| Table of Contents Page 1 – Introduction Page 1 – Being Cabin Crew Page 2 – Behind the Galley Curtain Page 2 – What a Great Company Page 2 – Employee Mental Health Page 3 – Working Well, Living Better Page 4 – Ex-Police Officer Bart Being Cabin Crew | The Ugly Truth Part 2 |
Introduction
For most of my working life, I was cabin crew. In 2020, the pandemic brought my career to an end.
I worked for an organisation that placed diversity, inclusion, fairness and belonging at the heart of its culture. For many years, I believed in those values. During my final eighteen months, my own experience was very different.
What began with feedback I wrote about a colleague developed into a series of investigations involving employees at every level of the business. I fought to clear my name, and believed the matter would eventually be resolved fairly.
It wasn’t.
This blog contains a shorter account of some of what took place, together with other stories and reflections from my career. The complete story, supported by correspondence, witness statements and written outcomes, is contained in a book soon to be published.
This was an organisation where everyone could be themselves and thrive within a supportive community. It states that diversity, equity, and inclusion lead to an environment of growth, innovation, and “liberated thinking.” Or so they would have you believe. Behind the veil of corporate rhetoric, it was a very different story.
After thirty years of loyal service, in a job that I loved and did well, I suddenly became entangled in a web of lies, deception and bullying. Over the next eighteen months, I fought a battle that, unknown to me at the time, I had no chance of winning. The people dealing with this matter were supposed to uphold the company’s values, but were instead violating them in a way that’s difficult to comprehend.
This is not just a story about a workplace dispute, but a testament to the human cost of corporate hypocrisy and the enduring resilience of someone who refused to be silenced.
Using the original documentation, I will recount what followed after I wrote developmental performance feedback about an employee who had recently joined the company. His subsequent complaint combined real encounters with events that never happened.
The consequences extended far beyond the loss of my career. While those involved continued with theirs, mine was destroyed. Years later, I am still struggling to come to terms with what took place and have not been able to return to gainful employment.
Having joined this airline in 1990 as a Junior Flight Attendant, I was promoted to Purser in 1996 and to Onboard Manager in 2001.
Flying as cabin crew is more than just a job; it’s a lifestyle, and one that I loved. Throughout my career, I put my heart and soul into whatever I did. From day one I was committed to helping the business grow and was driven by a passion for delivering exceptional customer service.
As an Onboard Manager I recognised the importance of building strong relationships, so I worked closely with my team to gain trust and respect. I monitored performance to ensure safety and service procedures were followed and always tried to create a happy working environment.
One aspect of my role that I particularly enjoyed was coaching and development. During my five years as a Purser and nineteen years as an Onboard Manager, I wrote and delivered hundreds of performance assessments on cabin crew with whom I worked.
Each assessment was written carefully and designed to be constructive and supportive. I never received criticism for anything I wrote or the way in which I delivered feedback.
In 2003, two years after becoming an Onboard Manager, my partner received a devastating diagnosis and his health deteriorated rapidly. With him having no family in the UK, working full-time became difficult.
Every trip that I operated took me away for at least three days. Meanwhile my partner was spending long periods in hospital, attending regular appointments for chemotherapy and requiring considerable help at home. Although part-time contracts were available, they were offered almost exclusively to crew returning from maternity leave.
Believing I had no alternative, I informed my manager I was considering resigning. He asked me to wait, and a few weeks later informed me that he had managed to get me transferred to a part-time contract.
Despite the turmoil over the next five years, which had a significant impact on my mental health, I remained loyal and committed to the airline and rarely missed a duty.
In performance feedback that was written about me, I was described as proactive, approachable, an excellent communicator and someone who thrived on delivering high standards of service.
I had always taken a keen interest in my performance and development and spoke regularly with my manager. We had a friendly and honest relationship, and I was repeatedly told that I was a high-performing member of his team.
