Comforting, entertaining, and special: Former passengers pay tribute to Ian Epstein

CHARLOTTE — Former passengers say Ian Epstein was an incredibly special and memorable flight attendant. Following the announcement of his death, Channel 9 has heard from viewers across the country with stories about how Ian made their flight special.

Lizzie Jacobson of Lynchburg, Virginia, says she met Ian when she was flying with her baby daughter, Piper, in 2021. She says Piper was a little fussy, and Ian offered to hold her.

“He offered to take her, and I was like, sure, go ahead, take her. He didn’t walk too far away from us. He just stood really close and honestly held her for probably 25 minutes,” she said. “He was so great to ease my anxiety as a new mom.

At the time, everyone had to wear masks on board. Jacobson says Ian helped comfort Piper by briefly lowering his mask to talk to her and tell her behind every mask there’s a smile.

“He definitely was just such a nice guy, and it just eases your mind when people are kind and take the day to just make you smile,” she said. “He didn’t have to do that, but he did. It didn’t just make us happy, but all the passengers loved it.”

He comforted, and he entertained.

Alexander Goebel of Charleston, South Carolina, flies just about every other week, but no one stands out like Ian did.

“I fly alone by myself on almost every flight that I go on, and it felt like I was flying with somebody really,” he said. “It truly did. He was kind of like a companion, like a family member.”

He said he’ll never forget Ian’s sales pitch for the American Airlines credit card. He recorded the pitch where Ian touted the benefits of the card in a funny and witty way. At the end, he encouraged people to sign up on the plane because he and his co-flight attendant were trying to win a “white Jeep Grand Cherokee with a moon roof.”

Goebel was planning to post it when Ian won that Jeep Cherokee. His heart sank when he saw the news of his passing. But he wants people to know that Ian was special. And he has no doubt. He made the final flight for the 60 passengers special too.

“The way I look at it, after figuring out he was one of the flight attendants yesterday, it was kind of comforting to know that chances are, the passengers were having a good laugh in their final moments, and that he provided that to them,” he said. “So he was on there for a reason, I feel like for sure.”

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