Confessions of a Qantas Flight Attendant: True Tales and Gossip from the Galley

by Owen Beddall

Want to know what really goes on on an aeroplane? Let's go behind the scenes and fly high with these tall tales and gossip from the galley!

Everyone wants to be a flight attendant, or at least they want to know about the cushy lifestyle they lead – flying to exotic destinations, swanning about in five-star hotels, daytime lazing around the pool and night-time tabletop dancing with Bollywood stars. At last the lid is lifted. Come on board a real airline with a real flight attendant and find out what really goes on.

In Confessions of a Qantas Flight Attendant – True Tales and Gossip from the Galley, Owen Beddall dishes the dirt – he tells you the things you always wanted to know (and maybe a few things you didn't) about the glamorous world of flying. This book is packed with cabin crew adventures and misadventures in and out of that smart uniform in far flung places. There's sex, drugs and lots of celebrity gossip; Katy Perry, Lily Allen, Kylie Minogue, Venus Williams and Cate Blanchett – are all in the galley having a gossip with Owen.

Confessions of a Qantas Flight Attendant is a hilariously bumpy ride around the world with a very funny man.

Genres: Nonfiction, Memoir, Biography, Travel, Australia

304 pages, Paperback

First published July 1, 2014

Reviews

[LoLo · Rating 1 out of 5]

As a former flight attendant, news and books about the industry always attract my interest. Confessions of a QANTAS Flight Attendant is only my third book on the subject and I was hoping for a few laughs and a nice nostalgic trip down memory lane.

Beddall worked as both a domestic and international flight attendant for over ten years, slowly climbing his way up the strict professional hierarchy of QANTAS. His travels took him to many countries and included a two year stint based in London. In his biography he exposes the scandalous secrets of the glamourous world of the international cabin crew – the parties, the drugs, the sex and the inside gossip from some of the worlds biggest names.

You could easily be forgiven upon finishing this biography for thinking that the life of a flight attendant is just one extended free holiday and occasionally - once in a blue moon - one pours a coffee or two. I flew for a domestic airline for fourteen months, and while there are certainly some strong differences in the work between domestic and international, very few stories like Owen Beddalls made their way through the Galley Gossip. My airline consisted of crew from many airlines with varying years in the field, yet the stories of freely popping drugs, drinking all night and the casual colonic irrigation were not stories that routinely cropped up.

You would also not be faulted for believing that every pilot was a walking unfaithful petri dish or that every young cabin crew girl had no other goal than sleeping with them. Yet I can count on one hand the number of examples I have of infidelity or scandals for the very reason that Beddall mentions - ‘You don’t shit where you eat’ - and most staff knew better than to get involved in the office or were at least smart enough to keep it quiet.

In my experience, and I fully acknowledge that I am not a party girl, after working a shift up to 9 hours 45 minutes each day that required keeping at least five hundred people over four flights happy, most crew were not planning to go bar hopping all night. Our first discussions in the crew bus were most likely to do with food (you inhaled what you could on the run between cleaning the toilets, collecting rubbish and handing out more drinks) and possibly a drink or two before TV and bed. Considering how strictly alcohol and drug use is monitored (staff are warned some cold medications will trigger a positive test), and how Cabin Supervisors and Pilots must assess a staff member for being fit to work, I find it very hard to believe that Beddall and his colleagues were so quick to drink all night, pop pills whilst on duty and constantly maintain themselves on a cocktail of sleeping tablets, uppers and downers.

Disappointingly for me, this book focuses less on the work and more on the partying around the world. As I had said before, that is not my lifestyle, and I wanted to hear more about his job than about what he got up to in his spare time – a few episodes of Sex and the City or any other ‘young persons show’ about partying away the singles years could have fulfilled the same requirement. What I wanted was the stories of the passengers: the medical emergencies, the crew disagreements and the general insanity of being confined to a very small space with a huge number of strangers.

Yet Beddall shows a complete lack of respect and regard for any passenger that didn’t allow for a delightful dose of name dropping. I heard all about famous tennis players, rock stars, and household celebrities – any name that can quickly sell a book. Even if there was a disappointing lack of the hijinks of the everyday passenger, his dismissal of them was embarrassing. After all, who do you think pays for those hotels, crew allowances and all that stolen booze, cupcake? It’s those pesky unwashed, poorly trained animals that have the ability to make or break your airline with their customer feedback. All airlines make huge profits from their freight charges, not their passengers, but freight doesn’t thank you at the end of the flight, or praise the company to their friends and family and without good press an airline will never get off the ground.