During the Pre-Flight Briefing that takes place pefore each flight, I set clear goals and expectations for the cabin crew and monitored their performance on the outbound and return flights.
In December 2018, I was rostered a trip over Christmas with a five-day layover. With my dad having recently become extremely frail, I knew he was nearing the end of his life. I therefore didn’t want to be away for so long.
I managed to swap with a colleague for a flight to another destination, which reduced my time away to three days instead of five.
In March 2018, I returned to work after eighteen months of long-term sick leave. My absence was due to mental health difficulties taht arose primarily from being the sole carer for my dad. He had moved in with me after my mum died in 2010, and we had no other family. He was mentally sharp and in good physical health. However, following a fall in 2016, that changed.
Returning to work wasn’t easy, but I couldn’t have been happier to be back doing the job I loved. Just ten months later, following the Christmas trip I had swapped onto, a colleague filed a grievance against me. We had never met prior to that trip.
Being Cabin Crew…
After thirty years flying as cabin crew, I can honestly say that I have very few bad memories. However, one incident on a return flight stands out vividly in my mind.
A few hours after take-off, a crew member asked me to speak with a customer sitting in the front row of the Premium cabin with her husband. She had repeatedly asked to be upgraded to First Class and refused to take no for an answer.
I had noticed the couple when they boarded because the gentleman had a spinal condition that prevented him from standing upright.
After introducing myself as the Onboard Manager, the lady told me they wanted to be upgraded so her husband could use the bed. When I explained that I didn’t have the authority to udo that, she claimed they had been upgraded many times before by other Onboard Managers.
She said that, as top-tier members of the airline’s frequent-flyer programme, they were entitled to an upgrade. Crouching in front of her with my back resting against the bulkhead, I explained that this was not company policy. Although we did everything possible to accommodate our most frequent customers, I did not have the authority to move them to another cabin.
She went on to explain that they had travelled out in First Class but had been disappointed with the seat, so had changed their return flight to Premium. It was their first time travelling in this cabin, and her husband couldn’t get comfortable. Throughout our conversation, he appeared oblivious to my presence and continued reading his newspaper.
Despite my attempts to help, including offering him a pillow and duvet from First Class, nothing was good enough. At the time, the company strictly prohibited Onboard Managers from upgrading anyone. A few years earlier, a cabin crew member had reported a friend of mine for doing an upgrade. The company investigated the matter and he was given a final written warning.
As the customer’s voice grew louder, she suddenly blurted out, “You have no idea what it’s like to live with someone who’s disabled.” I explained that I understood how difficult it was as I had cared for my partner for many years. She looked me in the eye and said, “He probably had AIDS.”
Her comment hit me like a ton of bricks. My former partner had been diagnosed with AIDS at just twenty-six years old. The years that followed were difficult and painful.
Flying as cabin crew is a job unlike any other. Although the company was far from perfect, I always felt proud to work for this airline. I can hardly remember a day when I didn’t feel excited about going to work. On every flight that I operated, I tried to do whatever I could to make every customer’s journey special.
People had huge expectations when flying with this company, and it was common to be informed as customers boarded the aircraft that it was their birthday, anniversary, or honeymoon. The cabin crew would usually take them a glass of champagne after take-off, which is all the airline provided.
I always carried a pack of congratulations cards, so I would write one out using their first name to make it more personal. Customer names appeared with their seat number on the flight manifest. I would then ask all the cabin crew to sign it, and I would deliver it later in the flight with another glass of champagne and some chocolates.
There was no requirement for me to carry cards; it was something I did voluntarily. Although a pack of ten wasn’t expensive, I bought them with my own money, and they never lasted long. I know a few other Onboard Managers did the same.
Occasionally, I’d invite one customer or a couple to have afternoon tea at the bar area in First Class. I’d serve them myself and spoil them with sandwiches, cakes, and a bottle of champagne on ice. I’ve always enjoyed creating happiness.
