From requests for more coffee to inquiries about Wi-Fi access, flight attendants field all kinds of questions during their flights. One question most flight attendants never hear is, “How did you magically travel from the front of the plane to the back of the plane so quickly?”
Brenda and Glenda Key, however, have heard this question more than once during their careers as Houston-based flight attendants for United Airlines. No, they don’t have any magical powers. They do have something that sets them apart from most flight attendants, though: They’re identical twins.
“It is so funny when one of us is at the front of the airplane and one of us is in the back, and people going down the aisle will say, ‘How did you get back here?'” the twins told TPG in an interview.
The realization that Brenda and Glenda are, in fact, two different people usually leads to passengers sharing their own twin tales. “They love to show us pictures of their grandkids that are twins or their sisters that are twins,” Glenda said. “We love interacting with people and we get to hear so many interesting stories.”
After speaking with the twins, I can safely say that Brenda and Glenda’s story is just as interesting as those of the passenger’s they’ve come across.
The twins grew up as the youngest of seven kids in Moberly, Missouri. “We’ve been intrigued with airlines ever since we were little girls,” Brenda said. “Our family would go to Lambert Airport in St. Louis and would park the car along the driveway of the street at night to watch the airplanes take off and land. It was exciting to us from a very young age.”
Brenda and Glenda worked a short stint with the now-defunct Eastern Airlines after college, but they eventually decided to find careers based on their majors. Brenda went into marketing, and Glenda became a teacher. After about eight years, they realized two things: They missed each other, and they missed flying.
“We decided to apply to the airlines again, and it was the best decision ever,” Brenda said.
The duo flew with Continental Airlines in Denver in the 1980s before landing at their current home at United Airline’s Houston base in the 1990s. Houston’s George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH) is home to United’s state-of-the-art Inflight Training Center, where United trains more than 600 flight attendants per month to prepare them for their careers.
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After 40 years back in the industry, it’s clear they made the right choice. Brenda and Glenda are some of the friendliest flight attendants in the sky.
“A warm welcome and a smile go a long way, whether it be a business traveler or a leisure traveler,” Brenda shared. “People take note when the flight attendants take time to get to know them. It makes them feel more at ease.”
Both twins love flying, but they especially love flying together. At United, Brenda and Glenda often “buddy bid” for shifts. “It’s really a blessing because we can choose our schedules to be able to fly together,” Brenda said.
One of the perks of working the same flights is enjoying layovers together, too. Some of their favorite layovers have been in Israel, Munich and Jackson Hole, Wyoming.
“I get to experience these new destinations with my sister, and it’s so wonderful,” Glenda said. “I wouldn’t feel as happy doing it alone. It means so much more to share it with a family member.”
You’d think they’d be sick of each other by the time they get off, but the pair never tire of each other. “On our days off, we do everything together,” Brenda said. “We go to the grocery store together and even the dry cleaners.”
The sisters have already planned to retire together. They plan to one day buy property in Texas and open an animal shelter for cats and dogs needing a home. “We’ll do it together so they can have double the love and double the care,” Glenda said.
In the meantime, Brenda and Glenda will continue doing what they do best — making the experience “the friendly skies” twice as friendly.
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