendant helped turned what could have been a stressful flight into something special and memorable. Henryk still has his little baby kit and we still have the note. He’s not quite old enough to color just yet, but when he is, rest assured we will use it!
Scalable Intimacy
Will Guidara calls this “scalable intimacy” in his book Unreasonable Hospitality. It’s the art of creating personalized, memorable moments – at scale.
At his restaurant Eleven Madison Park, they had a “hangover kit” for guests who looked a little worse for wear the morning after. At KLM, they have baby flight kits for little travelers, and maybe even other gifts for different occasions. KLM has probably given out thousands of these kits on flights around the world. But it was the first time we received it, and I can only imagine we were among the many who felt a bit of magic from this moment.
What Hospitality Leaders Can Learn
So what can hotel and restaurant leaders take from this?
Ask questions and listen closely. That flight attendant could have just served drinks and moved on. Instead, she asked about Henryk. She learned our story, listened closely and identified an opportunity for authentic hospitality. Train your team to be curious about guests – not intrusive, but genuinely interested. The questions unlock the opportunity, but you must listen to identify it.
Build systems for intimacy. You don’t need to invent something personal for every guest. Create repeatable moments that feel personal. First-time guests. Anniversary dinners. Business travelers who’ve stayed 10+ nights. Families with young children. Build the system, then train your team to recognize the moment.
Small gestures, big impact. That kit probably cost KLM $5, but the loyalty it created was priceless. My wife and I are already planning another trip. We’re flying KLM. Not because they have the cheapest fares or the most convenient schedule, but because a flight attendant took three minutes to make our son’s first international flight special.
The best hospitality doesn’t always require grand gestures. Sometimes it’s just noticing – and showing someone you noticed.
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