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    • Grandmother and granddaughter flight attendant duo hits the skies

    Cynthia Heck, left, and her granddaughter Hannah Heck are both Southwestern Airlines flight attendants. (Source: Hannah and Cynthia Heck) Cynthia Heck, left, and her granddaughter Hannah Heck are both Southwestern Airlines flight attendants. (Source: Hannah and Cynthia Heck)
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    Flight attendant Cynthia Heck finished up the safety demonstration and walked through the cabin, confirming passengers were ready for takeoff.

    She took a moment to smile and greet each traveller individually. Fellow flight attendant Hannah Heck watched on, admiringly. Then, Hannah made a spontaneous announcement over the speaker.

    鈥淒oes everyone see this sweet little lady wearing the life vest? That鈥檚 my grandma. So everyone better be extra nice to her,鈥 she said.

    The passengers laughed, some clapped. Many looked at Cynthia disbelieving, struggling to imagine she had an adult granddaughter.

    A few minutes later, Hannah was doing her safety compliance checks, and Cynthia took the opportunity to grab the microphone and cheekily retaliate.

    鈥淓veryone, ask Hannah who did her laundry last night,鈥 Cynthia said, over the loudspeaker.

    This announcement got an even bigger reaction than the first, and confirmed to the passengers that this duo were - for sure - related.

    鈥淓veryone鈥檚 laughing,鈥 Hannah tells CNN Travel today. 鈥淪he gave the energy right back to me.鈥

    Working together

    Cynthia, 72, has worked as a flight attendant for Southwest Airlines for almost 20 years. Her granddaughter Hannah, 24, decided to follow in her footsteps following a year of feeling unfulfilled at college.

    Cynthia always remembers the moment 19-year-old Hannah called her up and said she was quitting college and interested in flying. The two have always been close. Cynthia was encouraging, and Hannah felt seen 鈥 as always 鈥 by her grandmother.

    鈥淎fter I had graduated from high school, I wasn鈥檛 sure what I wanted to do. But I thought, 鈥業 think I want to go travel, I think I want to do what my grandma does.鈥欌

    Not long after, Hannah started working for Mesa, a regional US airline. After a few years, she applied to Southwest.

    When Hannah got her acceptance notice, she was overjoyed. Cynthia was equally delighted. No one else in the Heck family works in aviation, but the rest of Hannah鈥檚 family were all pleased she would be following in her grandmother鈥檚 footsteps.

    Around this time, Hannah moved in with her grandparents. This meant Cynthia and Hannah would both be operating out of the same airport: Harry Reid Las Vegas Airport.

    鈥淚 was just so excited,鈥 recalls Hannah. 鈥淎nd hoping that we would be able to fly together.鈥

    Cynthia was present at Hannah鈥檚 flight attendant graduation in 2022 and pinned on her granddaughter鈥檚 wings.

    And unbeknown to Hannah, behind the scenes, Cynthia was also plotting to make sure she鈥檇 be on her granddaughter鈥檚 first Southwest flight.

    鈥淚 wasn鈥檛 going to tell,鈥 recalls Cynthia. 鈥淎nd then she saw it two or three days before.鈥

    鈥淚 saw it. And so I was just overwhelmed with happiness that she was able to pick it up,鈥 says Hannah.

    Working together for the first time was surreal and exciting for Hannah and Cynthia.

    鈥淚 couldn鈥檛 believe it. I looked at the back and she鈥檚 standing there making the announcements or we鈥檙e serving our drinks together. It was incredible that we got to work together,鈥 recalls Hannah. 鈥淲e were laughing. We had a great time. It was super special to share that with her and to have her there with me for my first flight.鈥

    It was a long, multi-leg trip 鈥 the type Cynthia, with her years of seniority at the airline, usually avoids nowadays. She made an exception for Hannah.

    鈥淚 told her, I said, 鈥榊our grandma doesn鈥檛 commute anymore.鈥 I had to commute to Oakland to work that trip. It was five legs up and down California. I said, 鈥業 don鈥檛 do five legs up and down California,鈥欌 recalls Cynthia.  鈥淎nd then it was a short Hawaii overnight. I said, 鈥業 don鈥檛 do short Hawaii overnights. But I鈥檓 doing it for you.鈥欌

    Learning from each other

    Cynthia started flying in the early 2000s, after she and her husband relocated from the midwest to Las Vegas. She spotted a Southwest ad in the newspaper and spent three years working as ground staff before moving inflight.

    While Cynthia worked other jobs in the past, and spent years bringing up her kids, Hannah only ever knew her grandmother as a flight attendant, travelling the world.

    鈥淪ince I was little, all I鈥檝e ever known is her to be flying,鈥 says Hannah.

    She loved hearing her grandmother鈥檚 stories about her job, and has fond memories of flying with her during her summer vacations.

