Cabin crew member surprises family from Batley onboard flight to Menorca at Leeds

28-year-old Raven Gledhill, from Batley, surprised her parents and three-year-old daughter, Raya, onboard the flight from Leeds Bradford Airport to Menorca, making memories that they will all cherish forever - with Raya even giving Raven a helping hand with the onboard service!

Raven explained: “My family didn’t know that I would be working on their flight so I thought it would be fun to surprise them onboard. Once on the flight, Raya took such an interest in everything I was doing, and I even got her to give me a helping hand.”

Raven’s daughter was flying to Menorca to enjoy a holiday with her grandparents, which is a very special destination for the family, as Raven used to holiday there with her parents as a child.

Raven said: “My mum and dad wanted to make memories with their granddaughter in the same way they did with me when I was her age. I’ve got very fond memories as a child when we would enjoy family holidays on the island, driving around and stopping off at the destination’s many beautiful beaches to play and swim. It was only by chance that I was rostered to work on their flight, so I thought why not make their holiday even more special and surprise them. I’m so glad I kept it a secret as I’ll never forget the smiles on my parents and daughter’s faces when I welcomed them onboard.”

To mark the rare occasion, the family took the opportunity to pose for pictures to remember the flight by, including adorable snaps of Raya dressed up like her mother as she joined in with her Cabin Crew duties.

Commenting on what it meant to have her daughter join her onboard, Raven said: “It was so sweet to have Raya by my side and to watch her face light up when I surprised her. She was so proud to be there, and I think she liked the attention from the other customers! I was so pleased she was happy to help me out which made the whole experience even more memorable.”

Having now witnessed her mother’s job for herself, Raya has since taken a keen interest in Raven’s career in aviation and has expressed an interest in wanting to become a Pilot with Jet2.com when she grows up. “Raya always talks to me about flying the aircraft, so I’m thinking of getting a little uniform for her so she can pretend to be a Pilot herself!”, Raven added.

Excited at the prospect of flying alongside her daughter again in the future, Raven concluded: “I’m so glad that we made this memory together, and I can show her the adorable pictures for years to come. As children get older, they tend to get more embarrassed over their parents, so I’m glad she was at the perfect age to enjoy this special experience!”

After sharing the touching moment together, Raven is looking forward to travelling with Jet2holidays on a full family getaway next year, this time as a well-deserved holidaymaker.