Andre: Before we had children, we were couple-coded and flew together. After we had children, someone had to be at home, so Jessie took on the role of “flying mother”, where she spent seven-and-a-half years doing only turnaround flights.

Jessie: We’re lucky because the company let us choose the turnaround scheme. When I was a first-time mother, I wanted to be home every day.

Andre: It means she flies to destinations like Jakarta and back. So there’s a parent at home every day.

J: When we were new to the job, we would rest upon reaching the country, then go sightseeing and eat.

A: From Stonehenge to the pyramids in Cairo, and cruises down the Nile river.

J: It was like a free honeymoon! We’ve covered most of the sightseeing areas, so now it’s more of getting rest and buying stuff for the children. Our priorities are different now

J: Of course. He’s my coach. After every flight, I share with him how I handled certain situations onboard. Since he is an inflight supervisor, he’s more experienced and is able to give me advice. Two heads are better than one.

A: When I experienced an earthquake in Taipei, the local authorities, Singapore Airlines and everybody else were calling me and asking if my crew were safe. There were so many things going through my mind in addition to the aftershock. After I texted her, she prompted me to create a Whatsapp group to contact all my crew members, instead of calling them one by one.

A: We understand when either of us wants to rest after a flight. Other people may not realise we need to rest and run errands like banking, and other housekeeping matters.

J: As a fellow crew member, I know what he does after landing and I understand his job better.

A: Yes, of course. We are practically married to the job. It’s been almost 30 years. I’ve been married to SIA for longer than I’ve been single.

J: After all these years, we’re still very dedicated. We still put in our best when we go onboard.

A: Jessie was an assignment crew for seven years, and it offered many opportunities. For example, her wedding dress was featured in The Straits Times in 1993. The newspaper wanted to feature a particular gown, so it needed people from different walks of life. There was a stewardess, a lawyer and a doctor. She (Jessie) made the centre page in the paper’s Sunday Life! section. I collected about 10 copies.

J: He framed it up and gave it to me as our 10th-anniversary gift.

A: That was a wonderful time. Life is really exciting and it’s all because we are working for the same company, doing the things we love.

J: One of my flights had an entire row of fully occupied bassinets. When I saw that one of the mothers was having trouble with her crying baby, I offered to carry and pat the baby to sleep. She was so grateful.

Following that, the other mothers in the same row specifically looked for me to help them – one after the other – when they had the same problem. It was amusing for everyone, but I’m glad that I managed to calm all the babies.

Text: Olivia Lim and Peh Yi Wen/Silverkris
Featured Image: Veronica Tay
Photos: Pexels and Pixabay