A mum has told how she found a new pair of wings traveling the world for work after her British Airways cabin crew daughter inspired her to join the ranks.
Christine Barnes, 66, said “the world opened up to me” as soon as she took office in 2011.
Now, he leads a team of 22 crew members as a flight manager aboard the Airbus A380 and has “lost count” of how many countries he has visited, with Saudi Arabia next on his bucket list.
Her lightbulb moment to change career came when she accompanied her daughter Sophie, 36, on a work trip and saw how much she enjoyed the role.
“I loved the professionalism and camaraderie of the team,” he said. “I felt like I needed to be a part of this lifestyle and was looking for a new challenge.”
Christine Barnes (right) decided to retrain as a British Airways flight attendant after seeing how much her daughter Sophie (left) enjoyed the role.
Mother and daughter worked together on their first flight to Philadelphia. Here, in the photo in a hotel in the American city.
Sophie, now a BA customer services trainer and sometimes flying as an onboard manager, encouraged her mother to apply for the job, convinced that Christine could bring skills from her previous career as a salon owner and hairdresser.
Although the training was “a challenge,” Christine said the work has been incredible so far and she has no plans to stop anytime soon.
“Some members of our family were very surprised when I decided to change careers at a time when most people my age were relaxing and thinking about retirement,” he said.
“I couldn’t believe the places I went weekly and the experiences I’ve shared with other team members, most of whom are still friends.”
Seven years after taking up the role, Sophie moved from Gatwick Airport to Heathrow, where her mother also resides.
The pair then worked on their first (and only) flight together, to Philadelphia, USA.
LEFT: Christine holding Sophie at her baptism in 1991. RIGHT: The team knows the couple as ‘Sophie’s Mum’ and ‘Christine’s Daughter’.
Christine said it was great to show her daughter the ins and outs aboard the plane and visit Philadelphia’s Rocky Steps together during the layover.
In the style of the BBC show ‘The Traitors’, where contestants often have to hide their true identities, they decided not to tell their teammates that they were related until they landed in the United States.
“It was very strange pretending we didn’t know each other,” Sophie said.
“Once the crew found out, they were surprised but could see the similarities.”
The couple are now known to the team as “Sophie’s mum” and “Christine’s daughter” and said they would love for their whole family to experience the “amazing lifestyle”.
LEFT: Sophie, as a child, in Orlando, USA RIGHT: Sophie and Christine photographed in front of the Spinnaker Tower, Portsmouth
Other fun moments include when Sophie hopped on a flight to Vienna and surprised her mother at the boarding gate.
“She had no idea I would be accompanying her on the flight,” he said.
‘It was really fun to see her so confused about why I was there. I wish I could have captured it.’
christina He said he hasn’t experienced as many challenges as he thought, having changed careers at age 55.
‘“I am healthy for my age and I believe that to be a member of the crew you have to be resilient,” she said.
Christine leads a team of 22 crew members as a flight manager on board the Airbus A380.
Sophie encouraged her mother to apply for the job, convinced that Christine could bring skills from her previous career as a salon owner and hairdresser. Here, the couple is photographed on a trip to New York in 2014.
In fact, she found that becoming a member of the team later in life helped her adapt to the role and be a good manager.
‘“I don’t feel homesick when I’m away, but I do look forward to getting home after a trip,” he said.
‘I often feel like a mother at work and find that I can draw on the experiences of raising three children in my managerial role. “It’s important as a manager to listen to and take care of my team.”
Sophie shared her mother’s feelings and put the sky as the limit.
“It’s never too late to start a new career or try something different,” he said.