Around the World in a Bad Mood

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Very true! - Rated
As a flight attendent myself I have to say that this book is very true to life. The way Rene describes passengers, the horror of getting up at 3am, how nasty it is to be on stand-by and the secret phrases and words they use to describe passengers is fab! The only thing I don't really like about this book is the constant reference to how Rene really wants to be an actress, it's as if she's trying to sell her acting abilities to me, the reader. But overall, a great book!

around the world... with a luvvie - Rated
as a failed applicant for the job of flight attendant, I'm always interested to read books of this type. Rene paints her picture reasonably well, surly passengers, the struggles of a newly qualified 'stew' who has to stay by the phone with an hour's notice of scheduling, sharing digs with fellow flight attendants, the social and financial implications thereof... all add to the description of a job which we know isn't so much glamorous as demanding, though it has its perks.
The problem I had with this book is that Rene, by her own admittance, is a frustrated actress, and unfortunately this impacts throughout the book with monotonous regularity. The little rhymes and sketches which intersperse with the narrative only serve to annoy, as if she is saying to you "but look, I'm talented really... hey kids, let's do the show right here!"
For a real insight into the world of commercial flying, I would recommend the writings of Elliott Hester, who has no such axe to grind, and indeed, repeats some of the (mythical) tales of Rene Foss but with more believability.