Elderly Barbershop Quartet in 5-Hour Flight Delay Unexpectedly Start Serenading Fed-Up Passengers

(Illustration - Shutterstock)

You’ve boarded the plane, you’ve read the safety instructions (only joking; does anybody read the safety instructions?), and you’ve buckled your seat belt. What’s the last thing you want to hear? A flight delay.

Well, passengers on a US Airways flight from Indianapolis to New Orleans were subjected to a massive 5-hour delay after boarding the plane. Citing “maintenance issues,” reported WTHR, the flight crew delivered the bad news, and everybody on board settled in for a long and boring wait.

That was until a completely unexpected form of pre-flight entertainment rose from four seats toward the center of the plane. Indiana flight attendant Kari Mann whipped out her mobile phone, and the uplifting footage she captured went viral.

Illustration - Shutterstock | Matej Kastelic

Determined to make the most of the extra five hours tacked onto their journey, Mann started hunting around for a way to make the delay more bearable for everyone.

“I started talking to the passengers,” Mann later regaled on her YouTube page, “and realized we had a barbershop quartet in our presence. I asked them to sing, and most of the passengers began video taping!”

Have a watch for yourself and you'll see why.

The cheerfully optimistic quartet was all too happy to hymn a few melodic tunes to entertain their fellow passengers, and we think a whopping 8.1 million views attest to their talent!

The Maine-based singers, known as Port City Sound, treated the entire plane with a rendition of The Drifters’ classic “Under the Boardwalk” before turning to Mann and serenading her directly. Mann, and the previously grumpy plane passengers, were thrilled.

After Mann uploaded her video, viewers from around the world raised two figurative thumbs up to the four men who made a frustrating situation bearable. “It is amazing how much better I feel about my job, and even myself, when I am able to help people smile,” Mann added in the video’s comments section.

“Sometimes when people are fighting over leg room and overhead space, I forget that there could be a reason why they are so stressed out,” she continued. “All they need is encouragement and a smile to change their attitude, which in turn changes mine.”

Eventually, the long wait was over, and the plane was on its way. Passengers may have lost five hours, but they certainly gained a heartwarming anecdote that will entertain friends and family for years to come.

As for Port City Sound, they continue to document their escapades on Facebook. These days, it seems they have chosen to specialize in singing Valentines!

“It was such a great moment,” Mann reflected. “The mood changed and our passengers were awesome for the whole five hours they were on the plane. Thank you to Port City Sound for creating a wonderful memory!”

It wasn’t the in-flight entertainment that US Airways passengers were expecting, but it certainly did the trick. If you ever find yourself searching for the perfect remedy for a long, stressful flight, then maybe ask around your fellow passengers.

You might just unearth some hidden talent to help your journey along.