PODCAST · society
The Girlfriends: Flight or Fight
by iHeartPodcasts and Novel
In the golden age of air travel, flying was sold as glamorous, luxurious, and effortlessly chic. But for the young women working the aisles at 30,000 feet, the reality was very different. When Patt Gibbs joined American Airlines in the 1960s, she was trained to be slim, smiling, and subservient. Stewardesses like her were weighed like luggage, forced to retire at 32 years old, banned from marriage, and expected to endure sexual harassment with grace. One extra pound, one birthday too many, or one wedding ring and your wings were clipped. But when Patt walks into a union meeting on a whim, everything changes. The Girlfriends: Flight or Fight tells the story of the stewardesses who refused to be grounded. From secret meetings to landmark discrimination cases to high-stakes union votes, these women challenged America’s biggest airlines and the sexism baked into the industry itself. A powerful sisterhood began to form across cabin aisles and crew lounges. They weren’t just fighting for bet
Episodes
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The Girlfriends S6/Bonus 1: The Scapegoat
During the early AIDS crisis, one man was wrongly branded “Patient Zero.” As airlines began hiring male flight attendants, fear and homophobia converged around Gaëtan Dugas, turning him into a symbol of blame. This episode exposes how flawed science and stigma created a myth with lasting harm.…
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The Girlfriends S6/E8: Landing
The fight reaches its climax as stewardesses race to win support for a new union. With careers and futures on the line, Nell documents the high-stakes vote that will decide it all and the lasting legacy these women leave on labor rights and women’s work. The Girlfriends: Flight or Fight is…
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The Girlfriends S6/E7: Which Side Are You On?
Frustrated with their male-dominated union, a group of stewardesses consider a radical idea: forming their own union. Nell follows secret meetings, whispered alliances, and mounting risks as the women decide whether to stay loyal or gamble everything on independence. The Girlfriends: Flight or...
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The Girlfriends S6/E6: What’s at Steak
As stewardesses push for dignity at work, everyday encounters expose how deeply power and sexism run in the airline industry. From union politics to moments of personal reckoning, Nell traces how one stewardess is forced to confront the cost of following the rules and the courage required to…
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The Girlfriends S6/E5: Wed to the Wings
In the 1960s, marriage could cost a stewardess her job. As a result, United Airlines flight attendant Celeste Brodigan lives a double life, hiding her husband from management. When the truth is discovered, the airline begins watching her every move until Celeste stands up for herself and her...
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The Girlfriends S6/E4: Wings of Change
In 1950s America, airlines refused to hire Black women as stewardesses. When Patricia Banks Edmiston is repeatedly rejected, she refuses to stay silent. By calling in civil rights leaders and taking on Capital Airlines, Patricia launches a landmark discrimination case that reshapes the skies and...
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The Girlfriends S6/E3: The Golden Age
In the 1960s, stewardesses were forced to retire at 32, no matter their skill or experience. When Patt Gibbs and her colleagues publicly challenge the age rule, they confront a culture that values women only while they look young. The fight turns personal when a beloved mentor is quietly pushed...
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The Girlfriends S6/E2: Losing It
Behind the cocktails and movie stars, stewardesses’ jobs depended on staying under strict weight limits. When Patt Gibbs is suspended for gaining a few pounds, a company doctor hands her diet pills with potentially dangerous consequences. As women push their bodies to extremes, Patt begins to…
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The Girlfriends S6/E1: On Air
In the golden age of flying, air travel looked glamorous, but for the women working onboard, it was tightly controlled. Nell McShane Wulfhart takes us inside American Airlines’ “Charm Farm” where young stewardesses, like Patt Gibbs, were trained to be thin, obedient, and perfectly groomed. But...
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Introducing The Girlfriends: Flight or Fight
In the golden age of air travel, flying was sold as glamorous, luxurious, and effortlessly chic. But for the young women working the aisles at 30,000 feet, the reality was very different. The Girlfriends: Flight or Fight tells the story of the stewardesses who refused to be grounded. From secret...
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Relisten to The Girlfriends: Spotlight: Lu Ann Escapes the Order
Re-listen to the best of The Girlfriends: Spotlight: When Lu Ann Cooper was just fifteen years old, she was told to drop out of school and marry her first cousin. She would be his fourth wife. Lu Ann grew up inside the so-called Kingston Clan, a religious sect where, Lu Ann claims, every man is...
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Relisten to The Girlfriends: Spotlight: Rose Solves, At Least, 86 Cold Cases
Re-listen to the best of The Girlfriends: Spotlight: Rose Brady’s job running Baltimore County’s SVU was a frustrating one. The sexual violence crimes she and her team were investigating were just the tip of the iceberg. Her department was sitting on thousands of unsolved rape cases, dating back...
