I flew my first American flight when I was 16 in 1968 for a girls week vacation. My 21 year old sister was working for Sky Chefs in JFK, so off we went to California and then Hawaii.

At that time, employees paid taxes only for award flights and we flew in first class, very dressed up. I remember being in the upper deck with a piano bar surrounded by people with drinks in hand. It was amazing. Who would have thought forty four years later I'm ExPlat. Unfortunately my sister is disabled now and can no longer fly. I wish I could have returned the gesture with an award ticket for her wherever she'd like to go.