Kayla Pretlove has a job she wouldn’t trade for the world. The 24-year-old is a First Class flight attendant for Qantas, having travelled to locations she used to dream about – from safaris in Johannesburg to riding horses on the beach in Santiago. She’s even had the opportunity to attend the Olympic Games in Paris.“The diversity is unparalleled,” Kayla told news.com.au. The Sydneysider joined Australia’s national carrier in 2023 – six years after her mother Leena joined the company. “I wanted to become cabin crew with Qantas because of my parents,” Kayla said. “They have both worked in aviation for as long as I can remember and when the opportunity came about, I was excited to see what it was all about.“I also do love to travel, so that was a plus too.”Before Kayla joined, Leena gave her daughter a pep talk about what it’s really like working 30,000ft in the air.“I told her about the realities of flying through different time zones, having to be an emergency nurse, a ballerina, phycologist, matradee running a five-star restaurant at 30,000ft,” Leena said. “As a flight attendant, you’re managing multiple roles, not just one.”Kayla took on her mother’s advice, went through the “intense” training and came out loving it even more and eager to start. “I loved school as a kid and it honestly reminded me of the HSC examinations, minus the essays,” she said about the six weeks of training.“There’s lots of things to remember, but I had a blast training. I loved all the elements. You work hard for six weeks and you’d be surprised – the drills and information just cement themselves into your brain.”In the last three years, the duo have had the unique opportunity of working together on the same flights – however both said the moment they board, they’re no longer mother and daughter, they are colleagues.“When we are in a working environment we always keep it very professional,” Leena, who is a customer service supervisor, told news.com.au.“We put our work ‘hat’ on,” Kayla added. “We are in different cabins on the aircraft so I usually don’t see her until the breaks, but it’s nice knowing she’s around.“If you’ve flown with me or know me, I always say how special it is [working with Mum]. “My mum and I have a great relationship and I’m really lucky to be able to work with her and see the world with her.”Leena said it makes her very proud seeing her daughter in action. “I am very proud of what she has achieved and how she conducts herself and perfects the role,” she said.Kayla said when she first started in the role, she found the adjustment a bit tough, but has since mastered ways to minimise jet lag. “I didn’t know how to manage my rest and boy did I get sick,” she said.“So I was very unwell in my first few months of flying. But now I have to say my immune system is impenetrable,” she said.Kayla said prioritising sleep and hydration and also exercising helps manage her jet lag – something her mother is big on. “I am flying to Honolulu tonight and it’s a 10-hour route, so I’ll drink at least 2 litres of water [ahead of time] as being hydrated really helps me during the flight,” Leena explained.“I also keep on track with my sleep, eat well and healthy as they’re two other key factors to minimising jet lag and I always try to exercise.”Both Leena and Kayla advised anyone who is interested in becoming a flight attendant to “give it a go”, but added it’s also a huge lifestyle change. “Once you start, you’ll know pretty fast [if it’s for you],” Kayla said.“But, for many people they can never go back to anything else. There’s nothing else like it in the world, and I think it has to be one of – if not the – best jobs. “You’ll see amazing parts of the world, meet interesting people, make friends, the list goes on.”They also spoke of the perks of the job including the staff travel discount, allowing them to frequently visit family in Finland and Iceland. Both Leena and Kayla celebrated Cabin Crew Appreciation Day on May 31 – an industry wide appreciation day. Qantas revealed it employs more than 7,000 cabin crew who have completed 140,000 hours of training in the past year alone.“Being cabin crew is more than a job for many of our people – it’s something that becomes part of who they are and in some families, is proudly passed from one generation to the next,” Qantas executive manager cabin crew, Daniel Dihen, told news.com.au.“Across Qantas, our cabin crew complete thousands of hours of training every year to ensure they’re prepared for any situation on-board, but it’s their warmth, professionalism and genuine care for customers that people remember long after a flight has landed.”Read related topics:Qantas