In 2016, a year before my 50th birthday, I was on long-term sick leave. I never believed I’d be well enough to return to work, at least not as cabin crew. However, in March 2018, I finally returned to the job that I loved. Although no longer the person I once was, being back on an aircraft was more than I could have wished for.
It took a few months to settle down into my role, but I couldn’t have been happier being back. I worked hard, and always tried to lead by example. By nature, I am a bit of a joker and enjoy making people laugh. Although I expected the cabin crew to work to a high standard, I tried to create a fun and relaxed working environment.
On 24 December 2018, I arrived at Cabin Crew Check-In for my flight. Little did I know that what should have been a regular day at work would become the beginning of a nightmare. One that would cost me my career and destroy my life.
Unknown to me at the time, I was checking in with five of the most despicable people. One was Felix, a former police officer who had served for eight years. He had joined the airline eleven months earlier, had no previous experience as cabin crew and was still within his twelve-month probationary period.
Felix’s then-fiancée, Sybil, was also working as cabin crew on the flight. I didn’t become aware of their relationship until several months later. She had joined the airline at around the same time. Sybil was good friends with two other crew members on the flight, Trixie and Arthur.
After signing in at Cabin Crew Check-In, I found a quiet area of the lounge and began completing my pre-flight paperwork. This included assigning an onboard working position to each crew member.
I had only flown previously with one member of the cabin crew and didn’t know anyone else. Seeing that Felix was relatively new, I allocated him a position in First Class, where he would be working alongside me and four other crew members.
I first saw Felix when the cabin crew gathered for the pre-flight briefing. Led by the Onboard Manager, this is the first time the entire crew come together before leaving for the aircraft. I told Felix his working position and asked whether he had worked in First Class before. He confirmed that he had, many times.
Although I only spoke with him briefly, I found him aloof and unfriendly, which is unusual for cabin crew. I initially put it down to shyness.
Working alongside Felix on the outbound flight and return flight the following day, I had to address several performance-related issues with him. Part of my role as an Onboard Manager was to ensure the cabin crew carried out their duties to standard and in line with company procedures.
As he was still in his probationary period, I decided to write developmental feedback addressing the issues I had observed. Several weeks later, I learned that he had raised a grievance against me, alleging bullying, harassment and overbearing supervision. He also accused me of inappropriately touching him and other crew members. He made twenty separate complaints about my performance, ability and conduct.
Those allegations began a process that continued for almost two years. The entire complaint, the evidence used and the way the investigations unfolded form the central story of my book. In this blog, I’ll concentrate on selected events and some of the wider issues they exposed.
As part of the investigation, the company obtained witness statements from each crew member on the flight and both pilots.
The witness statements painted two completely different pictures of the same flight. Those supporting Felix’s allegations were riddled with inconsistencies, and there were signs of collusion. The statements written by Wayne and Sybil were so venomous that I still struggle to read them.
The three crew members who worked alongside Felix and me in First Class had witnessed no inappropriate behaviour. The Captain and First Officer also stated that they were unaware of any of the issues described. I examine these statements and their many contradictions in far greater detail in my book.
My defence, which eventually included more than six hundred pages, included documentary evidence that contradicted all of the claims. Yet it made no difference.
Two of the crew members whose statements contradicted Felix’s account had each spent thirty years at another airline, including twenty years as onboard managers. Their experience and evidence made no difference.
Felix’s complaint and my initial response, plus the investigation that followed are examined in detail in my book.
My last day of employment with the airline was in September 2020. A few weeks later, I received my P45 in the post. There was nothing else in the envelope: no covering letter or any other acknowledgement.
By then, it had been months since I had spoken with my manager or anyone else in the company. The final email I had received was an ‘invitation’ to appeal the decision to make me redundant. For reasons explained in my book, I declined.
That was how my thirty-year career with the airline came to an end.
Being Cabin Crew | The Ugly Truth 