Two Years In The Sky: A Love Letter to My Wings

Two years since I officially became cabin crew.
And honestly… I still wake up some mornings in my hotel bed—somewhere between Singapore and Tokyo—and ask myself: “Is this really my life?”

It’s been two years of sunrises seen from 38,000 feet.
Two years of hearing the ding of the seatbelt sign and smiling with pride (yes, after I roll my eyes).
Two years of finally becoming the version of me that little 7-year-old Tillyah once dreamed about.

But to tell the truth, this journey started long before I ever pinned on a name badge.

From Skyscrapers to Sky-trays

Before I put on a BA uniform, I wore pencil skirts and heels in the office (or sometimes PJs at home) working in Property. For nearly ten years I negotiated deals, managed property portfolios and climbed a ladder that was supposed to mean success. I was good at it—on paper. I ticked boxes. I smiled in meetings. I worked hard. But something always felt… off.

And then, in 2019, my world shifted.
My father was diagnosed with terminal cancer.

The Moment Everything Changed

Then in August 2020, he died. Losing him cracked something open in me.
Grief has a way of stripping you bare—reminding you that life is both fleeting and fragile. Before my dad passed, in those quiet final conversations, he gave me something I didn’t know I was still searching for.

He reminded me of my first ever long-haul flight at age 7—from Barbados to London.
How I stared out the window in awe. How I clutched the safety card like it was treasure. How I whispered that one day, I’d work for British Airways.

I had forgotten that little girl.

But my dad hadn’t.

Reclaiming the Dream

So I did something wild.
I left behind the safety of corporate comfort.
I applied to be cabin crew during a time when the world was still holding its breath post-COVID. I took a chance on a childhood dream.

And on April 18th, 2023, I stepped onto my first day at BA ready for the new adventure —nervous, proud, excited, and finally whole.

The Past Two Years in the Skies

Being crew isn’t always glamorous. Sometimes it’s 4.45am reports, jet lag, or dealing with turbulence both inside and outside the cabin. Sometimes it’s missing birthdays or spending holidays in hotel rooms.

But it’s also…

• Being the first smile someone sees when they’re scared of flying.
• Watching the Northern Lights dance outside the galley window on a night flight en route home.
• Swapping stories with a grandmother flying to visit her new grandchild for the first time.
• Representing a legacy airline that I fell in love with as a child.

It’s not just a job. It’s a calling. It’s service. It’s freedom. It’s flight.

For Dad

There hasn’t been a single flight I’ve worked where I haven’t thought of him.
The man who never doubted my wings.
The man who reminded me, when I needed it most, of the little girl who once fell in love with the sky.

This uniform, thewings on my blazer, this career—it’s all for him.
But it’s also for me.

For the girl who dared to pivot.
For the woman who found joy again.
For the dream that never really died—it just waited.

Here’s to Year Three

As I step into my third year of flying, I do so with the deepest gratitude.
For the people I’ve met, the places I’ve seen, the moments that made me laugh, cry, grow, and glow.

To my crew family, to my friends cheering me on, and to every little girl on her first long-haul flight—
May you never forget your spark.

And may you always follow it.

With love and a cabin full of memories,
Tillyah