The Girlfriends: Flight or Fight

In the golden age of air travel, flying was sold as glamorous, luxurious, and effortlessly chic. But for the young women working the aisles at 30,000 feet, the reality was very different. When Patt Gibbs joined American Airlines in the 1960s, she was trained to be slim, smiling, and subservient. Stewardesses like her were weighed like luggage, forced to retire at 32 years old, banned from marriage, and expected to endure sexual harassment with grace. One extra pound, one birthday too many, or one wedding ring and your wings were clipped. But when Patt walks into a union meeting on a whim, everything changes. The Girlfriends: Flight or Fight tells the story of the stewardesses who refused to be grounded. From secret meetings to landmark discrimination cases to high-stakes union votes, these women challenged America’s biggest airlines and the sexism baked into the industry itself. A powerful sisterhood began to form across cabin aisles and crew lounges. They weren’t just fighting for better contracts. They were fighting for control of their own lives.

The Girlfriends: Flight or Fight is produced by Novel for iHeartPodcasts. For more from Novel, visit https://novel.audio/.

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Episoder(60)

The Girlfriends S3/E7: Going Underground

Years into her incarceration, with a decade left to serve… a new law might finally give Kelly, and some of her inmate clients, a chance at freedom. But for some, it might have come too late. If you...

25 Aug 202539min

The Girlfriends S3/E6: Guilty Schmilty

Reeling from the jury’s verdict, Kelly searches for the strength to keep fighting in a new maximum security prison. If you’re affected by any of the themes in this show please reach out to NO MORE ...

18 Aug 202543min

The Girlfriends S3/E5: Is He Dead Yet?

Kelly’s case finally goes to trial and the prosecution throws everything they have at her. How can she convince a jury that, not only is she not guilty but that she’s a victim too? If you’re affected ...

11 Aug 202537min

The Girlfriends S3/E4: The Shawties

Stuck in Rikers Island Jail, Kelly forms a family of women who’ve been through hell, just like her. But she’s got enemies too. And as she studies for her case, she begins to discover that the law… ju...

4 Aug 202532min

The Girlfriends S3/E3: He Said, She Said

In 2010, a traumatised Kelly sits in a police cell and reckons with the horrors of the previous night. Years later, Anna tries to make sense of the night of the murder and discovers that some of the a...

28 Jul 202535min

The Girlfriends S3/E2: The Good, The Bad and The Kelly

Anna traces a path back through Kelly’s turbulent life to answer the question: how did she get here? If you’re affected by any of the themes in this show please reach out to NO MORE at https://www.n...

21 Jul 202539min

The Girlfriends S3/E1: Hell's Gate

Meet Kelly Harnett. She’s a loving sister, a childhood gymnast and an aspiring DJ. And, according to the justice system; she’s also a murderer. Anna travels to New York to meet Kelly, and to try and ...

14 Jul 202537min

Introducing Season 3 of The Girlfriends: Jailhouse Lawyer

What does it mean to be a victim, or a villain? What happens when the line between the two starts to blur? On 7th July 2010, Kelly Harnett says her abusive boyfriend murdered a man right in front of ...

7 Jul 20255min