A second home in the air for mother and son

After searching for the perfect career in customer service, Kim Flores found her calling as a flight attendant and is proud that her son, Anthony Flores chose to follow in her footsteps also joining Piedmont Airlines as a flight attendant. Growing up with a mother as a flight attendant, Anthony was familiar with the role but never imagined his passion to help others would lead him to the same career.

In 2006, the Flores family moved from Portland, Oregon to Orlando, Florida when Kim began working as a flight attendant. In the sixth grade at the time, Anthony loved traveling on his mother’s travel benefits. “As a young kid, being able to see places you read about in books was an amazing experience,” recalls Anthony. He later joined the United States Air Force and served as an Arabic linguist before separating from the military six years later. While Anthony was contemplating his next career move, Kim was seeking a new flight attendant opportunity.

“I needed to find my forever airline,” shares Kim. “I read that most airlines were downsizing in the midst of the pandemic but learned that Piedmont was growing which piqued my interest.”  Kim liked the idea of flying for a regional airline which meant her routes would be shorter distances and more localized to the East Coast. Always wanting to stay busy, the thought of being a solo flight attendant was appealing to her along with the opportunity to have individual conversations with customers on a 50-seat aircraft.

While having a conversation with Anthony, she mentioned to him that she had applied with Piedmont and he should consider applying. “I’m a pretty social person, like meeting new people and seeing new places,” shares Anthony. “I had flown with Piedmont many times while I was stationed in Augusta, Georgia and learned they offered great health benefits which were important to me.” After talking to Kim about it, Anthony applied the same day.

Kim joined Piedmont in August 2022 and Anthony was hired for the following training class one month later. Kim feels right at home when on board the Embraer 145 and says she made the right decision. “Between the warm feeling in the crew room and family atmosphere, I feel like I’ve found my home.”

Anthony shares that it’s interesting to see the other side of flying from being a passenger to working a flight. He says that he brings many skills with him from the military that help him navigate his new role, specifically conflict resolution. “In the military, I learned how to resolve conflict before it escalates to make sure things run smoothly,” he says. “If I have a situation on an aircraft, I am trained to handle it calmly. As a leader, how you project your feelings is how the troops will feel and the same is true on an aircraft. If I act calm and in control, it can sway passengers to be calm and in control themselves.”

Kim couldn’t be more proud of her son for continuing the family legacy. “Having him follow in my footsteps makes me feel like I did something right,” shares Kim proudly. “It warms my heart that he sees the goodness in this career and having him work for the same airline is a bonus!”

This Mother’s Day, we salute Kim and all our team members who are mothers. Happy Mother’s Day!