A mum and daughter duo who are soaring the skies together as cabin crew have opened up on what it's really like to work with family.
How would you feel if you got to work with your mum every day? Well, this is the reality for this North East mum and daughter.
Jane Youell and Jem Pignataro may have joined TUI decades apart but they are now fulfilling a lifelong dream of flying around the world together out of Newcastle Airport.
Under the guise of a photo shoot to mark Jane's 30th year with the airline, daughter Jem was able to surprise her and fly together - with their first journey together being Tenerife.
But, whilst many flyers love the fact the pair work together, many questions come with it.
“I joined TUI in 1993 when it was Britannia Airways, so I’ve now been a cabin crew for more than 30 years which is just incredible,” Jane, a cabin manager said.
“I wanted to be cabin crew from a very young age, like my daughter, and so I applied when I was 19 years old. I got the job and as they say, the rest is history.”
From Newcastle, TUI fly to destinations including Cape Verde, Greece, Spain, Mexico and many more.
For Jane, this is the beauty of the job.
She said: “One day I could be flying to Tenerife, and the next Florida. It’s always exciting to get the rosters and find out where you are headed next.
“I love that (Jem) is crew now and think she’ll settle into the role quickly. Flying with my daughter of course is a new special highlight for me and hope we get to work together a lot.
“Our first flight was great and felt unusually normal. Passengers loved it, and it was so lovely seeing her embark on this new journey.
“I’ve absolutely loved working at TUI and I feel so thankful I get to do this job every day, and now I get to share it with my daughter.”
Jem, who is now fully qualified and has her wings, explained what it's really like to work with your mum.
She said: “I’ve absolutely loved working with my mum and sharing this next step in my career with her at TUI.
“It has been very special to work alongside her as we have talked about doing this together for years.
“Our first flight together was to Tenerife two weeks ago and the captain Ollie Hitchman introduced us to the passengers to highlight the special day for us working together. It’s a very special memory.
“The passengers have given us lovely reactions, with general curiosity and comments. They like to ask us lots of questions also, about what it’s like to work with family – but we love it.”
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