    鈥淚 always loved to go fly with her and come visit her in Vegas,鈥 says Hannah. 鈥淚 was very impressed with her. I was in awe that she was flying all around and travelling for work.鈥

    When Hannah was in second grade, she invited Cynthia to come and speak at her school.

    鈥淪he wore her Southwest uniform and sang a song. I was so proud to have her there. Everyone in my class was in awe of my flight attendant grandmother,鈥 says Hannah.

    But while Hannah always thought Cynthia鈥檚 job was glamorous and exciting, she also saw the tougher sides to flight attendant life.

    Often her grandmother would have to work holidays and skip the family Christmas gatherings. It was clear the role was equal parts hard work and equal parts fulfilling.

    Hannah was grateful to have these insights when she eventually followed in her grandmother鈥檚 footsteps and started flying too. Cynthia was also keen to pass on wisdom to her granddaughter.

    鈥淚 keep telling Hannah, 鈥榃e fly all the time. So everything鈥檚 pretty simple and easy for us. These passengers, sometimes they just fly once a year,鈥欌 says Cynthia. 鈥淎nd so you have to take that into consideration 鈥 you鈥檝e got to help these people. You鈥檝e got to show them the way, they have questions, you鈥檝e got to show some compassion.鈥

    Hannah says Cynthia brings this empathy to every aspect of her life, and it鈥檚 always inspired her.

    鈥淭hat鈥檚 one thing that she has taught me 鈥 she鈥檚 just so compassionate, and so quick to help anyone. I see it when we鈥檙e working or outside of work. She really has the best heart,鈥 says Hannah.

    Special relationship

    Cynthia and Hannah worked together a handful of times in 2022. It was on their second flight together that they made the tongue-in-cheek inflight announcements about one another 鈥 and they soon learned that whenever travellers discovered they were related, it sparked a reaction.

    One passenger gave them a Starbucks gift card. Another passenger told Cynthia she鈥檇 spotted their story 鈥 posted on the Southwest Airlines social media accounts 鈥 and it moved her to tears.

    Many people spoke about how they hadn鈥檛 been able to spend any time with their grandparents as an adult. For them, seeing Cynthia and Hannah together was moving and bittersweet.

    Hannah鈥檚 now relocated to Houston, Texas, so she鈥檚 not likely to fly with Cynthia nowadays. But she visits her grandmother in Las Vegas frequently, and when the two women speak with CNN Travel via Zoom, they鈥檙e sitting together in Cynthia鈥檚 living room, making plans to pick up a flight together the following day.

    Beyond travelling and flying, the two women share a love of sewing and cooking 鈥 both skills Cynthia taught Hannah when she was young. They love talking to one another and sharing stories.

    鈥淚t鈥檚 just a really special relationship that we have. We鈥檝e always been close. So now we鈥檙e doing the same thing, I think we鈥檙e even closer,鈥 says Hannah.

    Hannah credits Cynthia not only with inspiring her to pursue an aviation career, but also with supporting her throughout her childhood. Hannah鈥檚 parents divorced when she was young, and Cynthia says she always tried to be 鈥渢he flexible one, that could take her to gymnastics or dance.鈥

    鈥淪he made me feel like everything was going to be fine, because I had her,鈥 says Hannah. 鈥淲ithout her, I wouldn鈥檛 be where I am at all. She鈥檚 just supported me since I was little.鈥

    Hannah鈥檚 still at the beginning of her flight attendant journey, and looking forward to all the travels and adventures she鈥檚 got ahead of her. By her own admission, Cynthia鈥檚 nearing the end of her career 鈥 although because she loves working so much, she鈥檚 reluctant to retire.

    鈥淵ou get addicted to the job and it鈥檚 going to be hard, I think, for me to quit,鈥 she says.

    Whenever Cynthia does retire, Hannah hopes to be on her grandmother鈥檚 final flight 鈥 and hopes her father, brother and grandfather will join them too.

    鈥淭hat will be special,鈥 says Hannah. 鈥淏ut I don鈥檛 want to think about it. Because in my head, she鈥檚 going to be flying forever.鈥

    鈥淭hey think I鈥檓 going to be around forever. And I keep telling them I鈥檓 not going to be around forever,鈥 says Cynthia.

    For now, Hannah and Cynthia are just focusing on the present and the time they get to spend with one another.

    鈥淚 know a lot of people don鈥檛 get this experience. And I know that she鈥檚 not going to be flying forever. So just having gratitude and just lots of love for this 鈥 happiness, gratitude, because I know it鈥檚 so special that we got to fly together,鈥 says Hannah.

    鈥淛ust appreciate your family, appreciate your grandparents, tell them that you love them. And thank them for everything that they have done for you. Because nothing is forever.鈥

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