NZ Herald
  • Home
  • Latest news
  • Herald NOW
  • Video
  • New Zealand
  • Sport
  • World
  • Business
  • Entertainment
  • Podcasts
  • Quizzes
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Travel
  • Viva
  • Weather

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • New Zealand
    • All New Zealand
    • Crime
    • Politics
    • Education
    • Open Justice
    • Scam Update
  • Herald NOW
  • On The Up
  • World
    • All World
    • Australia
    • Asia
    • UK
    • United States
    • Middle East
    • Europe
    • Pacific
  • Business
    • All Business
    • MarketsSharesCurrencyCommoditiesStock TakesCrypto
    • Markets with Madison
    • Media Insider
    • Business analysis
    • Personal financeKiwiSaverInterest ratesTaxInvestment
    • EconomyInflationGDPOfficial cash rateEmployment
    • Small business
    • Business reportsMood of the BoardroomProject AucklandSustainable business and financeCapital markets reportAgribusiness reportInfrastructure reportDynamic business
    • Deloitte Top 200 Awards
    • CompaniesAged CareAgribusinessAirlinesBanking and financeConstructionEnergyFreight and logisticsHealthcareManufacturingMedia and MarketingRetailTelecommunicationsTourism
  • Opinion
    • All Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Editorials
    • Business analysis
    • Premium opinion
    • Letters to the editor
  • Politics
  • Sport
    • All Sport
    • OlympicsParalympics
    • RugbySuper RugbyNPCAll BlacksBlack FernsRugby sevensSchool rugby
    • CricketBlack CapsWhite Ferns
    • Racing
    • NetballSilver Ferns
    • LeagueWarriorsNRL
    • FootballWellington PhoenixAuckland FCAll WhitesFootball FernsEnglish Premier League
    • GolfNZ Open
    • MotorsportFormula 1
    • Boxing
    • UFC
    • BasketballNBABreakersTall BlacksTall Ferns
    • Tennis
    • Cycling
    • Athletics
    • SailingAmerica's CupSailGP
    • Rowing
  • Lifestyle
    • All Lifestyle
    • Viva - Food, fashion & beauty
    • Society Insider
    • Royals
    • Sex & relationships
    • Food & drinkRecipesRecipe collectionsRestaurant reviewsRestaurant bookings
    • Health & wellbeing
    • Fashion & beauty
    • Pets & animals
    • The Selection - Shop the trendsShop fashionShop beautyShop entertainmentShop giftsShop home & living
    • Milford's Investing Place
  • Entertainment
    • All Entertainment
    • TV
    • MoviesMovie reviews
    • MusicMusic reviews
    • BooksBook reviews
    • Culture
    • ReviewsBook reviewsMovie reviewsMusic reviewsRestaurant reviews
  • Travel
    • All Travel
    • News
    • New ZealandNorthlandAucklandWellingtonCanterburyOtago / QueenstownNelson-TasmanBest NZ beaches
    • International travelAustraliaPacific IslandsEuropeUKUSAAfricaAsia
    • Rail holidays
    • Cruise holidays
    • Ski holidays
    • Luxury travel
    • Adventure travel
  • Kāhu Māori news
  • Environment
    • All Environment
    • Our Green Future
  • Talanoa Pacific news
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Property Insider
    • Interest rates tracker
    • Residential property listings
    • Commercial property listings
  • Health
  • Technology
    • All Technology
    • AI
    • Social media
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
    • Opinion
    • Audio & podcasts
  • Weather forecasts
    • All Weather forecasts
    • Kaitaia
    • Whangārei
    • Dargaville
    • Auckland
    • Thames
    • Tauranga
    • Hamilton
    • Whakatāne
    • Rotorua
    • Tokoroa
    • Te Kuiti
    • Taumaranui
    • Taupō
    • Gisborne
    • New Plymouth
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Dannevirke
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Levin
    • Paraparaumu
    • Masterton
    • Wellington
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Blenheim
    • Westport
    • Reefton
    • Kaikōura
    • Greymouth
    • Hokitika
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
    • Wānaka
    • Oamaru
    • Queenstown
    • Dunedin
    • Gore
    • Invercargill
  • Meet the journalists
  • Promotions & competitions
  • OneRoof property listings
  • Driven car news

Puzzles & Quizzes

  • Puzzles
    • All Puzzles
    • Sudoku
    • Code Cracker
    • Crosswords
    • Cryptic crossword
    • Wordsearch
  • Quizzes
    • All Quizzes
    • Morning quiz
    • Afternoon quiz
    • Sports quiz

