Women’s History Month Spotlight: Flight Attendant Mary Guerrero

March is Women’s History Month – a time to celebrate women’s contributions to our nation and communities. It’s also a time to recognize our team members and highlight their stories in the aviation industry and beyond.

Today, we present Mary Guerrero, a veteran flight attendant whose flying journey began at an open call in Chicago, introducing her to the world of aviation and her life passion.

In honor of Women’s History Month, we talked with Mary about her love for Inflight, her heroes, and the advice she gives to women and girls who aspire to become flight attendants.

What was your journey to aviation and PSA?

I was doing radio as an on-air personality in Chicago and doing acting and TV extra work on the side. I wanted my own daytime radio show, and they said the only way I’ll get on was to leave Chicago to go to a smaller market and come back. I said if I was to leave Chicago, I wouldn’t come back. I went to an open call for TransMeridian Airlines for flight attendants. I thought if I could act on the radio and act on TV, I surely could act like a flight attendant. So, I went in there acting like a flight attendant. They called me back, and I had no idea what was involved, but once I went through the training, working on an aircraft, and interacting with the customers, I knew this was my calling.

After that, I was with United Airlines for 15 years and decided to transition to corporate. But it didn’t take long for me to realize that I missed being a flight attendant, and it’s my passion. I didn’t want to do anything else. So, I started flying again. This time I didn’t want to do the TransCon or international any longer. I wanted more of a home base and to be more connected to the east coast. I found PSA was a great fit for me.

As a flight attendant, what impact do you feel you make as a woman in Inflight?

Speaking as a single mother raising two young men, we understand sacrifices. We understand what it means to get the job done. We sacrifice a lot of things to make sure other people are happy and content. So, I believe bringing that point of view into aviation is us knowing we are going to get the job done.

What’s your favorite thing about flying?

What I love most is hearing the stories about why people are traveling today. The other day, I was looking at this gentleman in first class. He had a big gold ring and black nail polish. I went to ask him what his ring stood for, and he turned out to be a professional bare-knuckle boxer fighter known worldwide. I sent my son a picture and asked, “Do you know this person?” He said, “oh my gosh, do you know who this is?” By looking at people, you think one thing, but when you take a moment to talk to them, you get a whole different perspective of why they’re traveling. For me, there is a passion for finding out what brings that person here today and how I can get them to come back to fly with us again.

What advice do you have for women or girls who aspire to be where you are in your career?

I always tell them to ask themselves why. You can get a job anywhere, get a check anywhere. It’s not about the money. It’s about your passion for caring for other passengers, customers, and flight attendants. So, ask yourself why you want to be a flight attendant and find that passion within.

In light of Women’s History Month, who are your heroes or women you admire, and why?

There are so many women, from actresses to speakers, but I admire the women who get out there and speak their voices regardless of where they’re coming from and what they’re doing. It’s hard to speak your story and truth and fight for something. It takes a strong person to find that within themselves to know they can do it. I always see myself speaking in front of an audience about my life story, where I came from, what happened, what I did, and what I came through. So, I find myself joining foundations and speaking to young girls. I admire every woman that can get on stage and talk about their journey in life.