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The Nash-Dash
Bette was based in Washington DC at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA). At American Airlines, she was the most senior flight attendant and could choose her flights. She chose to fly the 400-mile shuttle route between Washington and Boston or sometimes New York City, which she did regularly from 1961. She had a lasting relationship with customers. Simon Johnson had flown the shuttle every week since 2008, and he told American Airlines:
‘”I think what is most amazing and impressive about Bette, is the way she warms up the entire aircraft. You walk on, you meet her, she knows your name, she remembers the conversation that she was having with you yesterday, or last week, or a month ago.”
She would often work with regular colleagues on the route, who affectionately became known as the ‘Nash-Dash’. One colleague said that Bette always looked pristine and always had two sets of white gloves to hand, in case one pair got dirty when working. Bette married James Nash in 1973, and they had a son named Christian, who had Down’s Syndrome. Bette would regularly wake up at 02:10 for the 06:00 flight to Boston. She returned home every evening to take care of her son.
Where It All Started
Mary Elizabeth Burke grew up in New Jersey. Being a flight attendant was a teenage dream for Bette. She took her first flight at 16 years old on a Douglas DC-3, flying from Washington DC to Dayton, Ohio, with her mother. At the time, the flight from Washington DC to Boston cost $12, and passengers would buy life insurance at the airport. Bette had two younger sisters and went to college to study business before pursuing her flight attendant career. She also worked as a legal secretary. Nash explained to CNN:
“I wanted to be a flight attendant from the time I got on the first airplane. I was 16 years old, I was sitting with my mother on a green leather couch in Washington and this crew came up from TWA. The pilot and the flight attendant walked across the hall and I thought, ‘Oh my God!’ and I said that was for me.”
Bette borrowed a dress from her sister and took the bus to her interview at the Rockefeller Center in New York. She remembers training being like ‘charm school’ and that they emphasized etiquette and dress, as well as safety and flight protocol. She was told to have her hair cut at a beauty parlor. She started her airline career in November 1957 with Eastern Airlines in Miami, at the age of 21.
The Golden Age Of Flying
She worked in the golden age of flying and dressed in a royal blue uniform, with a pillbox hat, high-heeled shoes, and white gloves. She remembers offering passengers ‘Coffee, tea, hot chocolate, or bouillon’. She flew with the Kennedys, among others. Lobster and carved roast beef were served from platters onto china plates, and champagne was served from crystal glasses. Complimentary cigarettes were often handed out. Bette said to The Straits Times that:
“You had to be a certain height. You had to be a certain weight. It used to be horrible. You put on a few pounds, and you had to keep weighing yourself. If you stayed that way, they would take you off the payroll.”
The average contract for an American flight attendant in the 1950s was two and a half years. When Bette started flying, it was just before the first African American flight attendant was hired. There was a high turnover of flight attendants. They had to be unmarried, and being pregnant or getting married were grounds for dismissal. Flight attendants were forced to retire by the age of 32 and were exclusively female. She added:
“At the time, it was like you were on the stage to a degree. It just looked so elegant. And romantic. It was the romance of the skies. You could take off and be in another world, almost.”
Later Years
Even though Bette continued on in times less glamorous, she still showed care and professionalism. When the airline cut costs in first class and ceased offering fig bars, she went to Costco and brought some for her regular passengers. Her hair and makeup were always perfect, and she was committed to the safety protocols followed. She passed her yearly recurrent exams to keep being a flight attendant. “In the old days, we saw a lot of mink coats. Today we see a lot of flip-flops,” she recalled.
Bette worked through times of job cuts, mergers, and acquisitions. In 1989, she worked on the Trump Shuttle. Trump took over some of Eastern’s routes and rebranded 17 aircraft under the name. Trump upgraded the aircraft with luxuries such as marble sinks, gold fixtures, and plush carpets, costing over $1,000,000 per aircraft.
Then, he suggested cutting costs by reducing the number of pilots on board, which violated regulations. Perhaps unsurprisingly, the company suffered heavy losses, and in 1992, the Trump Shuttle was taken over by US Airways. The carrier later merged with American Airlines in 2013. Bette commented that her job was her social life and that she was addicted to the lifestyle.
She mostly had good memories of her time in the skies, but also recalled some not-so-good memories. There was a time when severe turbulence occurred and wrenched a lavatory from the floor, and one time when an aircraft door opened a few inches mid-flight.
How Many Flights Do Flight Attendants Work In A Day?
There is no such thing as 9 to 5 work here.
Celebrations For Her Years Of Service
At her 50th anniversary party, US Airways honored her with a water cannon salute over her aircraft as it taxied to the gate. According to the Washington Post, she received a standing ovation from the passengers, which continued well into the terminal. She was taken to an employee lounge, where a jazz band serenaded her with the song ‘Fly, Bette, Fly!’
In 2017, American Airlines announced that Bette had reached 60 years of service and celebrated with a ceremony. Bette was presented with diamond earrings from Tiffany & Co. The CEO of American Airlines, Doug Parker, announced a donation of $10,000 to the Sacred Heart Catholic Church Food Bank in her name, where she regularly donated her time. She also received anniversary pins for her 60 years of flying, and said:
“I’m so pleased to be here in the terminal where I decided I wanted to be a flight attendant, and to be here celebrating my 60th anniversary, still wanting to be a flight attendant, means the world to me. My favorite part of flying over the years has been greeting my passengers as they board and deplane. People really are fascinating, and it’s truly been a joy.”
Tributes To Bette Nash
Bette never retired from her role as a flight attendant. In 2022, she was recognized as the oldest active flight attendant. Bette died on May 17, 2024, aged 88. She had just been diagnosed with breast cancer and was receiving hospice care. The Association of Professional Flight Attendants said that:
“She touched countless lives with her warmth, dedication, and unparalleled service. Her passion for flying and her commitment to her passengers were truly inspiring. Bette’s legacy will forever be remembered in the aviation community and by all who had the privilege of knowing her.”
American Airlines also posted on social media that “Bette was an industry icon, and those who flew with her knew her as a role model and consummate professional. Bette inspired generations of flight attendants. Fly high, Bette! You’ll be missed.”
Bette was passionate about her job, and no doubt loved her work. Being a flight attendant is not an easy job, physically or mentally, but she still continued way beyond the normal lifespan of a flight attendant job. There is no doubt she was well-loved on the Nash-Dash with her regular passengers and that she will be sorely missed. To be the longest-serving flight attendant in the world was a huge achievement, and it is doubtful we will ever see that world record broken again. Bette Nash was truly one of a kind.
