Megan O’mahoney studied Travel and Tourism at Eastleigh College back in 2010. What began as a keen interest developed into a strong passion for the sector over the duration of her course at the College and prompted her to pursue a career in the industry. Recently Megan reached out to her original lecturer, Michelle Thornton, to offer a visit to the College and to share her story with Michelle’s current learners.
For the past three and a half years, Megan has worked for British Airways as a Cabin Crew Attendant. This has followed positions as a travel agent at TUI, a sales rep in Greece and working for Carnival Cruises. Her current role is within a mixed fleet capacity, consisting of a variety of short-haul European flights alongside longer intercontinental flights as well. As such, she has had the opportunity to travel the world and visit countries all over the globe.
“One of the best perks is nine times out of ten you can get your family on the trips through standby seat offerings,” said Megan. “I took my best friend to Singapore, my mum to San Francisco and my sister to the Bahamas. This job hasn’t just opened up professional doors but also personal ones, helping to create happy holiday memories with family and friends.”
“This month alone, I have travelled to New York, Montreal, Africa and Singapore among other countries. Before the pandemic, the range would be greater still.”
“The past three years at British Airways have flown by and I am looking forward to progressing further within the organisation.”
It’s not all been fun and games however – the job can present challenging situations. Among the toughest moments Megan had to endure was having a passenger die during a flight across the Atlantic. “We tried to be as respectful as we could, but it was obviously a horrible experience”. Some flights can also be more testing than others, including those to ‘party’ destinations such as Las Vegas, Barbados and Ibiza where passengers are largely intoxicated, leading to an increased risk of anti-social behaviour.
But the benefits far outweigh such experiences, according to Megan: “The past three years at British Airways have flown by and I am looking forward to progressing further within the organisation.”
Michelle Thornton said: “Megan loved learning about travel at Level 3 and was a good student – it was a lovely surprise when she reached out to me on social media and kindly offered to speak to our students.”