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The Girlfriends: Spotlight, E24: Sucheta Exposes the Big Bull
In 1992, the Bombay Stock Exchange in India was skyrocketing. And at the centre of this chaotic, testosterone fuelled world was Harshad Meta: a man with aviator shades, a Lexus, and a reputation as a financial wizard. To millions, he was "The Big Bull," a self-made hero who promised wealth to...
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The Girlfriends: Spotlight, E23: Anna Catches a Catfish
Anna Rowe thought she’d found the perfect man: attentive, caring and totally devoted to his children. But Anna gradually started to suspect that things weren’t quite what they seemed… Her doubts led her to some late night dating app sleuthing. What Anna discovers will unravel everything she…
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The Girlfriends: Spotlight, E22: Carolyn Builds a Wisterhood
On Valentine's Day 2000, Carolyn Moor's life changed forever when a hit-and-run accident killed her husband Chad. She was left a widow in her 30s - and with two young daughters to raise alone. And she discovered that when you’re a young widow, there’s not very much support - especially not the…
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The Girlfriends: Spotlight Is Back...
The number 1 hit true crime series is back with more women fighting crime, battling injustice and seriously kicking ass. In The Girlfriends: Spotlight, our global gang of girlfriends grew to include Pussy Riot’s punk icon and political prisoner Nadya Tolokonnikova, British Nigerian beauty queen…
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The Girlfriends: Spotlight, E21: Morrell Breaks the Ban
When Morrell Andrews’s attacker was convicted of her sexual assault, she thought her fight was over. But it was just beginning. Because in Canada, where Morrell lives, ‘Publication Bans’ were enshrined in law. These bans meant that no one, including the survivor themselves, is allowed to publicly...
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The Girlfriends S5/Bonus Ep 4: How to Catch a Con-artist
Why did it take law enforcement so long to pay proper attention to Derek Alldred’s pattern of fraud against women all over the country? In bonus episode four, Anna takes a deep dive into the investigation that finally brought Derek down, and the shortcomings of the many that came before. In this...
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The Girlfriends S5/Bonus Ep 3: Blazing Lies
When Derek Alldred was finally convicted in 2017, it was far from his first run-in with the law. In fact, more than a decade earlier, he found himself in the crosshairs of one determined California fire investigator, named Tom Oldag, who suspected him of a very different kind of fraud. In bonus...
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The Girlfriends S5/Bonus Ep 2: Help! My Bestie’s Dating a Scam Artist
Confronting your bestie’s terrible boyfriend about his toxic behaviour can be tempting, but is it always the best course of action? How do you strike a balance between protecting your friend from becoming isolated, and being honest with them about your fears? In bonus episode two, Anna talks to...
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The Girlfriends S5/Bonus Ep 1: Get Back Down Here Off Your High Horse
In the years leading up to Derek’s conviction, his victims sometimes came forward to the media about their experiences. But when they did so, the reaction from the public wasn’t always sympathetic. In bonus episode one, Anna takes a closer look at the stigma that surrounds romance fraud with...
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The Girlfriends S5/E6: The Gold Bracelet
Girlfriends from all over the country finally converge on a house in Texas. And they meet a woman who’s been waiting on answers from Derek Alldred, for decades. If you’re affected by any of the themes in this show, our charity partners NO MORE have available resources at https://www.nomore.org.…
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The Girlfriends S5/E5: Don’t Mess With Texas
Special Agent Mike discovers Dorie isn’t the only woman Derek Alldred’s been seeing in Texas. Will Tracie agree to help the girlfriends bring him down once and for all? If you’re affected by any of the themes in this show, our charity partners NO MORE have available resources at...
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The Girlfriends S5/E4: Stolen Valor
Dorie is at home in Texas scrolling through photos on her iPad, when she makes a shocking discovery about the guy she’s been dating. When the truth comes out about who he really is, she resolves to do something about it. If you’re affected by any of the themes in this show, our charity partners…
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The Girlfriends S5/E3: The Sting
Lisa finally touches down in Minnesota, and learns her friends know more than they’ve been letting on about the real identity of her unusual boyfriend. If you’re affected by any of the themes in this show, our charity partners NO MORE have available resources at https://www.nomore.org. To learn...
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The Girlfriends S5/E2: The Busted Nut
Lisa, a hockey loving nurse from St Paul, Minnesota, has just begun dating a new guy who seems to have it all. But her close-knit group of friends have begun to suspect something dodgy is going on. If you’re affected by any of the themes in this show, our charity partners NO MORE have available...
