PHOTO ILLUSTRATION : DOREEN CHISNELL AND GETTY IMAGES / ASIAN DELIGHT ; PERSONAL SNAPSHOTS COURTESY OF ANN HOOD .
in the tail wind of the golden age of air travel , flight attendants were the epitome of glamour and sophistication . Fresh out of college and hungry to experience the world , Ann Hood joined their ranks . She carved chateaubriand in the first-class cabin , found romance on layovers in London and Lisbon , and walked more than a million miles in high heels , smiling as she served thousands of passengers . She flew through the start of deregulation , an oil crisis , massive furloughs and a labor strike .
As the airline industry changed around her , the Rhode Island native began to write — even drafting snatches of her first novel from the jump seat . She reveals how the job empowered her , despite its roots in sexist standards . Packed with funny , moving and shocking stories of life as a flight attendant , Fly Girl captures the nostalgia and magic of air travel at its height , and the thrill that remains with every takeoff .
In this book excerpt from Fly Girl , released in May , Hood details her foray into the interview process for becoming a flight attendant .