Families: Life in the Skies

Cy-Fair airline industry employees make friendly connections on the fly

Fall 2013

Life in the Skies 2

If you love to travel, working for an airline is to one of the best ways to do it. Employees put on a uniform and a smile to greet a revolving planeload of passengers, but off-duty, they and their families travel at generous discounts or with passes. The opportunities and flexibility of a flight crew job offer domestic and international horizons far overreaching those of a 9-5 office job.

“If you want to fly a lot or a little, and have seniority with the airline, you can job-share your monthly schedule,” says Renee Kirkes. A flight attendant for 14 years with Continental Airlines, who merged with United Airlines, Kirkes is married with two young daughters. She is generally gone one or two nights week, working a circuit that takes her from Houston to Chicago to Seattle and home again. “The job keeps me sane. Moms don’t get enough credit for being at home, but with a 10-hour layover, I get to recharge,” Kirkes says. “I feel appreciated and have the best of both worlds.” Continue reading “Families: Life in the Skies”