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The Girlfriends S5/E1: Shark Bait
Wendy is a single mom with a busy job, looking for love on Maui, Hawaii. Then, she begins dating a con artist. By accident at first. And then, before long - out of sheer curiosity and with the help of her protective older sister - on purpose. If you’re affected by any of the themes in this show,...
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Introducing Season 5 of The Girlfriends: Trust Me Babe
When a group of women from all over the country realise they all dated the same prolific romance scammer they vow to bring him to justice. In this brand new season of global number 1 hit podcast, The Girlfriends, Anna Sinfield meets a group of funny, feisty, determined women who all had the...
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The Girlfriends S4/Bonus Ep 6: How to Put a Spotlight on Your Story
Sharing your story, whether that’s on social media or through the news can be pretty daunting. But putting a spotlight on your community is essential to drawing attention to the causes you care about. So in this episode, Khadijah speaks to journalist Tamara Cherry about how trauma informed...
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The Girlfriends S4/Bonus Ep 5: Sparking A Movement
Emmet Till’s murder sparked a 70 year movement, in this episode Khadijah speaks to a woman whose family has been fighting to preserve his legacy about what it takes to launch a movement and how you can mobilise your community to enact change. US resources for Violence and Sexual Assault:...
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The Girlfriends S4/Bonus Ep 4: A Girlfriends Guide to Making a Change
Roger Golubski’s story exposed decades worth of corruption at the heart of Kansas City Kansas, a systemic failure to hold perpetrators to account. In this episode, we explore how Wyandotte County’s current District Attorney is working to weed out corruption and enact change. US resources for...
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The Girlfriends S4/Bonus Ep 3: A Girlfriends Guide to Navigating Police Misconduct
What are your rights if you’re stopped by a police officer? What evidence would you need to build a case if you were a victim of police misconduct? In this episode Nikki dives into the laws and protocols surrounding police conduct to share tips for how to navigate distressing situations with law...
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The Girlfriends S4/Bonus Ep 2: A Girlfriends Guide to Healing in The Aftermath of Trauma
We’ve explored how people fight for justice, but how are the women whose lives were affected by Roger Golubski healing the aftermath of their trauma? In this episode, Khadijah and Nikki discuss the power of sisterhood and how community based programmes can support women on their path to recovery....
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The Girlfriends S4/Bonus Ep 1: The Freedom Seekers of Kansas City
Quindaro was once home to a stop on the Underground Railroad. In this episode, Nikki traces the long, rich, revolutionary history of Kansas City Kansas through the lens of a freedman who escaped slavery to make Quindaro home. US resources for Violence and Sexual Assault: https://rainn.org/...
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The Girlfriends S4/E8: It Could Have Been Us
As Nikki and Khadijah start to pick up the pieces, they discover the story is darker than they could have ever imagined. The shocking news takes them back to the very beginning, where they uncover a vital missing piece in the puzzle. US resources for Violence and Sexual Assault…
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The Girlfriends S4/E7: The Reckoning
It’s December 2nd 2024. After flying under the radar for decades, Detective Roger Golubski has finally been arrested. So the girlfriends drive over to the courthouse for the first day of a trial that will shake them to the core. US resources for Violence and Sexual Assault: https://rainn.org/...
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The Girlfriends S4/E6: What Would You Have Done?
When Trena Cooper was a child, she had a dream that her mom had been killed by a police officer. 20 years later, she sets out on a mission to get to the bottom of her mothers murder investigation as whispers surrounding that Detective build to a chorus of protests. US resources for Violence and...
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The Girlfriends S4/E5: I Smell A Rat
As Stacey Quinn’s life goes into a downward spiral, her sister Niko watches on, desperate to save Stacey before it’s too late. But the walls are closing in on her, and it will take a whole sisterhood of women to get to the bottom of what’s really going on in Kansas City. US resources for Violence...
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The Girlfriends S4/E4: Three Sisters
When Niko, Khadijah and Nikki finally come together, they instantly form a sisterhood. Niko tells her girlfriends the story of her older sister, Stacey. A woman whose life was turned upside down when she met Roger Golubski at 15 years old. US resources for Violence and Sexual Assault:...
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The Girlfriends S4/E3: The Two Day Trial
After 23 years behind bars, Lamonte McIntyre is finally stepping back into court to try and prove his innocence. When Khadijah Hardaway joins his desperate fight for justice, she helps uncover a chilling pattern of corruption as one man’s fight to be exonerated sparks a movement to expose the...
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The Girlfriends S4/E2: So Help Me God
As Niko Quinn grieves the loss of her favorite cousin and Lamonte McIntyre stands trial for a murder he says he didn’t commit, buried secrets about the lead detective in the case begin to surface. US resources for Violence and Sexual Assault: https://rainn.org/ International resources for…
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The Girlfriends S4/E1: No Place Like Home
When tragedy strikes on a quiet spring morning, Niko Quinn’s tight knit community is torn apart. But that moment is just the start of an investigation that will uncover deep corruption, decades of abuse and a dark scandal at the heart of her hometown, Kansas City Kansas. US resources for Violence...