Regions

  • Northland
    • All Northland
    • Far North
    • Kaitaia
    • Kerikeri
    • Kaikohe
    • Bay of Islands
    • Whangarei
    • Dargaville
    • Kaipara
    • Mangawhai
  • Auckland
  • Waikato
    • All Waikato
    • Hamilton
    • Coromandel & Hauraki
    • Matamata & Piako
    • Cambridge
    • Te Awamutu
    • Tokoroa & South Waikato
    • Taupō & Tūrangi
  • Bay of Plenty
    • All Bay of Plenty
    • Katikati
    • Tauranga
    • Mount Maunganui
    • Pāpāmoa
    • Te Puke
    • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua
  • Hawke's Bay
    • All Hawke's Bay
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Havelock North
    • Central Hawke's Bay
    • Wairoa
  • Taranaki
    • All Taranaki
    • Stratford
    • New Plymouth
    • Hāwera
  • Manawatū - Whanganui
    • All Manawatū - Whanganui
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Manawatū
    • Tararua
    • Horowhenua
  • Wellington
    • All Wellington
    • Kapiti
    • Wairarapa
    • Upper Hutt
    • Lower Hutt
  • Nelson & Tasman
    • All Nelson & Tasman
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Tasman
  • Marlborough
  • West Coast
  • Canterbury
    • All Canterbury
    • Kaikōura
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
  • Otago
    • All Otago
    • Oamaru
    • Dunedin
    • Balclutha
    • Alexandra
    • Queenstown
    • Wanaka
  • Southland
    • All Southland
    • Invercargill
    • Gore
    • Stewart Island
  • Gisborne

Media

  • Video
    • All Video
    • NZ news video
    • Herald NOW
    • Business news video
    • Politics news video
    • Sport video
    • World news video
    • Lifestyle video
    • Entertainment video
    • Travel video
    • Markets with Madison
    • Kea Kids news
  • Podcasts
    • All Podcasts
    • The Front Page
    • On the Tiles
    • Ask me Anything
    • The Little Things
  • Cartoons
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / Travel

Miss or Doctor? Why Siobhan O'Dwyer's flight rant is ridiculous

By Kate Schneider
news.com.au·
6 Sep, 2018 08:24 PM5 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

Aussie doctor's Qantas flight rant / 9 News

COMMENT:"We are extremely proud of our cabin crew, who respectfully serve our customers every day and play a vital safety role."

This was Qantas' simple and dignified response to a passenger who slammed one of their employees for launching a "sexist" attack on her by calling her "miss" instead of "doctor".

Dr Siobhan O'Dwyer, an Australian academic currently working in the UK, sparked heated debate online when she posted this tweet, which has been shared more than 1200 times.

READ MORE:
• Doctor slams Qantas for calling her 'Miss'

"Hey Qantas, my name is Dr O'Dwyer. My ticket says Dr O'Dwyer. Do not look at my ticket, look at me, look back at my ticket, decide it's a typo and call me Miss O'Dwyer. I did not spend 8 years at university to be called Miss," she wrote.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Copping so much flack for this tweet. This was not about my ego. It was about highlighting one of a thousand instances of sexism that women encounter every day. It’s not about the title, it’s about the fact that this wouldn’t have happened if I was a man. https://t.co/1XHvQIb2iZ

— Dr Siobhan O'Dwyer (@Siobhan_ODwyer) September 2, 2018

When social media users started getting fired up she continued: "Copping so much flack for this tweet. This was not about my ego. It was about highlighting one of a thousand instances of sexism that women encounter every day.

"It's not about the title, it's about the fact that this wouldn't have happened if I was a man."

OK, hold up right there, doctor. Firstly, how could you possibly have ascertained that sexism was their intention just from observing the quick glance they gave your ticket and the fact they called you "miss"?

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

And what about the assumption that the crew member had thought the word "doctor" was a typo? Did we, um, "miss" something here?

Sorry, but it's very unlikely to have been a gender-based attack — that's a far stretch. Cabin crew simply have a lot more important things to worry about, you know, like dealing with thousands of frustrated passengers every day, keeping us alive and sane as we speed through the skies and doing their best to get us where we want to go in a timely manner.

I assure you, that's no easy task.

In those few seconds where they glance at your boarding pass, smile, greet you and nod you through to board the plane, there's a lot going through their minds that passengers don't realise.