I’ve worked in customer service for ten years, and sometimes it is hard work. People take out their bad days on you, when anything goes wrong it’s always your fault and if it does go wrong the bad ones won’t hesitate to remind you that they pay your salary. We’ve all experienced the dirty nappy handed to you while you scoff your dinner, or the passenger that doesn’t care that CASA requires you to fold up the tray table and open the blinds. We’ve all experienced the self-important business people that expect preferential treatment, have to get somewhere way more urgently than anyone else and we’ve all had the unhappy babies and the projectile vomiting babies (twice in one week). If you’re unlucky enough, you’ll also unfortunately experience those bad days when your crew are abused or assaulted, or a passenger becomes very ill. This is the job you sign on for, are trained for and it is because of all of these people (good and bad) that you get paid to travel and have exciting adventures. However there are always more good customers than bad, all with different opinions and life experiences that it’s a delight to talk to and making them feel safe and happy and walking away with a smile is what gave my day value.

The real purpose of this book quickly makes itself known towards the end of the story. Throughout his years Beddall has witnessed some terrible things: crew have been robbed, attacked, raped and been in other awful, life threatening situations. There have accidents, most of which ended with a laugh and a good story to tell, up until Beddall fell during training exercises and broke his spine in three places. Beddall has all of my sympathies for his plight – an accident like that is terrible and has far reaching and devastating consequences. Yet, at least according to his account of events, Beddall did not have the sympathies or support of his employer and after a prolonged period of nastiness, he left the company.

QANTAS is certainly not the only company with a shameful attitude towards sick and injured staff members – every company is concerned with the bottom line and I myself have heard and seen examples of an airline not caring for its staff as promised – not to mention as is legally obligated. Now is a very good time to be angry at your employer – especially since public opinion of QANTAS is plummeting over reports of mass redundancies, sending work overseas, cost cutting and the most recent financial struggles. While I in no way wish to demean Beddalls struggles or his feelings of betrayal, his lack of subtlety in the agenda to attack QANTAS certainly sours the experience of the book.

This biography reeks of trying to make money – the name dropping with celebrity passengers, the battle for compensation and the attempts to maintain the illustrious and glamourous illusion of a partying lifestyle – and its poor writing and structuring make it clear that they are rushing to strike while the iron is hot.

[Karen ⊰✿ · Rating 2 out of 5]

The synopsis is mostly true in that this book certainly is full of confessions of a flight attendant about all the drugs, sex, and partying he did while flying around the world. He also nonchalantly describes how he willingly stole items from the plane, for himself or to give to high profile guests, went to work drunk or out of his mind on elicit drugs, but never apologises for this as "everyone" did it.

There are some tidbits about when he met some celebrities, but don't think this book has any explosive celeb gossip. In fact, as the book goes on it is clear that Owen is carrying an awful lot of baggage around (pardon the pun!) about how he feels Qantas mistreated him and became too profit driven. It strikes me as vastly hypocritical that the same person willingly stealing from his employer and working well under the influence, never connects the dots to how that behaviour can contribute to a culture ; and to increased costs.

Owen is not a writer and it is a shame this book wasn't better edited to create more of a free flowing story. For the most part it is "I did this, and then that happened, and then I did this, and she said that" etc.

Overall this was an interesting enough look "behind the scenes", but ultimately a disappointing one. 2.5 stars

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for providing me with a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

[Amanda · Rating 1 out of 5]

Wow - this guy is not someone you want to cross. He is pissed off after a messy workplace injury and this book feels like it was written as a major payback. It is such a pity - there was so much potential for a great read… but instead it was a poorly written account of countries he's visited, parties he's been at, how drunk he's been, how much he hates economy passengers (although business and first class passengers are also fodder for his whingefest), how much he hates Qantas, how much he hates actually working (god forbid he's asked to do something helpful in his job apart from gossip in the galley), which famous celebrities he's had a 'moment' with (the name dropping and BFF's after one conversation got stale fairly quickly) and how much he loves lounging at the hotel pools, eating and drinking. He may also have mentioned that he is gay 50 billion times.
Had to force myself to finish it because he was so unlikable.

[Kyle Wadsworth · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love this book! Spent quite a few late nights reading about this world and really enjoyed it. Will make me think differently when I board my next plane!

[Andreas Porwanto · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun, heartwarming and awesome! This book offers insights and a tell-all on Owen's journey as a former Qantas flight attendant. I enjoyed it very much. By the end of the book, I felt sympathetic towards him and I thought he made the best choice. So can't wait to read other airlines/FA-related books!

[Cheyenne Blue · Rating 5 out of 5]

Most careers have their insider gossip, tall tales, and workplace bonding. Get any bunch of nurses, or lawyers, or telephone sales people together, and you’ll hear a slew of outrageous stories about Mr and Ms General Public and how badly and wierdly they behave. Then, as the drinks flow, you’ll hear lots of stories about how terrible are the working conditions, and how badly staff are treated.

Reading “Confessions of a Qantas Flight Attendant” is like sitting in a bar with a bunch of hosties, and listening to the stories getting wilder and louder as the evening goes on. It’s funny, entertaining, and engagingly told. Beddall (and his ghost writer) write well, and this is a page turning easy read.

Most of the book is taken up with tales from the various Qantas destinations, and these do get a bit samey after a while, despite the very different locations. Drink, party, crew gossip, gay nightclub, random sex, get absolutely stonkered, get robbed, crash out in the hotel. Oh, wait, get bitten by a snake. That’s different. There’s not too much destination information, but then this isn’t a tourist guide.

Most interesting was the insider information on how the crew deal with the pressures of flying, how the service actually works, some fabulous put-downs for pushy passengers (particularly to the obnoxious racist who objected to someone of color sitting next to her), and details of exactly what goes on in the crew rest areas. Also interesting is how crew rosters are worked out, long haul vs short haul flights, and the minutae of a flight attendant’s life. Call me strange, but I love reading that stuff. I would have liked a few more nightmare passenger stories–after all, who hasn’t experienced passengers that make you want to crawl into a bottle of gin and stay there—or maybe a few more tips on having a trouble-free trip, or tips on the ins and outs of seating plans, upgrades, and the drinks trolley round.

Beddall’s time with Qantas ended badly: he suffered a fall and broke his back. Qantas’ care and return to work program (or lack thereof) seems to have left a very sour taste in his mouth which colors the final part of the book.

Flight attendants seem to work hard and play hard – and there’s a lot of hard work and interaction with the public at their very worst. Hats off to all of them.

I can’t give this less than 5 stars, despite wishing for a bit more variety of content in some sections, because it was such an entertaining read.

[Jane Tara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Confessions of a Qantas Flight Attendant walked the fine line between an entertaining memoir and a bitter hatchet job on an ex employer, and for the most part it walked that line well. It’s a chatty and interesting look into a fascinating world, and how that world has changed.

Owen Beddall was a Qantas flight attendant for 15 years before a work injury saw the company he loved turn on him. He lifts the lid on the flight attendant lifestyle: the exotic destinations and five star hotels; the parties, drugs and celebrity gossip.

As a traveller, I found the different routes fascinating; I loved reading about the countries Owen based himself in and the hierarchy for different flights. It’s clear this is Beddall’s revenge on Qantas, and at times that’s a little uncomfortable, but mostly I enjoyed reading about the company ethics, workplace politics and what goes on in the galley while we passengers are belted into our seats.

Reading Confessions of a Qantas Flight Attendant was like sitting down with a gay friend and a bottle of Chardonnay as he related all his fabulous tales to you. When I saw the thanks to the ghost writer in the acknowledgements I wondered if that’s what actually happened—she just transcribed what Beddall said over a bottle of vino. It had that flow to it. It was conversational and reeled you in.

There were bits I skipped over, and I would’ve liked to read more about Beddall’s background, but overall it was a thoroughly entertaining read.

I received a copy via Netgalley in exchange for a honest review.

[Xanthi · Rating 2 out of 5]

Even though I enjoyed this book, it gets 2 instead of 3 stars from me for a few reasons.
Firstly, it isn't well written - even GHOST written. There are some themes to each chapter but what follows from there are anecdotes shoved together, under that theme. What the reader ends up with is a disjointed tale.
Also, there is repetition. The author is gay and he will remind you of this over and over again. Oh, and he is part indigenous, which he will remind you of a few times too.
The name dropping got tedious and at times, so toadying that it almost made me cringe, reading it.
Then there is the issue of using a word, several times, whilst meaning something quite different. 'Bartering' is NOT the same as 'haggling'. Why didn't the author, ghost author, and their editor pick up on this? The author talks about the process of 'bartering' with a Chinese woman to get some product discounts. It was obvious by what he described of that experience, that what he was doing was arguing back and forth (haggling) over the prices and NOT trying to swap things with her (bartering).
What I did enjoy about this story, however, was the way the author gave insights into the industry that us consumers might not have been aware of. Add to that, the pitfalls of the job (yes, there is the travel, the partying, some perks etc. but it comes at a price), and I will now look at hosties in a new light on my next flight.

[marlin1 · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars.
I really enjoy a fun memoir and this book certainly held my attention.
Owen Beddall was a Qantas flight attendant for 14 years before a work training accident ended his career.
He joined Qantas in the early 2000's, in what seemed to be Qantas's heyday. Being a flight attendant on international legs, Owen describes the cabin hierarchy, the high life (crew parties, drugs, drinking, gay bars), the secrets of looking good at the end of each long flight and other little titbits.
This isn't really a 'gossip' book name dropping big stars, a number are mentioned but not in any great detail. Owen describes his life in different cities, trying to maintain relationships and some of the 'back room' antics that happen on flights and in hotel rooms with the cabin crew amongst other things.
He also described Qantas management change of attitude to it's workers as it changed from a Australian carrier to a semi private enterprise. Although the perks were extreme in the early days, it was interesting to see how this changed when Qantas had to become responsible for a 'bottom line'. I could feel Owen's bitterness towards Qantas after his work place accident and some of his observations certainly gave me some food for thought.
Overall an entertaining read
Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for a copy to review.

[Rohan Randall · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book had so much promise. I was excited. BUT its just got no substance, is structured in a very dull way and does not deliver on its tantalising cover! Instead its a mediocre, badly written book about one persons banal life as a hostie. The stories are not interesting. I stopped reading half way and I rarely do this. I also threw the book in the bin as have no intention of finishing it. The book is a cash in on a half baked career in Qantas and a bid for pseudo celebrity status. So disappointed

[Tash · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was fine.

I enjoyed parts, but it was boring. As a former ground staff member I always thought that crew seemed to think they had it real hard but really had no idea how easy there job was compared to ground staff. After reading this book, all those thoughts I had were confirmed. It's a good book, I just think that's it's not really worth it.

[Made._.Moiselle · Rating 2 out of 5]

Too much bitching about passengers, Qantas and even fellow flight attendants. Not even funny, very disappointing.

[Heidi Isbister · Rating 1 out of 5]

Wasn't as good as I thought it would be found it repetitive and boring in bits

[Megan · Rating 1 out of 5]

Jesus H Christ. Self entitled ar*e. Started off his career was simply a huge party of drugs, grog (often stolen from Qantas), travel and (gay) sex. All unfortunately interrupted by having to work on planes. Celebrities were (generally) tolerated, the great unwashed public (including business and first class passengers) were at best, an annoyance to be put up with. Broke his back falling down some stairs (one of many health incidents which must have cost his company 000,000s of dollars over his short career. Most self-induced from legal and illegal drug use and misuse. Out to squeeze every last ounce of travel allowances and extra duty cash (as well as stolen food and alcohol) from Qantas, he was p*ssed off when it became more of a money making enterprise (beholden to shareholders) and the $$$ dropped off .... the author decided the company was sh*t. I don't think I've disliked an author much more than this.

[Carolyn Docking · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a great book! I had been wanting to read this for quite a while and it didn't disappoint me. So many great little stories woven into the overall story. Great way to learn about destinations of the flying kangaroo but also highlighted the problem that exists in many large corporations - stay fit and healthy or they don't want to know you. The moment an injury occurs, you are treated as a liability and not toeing the line. Such a shame it has to be this way and I felt Owen's disappointment and frustration with a company he once had enormous loyalty for.

[Jasmine · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fairly light, easy read. Although there was some information about the life of a flight attendant and the flight industry, the book was more about the author's adventures in various countries as a flight attendant. To be fair, I did learn about seniority, rosters, pills that flight attendants take to help them sleep, how rampant infidelity was, their partying lifestyle etc. Towards the end, though, you really get to see how Qantas management treats their employees and the toxicity of its work culture, which I thought was an interesting insight.

[Sharon Keeler · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an OK read. I felt as if Owen's story had a fair bit of "poor me" about it. It does not show the Qantas staff in a good light. Fair enough they certainty need to have their fair share of rest and relaxation between trips but there was far too much unnecessary detail relayed regarding the drinking, partying and drug taking (little helpers) of staff.

[Carla · Rating 4 out of 5]

A really fun book that I devoured in a few hours, full of gossip, sex, drugs, alcohol, celebrities and a stream of sometimes serious disasters. Owen is a very likeable narrator. A few repetitive parts kept it from being a 5-star read.

[Elspeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fascinating insight and as an airline employee, a story I could relate to. Not so much from the inflight shenanigans but trying to take a big airline on like he did. Sad how it ended post publication but justice done

[Ashleigh · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very entertaining and insightful read.

[Jamii · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well I'm definitely never becoming a flight attendant

[Kirby · Rating 2 out of 5]

I've been in a book slump so this was chosen for a quick and easy read.

[Rebecca · Rating 4 out of 5]

Owens book was Given to me as a gift, I loved the lighthearted gossip and tales from the cabin. Sometimes he came across a bit self centred and later bitter and twisted, but it was an easy, humourous and interesting read, which was just what I needed at the time I read it.

[Renai Chamoun · Rating 2 out of 5]

I found this book smiliar to flicking through a tabloid magazine. Full of gossip about celebrities and crew. Was a struggle to finish reading.

[Fran · Rating 3 out of 5]

A book that delivers what expected: curious facts, gossip, and few stabs to the 'quantas family'. Good book for a Sunday on the beach under an umbrella

[DomBlack · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought it would be a fun light read and it was.

A good mix of travel stories, flight attendant procedural information and bitching about how Qantas is evil. Who doesn't love to hate Qantas?

[Online Eccentric Librarian · Rating 4 out of 5]

More reviews (and no fluff) on the blog http://surrealtalvi.wordpress.com/

I've read quite a few cabin crew memoirs over the years and this one is one of the better ones. Though he's not really dishing out anything new or extraordinary (we know Kylie is nice and Katy is down to Earth, Beijing is dirty and LA vapid), what he does document in his 10 years in the industry is the change 9/11 wrought on the airlines. I contrasted his thoughts with my experience flying London to Brisbane in 2008 and was saddened to see how things must have changed since then. And even sadder to see that Qantas, like the US airlines, is just a hypocritical about 'cost cutting.'

The book is broken down by Cities. Starting with the US and then ending up in what was, at the time he was employed, Qantas' newest destination, South America. Within each section are vignettes and stories about the location, passengers, and perks/downsides of working in the cabin. Other non-relatable sections such as children and babies on board are neatly placed within the chapters.

What to expect to read in the book? Pretty much everything from a few celebrities he talked with (not interesting), antics of pilots and crew (several amusing observations), various cities and their cultures in a nutshell (ran the gamut on interesting to feeling somewhat stereotypical or shallow), working specifically with Qantas (very interesting), and because he is gay, a lot of perspective on everything from gay bars in various cities to the boys he went into a relationship with in the various ports.

There were some great stories in there. For example, he was in Mumbai when the shootings at the hotels occurred; his hotel went on lockdown and it was difficult to get out of the country. Robberies, drunkenness and debauchery, strange passengers, and the interesting cities and their quirks. There were less interesting stories as well (e.g., none of the celebrity stuff was interesting at all - mostly that he talked with someone on a long flight). Issues with weight and appearance were also glossed over without providing any real insight or necessity.

From the beginning of the book, I was a bit worried that this would be embellished fish stories and pointless observations and how to hate on passengers (as with a recent book, Confessions of a Hostie). Or that it would be a revenge type of book for an unfair firing (as with The Vogue Factor). The difference here is that Beddall makes some poignant and interesting observations on the change of the airline industry - over the past four years especially. He doesn't name names but there is a refreshing candor.

Author Bedall was injured on the job later in his career for a long term period and when he returned, the company had greatly changed from a government-run entity into a corporate, cost cutting obsessed, indoctrinated robotic type of organization of 2013. He notes the same observations made in books like The Next Crash: How Short-Term Profit Seeking Trumps Airline Safety: airlines are so obsessed with the bottom line that passengers and employees pay the price for that (less comfortable travel, terrible work conditions, etc.). I was curious if Bedall had the same observation as in The Next Crash - that the excuse "consumers want discount tickets and we have to give it to them" from management doesn't explain why, then, the top executives are earning in excesses of 10s of millions of dollars. I'm starting to feel from this and other books that the money is coming out of the employees and benefits to travelers so as to line corporate exec pockets.

Confessions is an easy read and Beddall writes in a friendly and accessible manner. I wish the US section had been a bit bigger (really, only a few stereotypes that LA people are stupid, Texans are friendly, and New Yorkers are partyers) - but then, I recognize his career didn't take him to the US very often. However, observations on his more frequent destinations, especially Asia and London, were very interesting.

