Jet2: Mum, 55, becomes cabin crew member inspired by daughter - the pair are now working together

A mum, 55, has been inspired to become a plane cabin crew member by her high-flying daughter. Lorraine Mahon has decided to follow in the footsteps of her 29-year-old offspring, Amber Mahon, to serve passengers in the skies - and prove that age is no barrier. 

The mum previously worked in the motor industry for 19 years but became fascinated by her daughter's globetrotting lifestyle. She finally decided to switch careers at the age of 50 and went on to retrain as a cabin crew member for the leisure airline Jet2.

The pair, from Doncaster in South Yorkshire, have now worked on dozens of flights together all over Europe. Ahead of Mother's Day, they jetted off to Antalya in Turkey, last month.

Lorrain, 55, said: “After working in the motor trade and feeling stuck in my job, I took the plunge to join Jet2.com as Cabin Crew and I am so glad I did. I used to listen to Amber’s amazing stories whenever she came home from work and was constantly thinking about how much I would love to experience the same passion that she has for her job.

“At this stage in my career, I assumed I would be too old to apply, but Amber was there to reassure me and supported me throughout my training. I’m now 55 and love my job more than ever!”

Amber, who became a cabin crew member for the low-cost airline when she was 20 said she was thrilled to have helped her mum find her dream job. She said: “Usually, it is the other way around, with the mother’s career inspiring her children as they grow up.

“However, I feel very proud to have helped my mum achieve happiness in her career once again and embark on a profession that she deserves after always being there for me. As she clearly saw how much I love working as Cabin Crew for Jet2.com, I encouraged her to just go for it as well!”.

Lorraine, who works out of Leeds Bradford Airport, said she loved meeting holidaymakers as they stepped aboard her plane for trips to exotic locations, adding that she worked particularly well with her daughter on the short-haul flights given her maternal bond.

She said: “As we know each other so well, we bounce off one another whenever we work together. As mum and daughter, you might think that we would sometimes annoy one another, but it just works perfectly when we fly together, and we absolutely love it.”

Amber agreed, saying it felt natural to work alongside her mum while up in the skies and is looking forward to travelling across Europe with her more regularly as the airline gears up for the busy summer season. She said: “We’re very similar people so we’ve always gotten on very well.

“It’s always so much fun whenever we have the opportunity to fly together – I can always expect a joyful day at work filled with laughter when I’m rostered on the same flight as my mum. Now that I no longer live at home, I don’t see my mum as often as I would like, so it’s amazing to be able to see each other more often at work doing a job we both love.”