Grieving Delta Air Lines customer touched by heartfelt gesture from flight attendant

Delta Aire Lines customer Jeff Harper shows off photos of his late mother and sister. (Credit: Delta Air Lines) (Supplied)

For Jeff Harper, waiting at the gate to board his Delta flight months ago was a matter of life or death. He was on his way from Detroit to Idaho to say his final goodbyes to his older sister, Julie. Before he could board the plane, he got the call no one wants to receive. His sister, his only sibling, lost her battle with cancer. He was too late.

Surrounding passengers said Harper was very quiet and emotional during the flight.

Alex Maysonet, the leader of the flight crew, noticed how distraught he was while walking down the aisle. 

After a nearby passenger explained the situation to her, Maysonet took it upon herself to go the 'extra mile' and offer him some unexpected support.

Flight attendant Alex Maysonet wrote Jeff Harper a note when she noticed he was distraught on the flight to Idaho. (Credit: Delta Air Lines) (Supplied)

Maysonet put together a care package for Harper and included this thoughtful note inside:

"We are so incredibly sorry for your loss. Please do not hesitate to ask for anything we can do for you on our flight. You and your family are in our prayers. Thank you for flying with us."

Harper said he has held onto that package for months. His sister was the last of his close family members. He said his parents died a few years earlier.

"I was extremely touched. I had to immediately pull out a tissue because it was quite moving for me," Harper said.

Atlanta-based Delta Air Lines shared the heartwarming exchange to their website.

Alex Maysonet poses for a photo in her work uniform (Credit: Delta Air Lines) (Supplied)

"It makes me feel good knowing this made him feel better," Maysonet said. "The entire flight crew was willing to help gather items for the care package. It has always been important to me to make connections beyond just a ‘hello’ and ‘goodbye’ while we’re in flight."

Sometimes, the littlest things go the longest way.