So while you probably won't read anything new here and there are a lot of stereotypes, it's still an engaging read. It's a shame though about Qantas - I personally had such a great experience with a friendly cabin crew in 2007 that I probably wouldn't have today should I have chosen to return to Oz.

Reviewed from an ARC.

[Simone · Rating 4 out of 5]

Having briefly contemplated a career as a flight attendant, I was eager to read this "tell all" account. Unlike a previous book I recently read which did not disclose the airline involved, Owen Beddall has not shied away from dishing the dirt on our national airline Qantas. Having left the company after a serious injury he is fair but forthright when he gives us a glimpse into the world of the flying kangaroo.

I love to travel and as I just mentioned I did briefly contemplate a career as a flight attendant. Fortunately for me a chance meeting with an old school friend who had just left the industry gave me enough insight to realise that being a flight attendant may look glamorous but in reality it is far from it. Owen confirms this as he details the decade he spent airborne both domestically and internationally. Such things as toilet emergencies and the hazards of the food trolley are explained with humour and honesty.

Owen joined Qantas after studying law at University and working in Hong Kong and London in recruitment agencies. Starting out on domestic routes, he later moved over to the more coveted international sector. He soon realised it was a very different experience for many reasons. Sure the destinations were much more exotic and back then the pay, allowances and general perks were much more generous but there were other things to contend with like dealing with nightmare passengers for fourteen hours straight, lazy fellow crew members and managing constant jet lag.

As a gay man, Owen found acceptance in the industry and happily embraced the party lifestyle in hot spots around the world. He soon learned the right combination of pharmaceuticals to co-ordinate sleep/awake time and where they could be purchased. It was interesting to hear how the seniority system worked within Qantas and just why your years of experience counted not only in getting the best flights, but maintaining the superior employment conditions that were beginning to change shape quite rapidly.

Naturally Owen encountered many celebrities during his years in the skies and speaks about his favourite encounters with several stars. He also speaks honestly about his brushes with management as he and other staff members were unwillingly coerced into accepting different working conditions and pay as the previous perks once enjoyed in Qantas began to erode quite rapidly. It is an eye opening insight into just how the flying kangaroo has recently faced a severe financial crisis as it struggles to compete with cheaper labour worldwide.

All in all this was a very interesting account that gave me a whole new insight into the world of a flight attendant. While they must always look the part, it is quite clear that behind the scenes there is a whole other world operating behind the galley doors.

[Jennifer Dudley-Nicholson · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's not an incredibly well written tome, nor is it as salacious as the cover suggests, but it's an interesting account of life in the air and you're bound to learn a few more things you didn't know about flight crew.

[Jo-Ann Duff · Rating 3 out of 5]

I will admit, I had a ‘meh’ attitude about reading this book. I had come off the back of reading two, great, YA fiction books and I thought this might be just a very long tabloid expose, but this book turned out to be something else indeed.

Owen doesn’t just spill the beans on everyone, he also confesses his own mis-adventures and poor performance. From the first chapter, you get a good first impression of the type of guy Owen is. He seems a guy that loves the good life, certainly loves to party, but is smart, witty and has a strong belief that big corporations should take care of all of their team members.

There are some book reviews online which say things like ‘I didn’t get many secrets’ and ‘this is more about Owens layovers’ which I think is unfair. The title itself states that it is ‘confessions’ of a Qantas flight attendant and that is just what this book is. If you enjoy sitting at the airport and watching the world go by, imagining their life situations and relationship scenarios, you will love this book. If you want a book to move you spiritually or emotionally in some way, this is not for you. From celebrities, to people who think they are self important, air headed hosties, to cultural differences, these are all highlighted in personal situations and exchanges, using Owen’s unique conversational style.

The timeline of the much publicised Qantas demise is interwoven throughout the story and if Owens tale is to be believed, demonstrates incredibly poor management decisions which killed the culture of Qantas. Once a premier airline of choice with customer service which underpinned its global reputation, now an embattled airline trying to keep it’s head above water and keep out of the press. You can feel the shift in the book, when those first dreadful words ‘cost-cutting’ come into play, which ends up with good people who became disenchanted and left the airline,while others stayed to become a bitter cancer in the airlines culture.

There are many moments in this easy to read book; hilarious, frightening, sickening and on several occasions very relatable. I now see flight crew in a very different light and will no longer be the person who questions why I am being given the chicken when I asked for the beef. I will simply sip my white wine, enjoy my white meat served in a tray and drift quietly off to sleep.


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