The flight had to change its course, the pilot announced over the intercom Thursday afternoon.

Fortunately, the announcement did not cause any panic among the passengers.

“Santa has welcomed us to Christmas Island where his elves are eagerly waiting for us,” the pilot cheerfully stated.

This brought about cheers from everyone on board.

The passengers, along with the flight crew—which included several people adorned in festive costumes—were on United Airlines flight 3894 heading from Honolulu International Airport to the North Pole.

This particular journey marked the beginning of United Airlines’ Fantasy Flights, which consists of 13 special flights aimed at bringing holiday cheer to families in need. These journeys are intended for families who have children coping with the loss of a loved one who died while serving in the military or those caring for a child battling cancer. The flights were organized in collaboration with local hospitals and charitable organizations that identified the families to be invited.

The flights are short, taking the families on a scenic route towards the southeast past Maui before returning to Honolulu. There, the children are greeted and escorted to an elaborately decorated hangar that has been transformed into a winter wonderland by United staff, including retirees and volunteers.

“Many little kids have never been on an airplane before,” explained Lena Wong, a customer service agent at United who organized this year’s event and has participated in Hawaii’s Fantasy Flights since 2017. “They are so thrilled just with the flight, and especially when they arrive here, I think some kids feel like they’ve actually gone to Christmas. It’s amazing how resilient so many of these children are.”

Approximately 125 children and their accompanying adults gathered at Honolulu International Airport for this special Fantasy Flight. They started by checking in, where they had a unique “passport photo” taken and received a real ticket with the airport code JOY, headed for the North Pole. They were warmly welcomed by costumed characters, including Disney princesses, as well as Mickey and Minnie Mouse.

“For many, this is a once-in-a-lifetime experience,” remarked Alex Wereszczynskyj, the development director at HUGS Hawaii, a partner organization that assists families with children facing life-threatening illnesses. “A lot of our families are financially burdened due to medical expenses, so they may not have the opportunity to travel this year. This event helps fill that void, and who wouldn’t want to visit the North Pole and meet Santa?”

For the Mailo family, it was the first flight they had taken since the pandemic started. “It means a lot for us to spend time together,” said Tony Mailo, who attended with his wife Leslie Ann and their son, Amadeus. They were invited by HUGS, an organization they’ve collaborated with for five years since Amadeus was diagnosed with cancer.

“It was truly incredible, almost magical,” Leslie Ann reflected. When they arrived at the ticket counter and “saw the marquee displaying ‘North Pole'”, she added, “there was a lot of thought put into that; it was just beautiful. We are extremely grateful.”

The families boarded a plane lavishly decorated with holiday ornaments for a 30-minute flight over Maui and Molokai. Snack bags were distributed, and cheerful music played through the intercom.

The plane landed at a location the flight crew referred to as Christmas Island. At the ‘North Pole’ in the festive hangar in Honolulu, families could play games, win prizes, enjoy hula performances, join in on face painting, and have a special dinner together. Each child received a gift from their wish list that was purchased by United Airlines and presented to them by Santa himself.

“It’s incredibly special, deeply personal,” said Wong, the event organizer.

More than 150 volunteers and United staff contributed to making this event a reality.

“Planning such an event involves a lot of logistics and countless hours from volunteers,” stated Wong. “We are really lucky to have so many amazing volunteers who are willing to dedicate their time and even their own funds to help organize this event.”

In the upcoming week, United will host additional Fantasy Flights providing similar joyful experiences for children and their families at several airports including Cleveland Hopkins International Airport in Ohio, Chicago O’Hare International Airport, Denver International Airport, Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport in Florida, Antonio B. Won Pat International Airport, George Bush Intercontinental Airport, London Heathrow Airport, Los Angeles International Airport, Newark Liberty International Airport, San Francisco International Airport in California, Tokyo Narita International Airport, and Washington-Dulles International Airport in Virginia.