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Introducing Season 4 of The Girlfriends: Untouchable
When Niko Quinn saw her favourite cousin murdered in broad daylight, her life turned upside down. She went looking for justice, but instead uncovered a dark scandal at the heart of her community: A police detective had spent decades targeting, threatening and sexually abusing black women across...
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The Girlfriends S3/Bonus Ep 4: Live from Wilderness with Kate Summerscale
The fourth and final bonus episode of Season 3 and our first ever LIVE episode of The Girlfriends! Recorded in front of a live audience from Wilderness Festival in Oxfordshire, UK, Anna is joined by author Kate Summerscale to discuss her book, “The Peepshow” and the wider impact of the True Crime...
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The Girlfriends S3/Bonus Ep 3: Is Abolition the Answer?
Anna sits down with author, lawyer and activist; Leigh Goodmark, to discuss the problems of prisons. Especially when it comes to imperfect victims, like Kelly. And Anna asks - is prison abolition really the answer? If you’re affected by any of the themes in this show please reach out to NO MORE…
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The Girlfriends S3/Bonus Ep 2: Tina’s story
Anna deep dives into the story of Tina, who you first met back in Episode 7. Unlike Kelly, Tina fully admits that she committed a terrible crime. But is prison the right place for her? And does she deserve to be forgiven? If you’re affected by any of the themes in this show please reach out to NO...
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The Girlfriends S3/Bonus Ep 1: Lisa and Bruna
Bruna DiBiase is the judge who presided over Kelly’s resentencing. But long before Kelly walked into her courtroom, Judge Bruna’s life had already been touched by tragedy. In the first of four bonus episodes, Anna sits down with Bruna and her daughter Lisa- to discover how this mother and…
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The Girlfriends S3/E8: No Regrets
Struggling to adjust to life outside of prison, Kelly tries to start fresh. And Anna discovers that while her story is nearly over, for Kelly… it’s only just the beginning. If you’re affected by any of the themes in this show please reach out to NO MORE at https://www.nomore.org a domestic…
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The Girlfriends S3/E7: Going Underground
Years into her incarceration, with a decade left to serve… a new law might finally give Kelly, and some of her inmate clients, a chance at freedom. But for some, it might have come too late. If you’re affected by any of the themes in this show please reach out to NO MORE at https://www.nomore.org…
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The Girlfriends S3/E6: Guilty Schmilty
Reeling from the jury’s verdict, Kelly searches for the strength to keep fighting in a new maximum security prison. If you’re affected by any of the themes in this show please reach out to NO MORE at https://www.nomore.org a domestic violence charity we’ve partnered with. The Girlfriends…
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ABOUT THIS SHOW
In the golden age of air travel, flying was sold as glamorous, luxurious, and effortlessly chic. But for the young women working the aisles at 30,000 feet, the reality was very different. When Patt Gibbs joined American Airlines in the 1960s, she was trained to be slim, smiling, and subservient. Stewardesses like her were weighed like luggage, forced to retire at 32 years old, banned from marriage, and expected to endure sexual harassment with grace. One extra pound, one birthday too many, or one wedding ring and your wings were clipped. But when Patt walks into a union meeting on a whim, everything changes. The Girlfriends: Flight or Fight tells the story of the stewardesses who refused to be grounded. From secret meetings to landmark discrimination cases to high-stakes union votes, these women challenged America’s biggest airlines and the sexism baked into the industry itself. A powerful sisterhood began to form across cabin aisles and crew lounges. They weren’t just fighting for bet
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iHeartPodcasts and Novel
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does The Girlfriends: Flight or Fight have?
The Girlfriends: Flight or Fight currently has 68 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is The Girlfriends: Flight or Fight about?
In the golden age of air travel, flying was sold as glamorous, luxurious, and effortlessly chic. But for the young women working the aisles at 30,000 feet, the reality was very different. When Patt Gibbs joined American Airlines in the 1960s, she was trained to be slim, smiling, and subservient....
How often does The Girlfriends: Flight or Fight release new episodes?
The Girlfriends: Flight or Fight has 68 episodes. Check the episode list to see recent publication dates and frequency.
Where can I listen to The Girlfriends: Flight or Fight?
You can listen to The Girlfriends: Flight or Fight on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.
Who hosts The Girlfriends: Flight or Fight?
The Girlfriends: Flight or Fight is created and hosted by iHeartPodcasts and Novel.
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