Discover more

Travel

The most risky thing you touch at the airport

04 Sep 10:56 PM
Travel

Doctor slams Qantas for calling her 'Miss'

05 Sep 08:45 PM
Travel

'Creepy' Denver airport embraces the conspiracies

06 Sep 01:00 AM
Travel

Ancient Syrian city of Palmyra could re-open for tourists

06 Sep 03:00 AM

For starters, they're checking your identity, ensuring you're on the right flight and determining which part of the plane to guide you down. They're also making sure you don't appear drunk, and are generally fit to fly. Oh, and that you're not trying to sneak everything but the kitchen sink on-board in you carry-on.

All this in a matter of moments.

Australian academic Dr Siobhan O'Dwyer took to social media to call out Qantas for calling her "Miss".
Australian academic Dr Siobhan O'Dwyer took to social media to call out Qantas for calling her "Miss".

So, understandably, the reaction on social media has been largely fierce. Sure, some agreed with Dr O'Dwyer and bemoaned the sexism issues doctors face in Australia, but others found her argument "precious" and "narcisstic".

Sadly, Dr O'Dwyer has declared that her Twitter account has been swamped with "vitriol" and "trolls". (The Twitterverse can be very harsh. It's a good time for everyone to remember to be kind, there are real people behind those keyboards! So while the flight attendant in question deserves to be given a break, keep in mind that Dr O'Dwyer should too. Come on, who hasn't said something that others disagreed with? Or made a comment they wished they had never made?)

Back to the twitter reaction. One particular comment — which was not made by Dr O'Dwyer — also struck a nerve.

Fellow academic Dr Mel Thomson wrote in a since-deleted tweet: "I'm first gen to finish high school (let alone get several degrees) in my family … I'll be damned if some trolley dolly gets to decide what honorific I get called, FFS."

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

So perhaps people such as Dr O'Dwyer and Dr Thomson need a breakdown of just how important and demanding the role of a flight attendant is. Because you'll sure as hell be grateful for them if you're ever unlucky enough to be involved in a flight emergency.

As noted by Qantas: "Becoming a cabin crew member can be a challenging experience. There's so much new information to absorb and put to use in practical ways. It requires commitment, but that's what makes us strong."

The skills involved span across customer service, aviation first aid, aircraft and personal safety and emergency procedures.

So sure, they serve us food and often look glamorous. But they also have been trained to:

• Lift a 28 kilogram aircraft window exit;

• Deal with emergencies in a smoke-filled simulator;

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

• Swim and assist people in the water;

• Descend an escape slide, nine metres above the ground;

• Fight fires while wearing a full face mask;

• Control people in panic situations;

• And move people with a disability in evacuations.

So, yeah, they're pretty handy at times when you may actually want to survive a plane crash.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

A perfect example of the demands placed on crew is yesterday's incident on an Emirates flight from Dubai where dozens reported feeling ill.

Nineties pop star Vanilla Ice, who was on the plane, tweeted: "This is crazy. Apparently there is over 100 people sick on the bottom floor, so happy I'm up top, it's a double-decker plane 380."

Can you imagine the logistic nightmare? But they were praised for staying cool calm and collected and got those who needed emergency help the attention they needed.

Ultimately, a little appreciation of the awesome jobs they do — and understanding of a simple "oversight" — if you can even call it that — would go a long way for our flight attendants.

And don't forget they also have to deal with passenger like these.

Save

    Share this article

Latest from Travel

Travel

The top five treats to taste on your Disneyland holiday

Travel

Why spending a night at the Rydges Gold Coast is a big mistake

Travel

My search for whales on Australia's Sunshine Coast


Sponsored

Your Fiordland experience, levelled up

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from Travel

The top five treats to taste on your Disneyland holiday
Travel

The top five treats to taste on your Disneyland holiday

From blue milk to blue tongues, Disney treats never fail to surprise.

16 Jul 03:29 AM
Why spending a night at the Rydges Gold Coast is a big mistake
Travel

Why spending a night at the Rydges Gold Coast is a big mistake

16 Jul 12:53 AM
My search for whales on Australia's Sunshine Coast
Travel

My search for whales on Australia's Sunshine Coast

15 Jul 06:00 AM


Your Fiordland experience, levelled up
Sponsored

Your Fiordland experience, levelled up

25 May 12:00 PM
NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • NZ Herald e-editions
  • Daily puzzles & quizzes
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Subscribe to the NZ Herald newspaper
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP