I’ve always thought our Southwest Flight Attendants were undercover superheroes, and after chatting with Christie Volkmer of The Amazing Race, I’ve realized it’s true—she is truly one tough cookie. Together with fellow Flight Attendant Jodi Wincheski, they traveled throughout Germany, Romania, Russia, Siberia, and India—before elimination on the fifth episode due to bad directions and a befuddled cab driver.

Christie and Jodi are both based in Houston, and met through Southwest six years ago. Funnily enough, though they’re buddies in real life, Christie first wanted to apply for the show with her husband. But there was just one problem: he wasn’t a U.S. citizen. Luckily, Jodi jumped on the bandwagon, and off they went to compete in the adventure of a lifetime.

So how did being a Southwest Flight Attendant prepare her for the arduous journey of The Amazing Race? Christie credits her communication skills: "You meet all kinds of people every day when you fly. Every age, every race, every creed. The other teams were so surprised that Jodi and I weren’t afraid to go up to strangers and ask questions, but Southwest encourages you to always interact and have FUN with your Customers."

When she’s not giving exclusive interviews to our blog, Christie can be found in Choctaw, Oklahoma, with her husband of almost two years and a multitude of animals.

If there’s any seasoned traveler you should listen to, it’s a Southwest Flight Attendant. Check out Christie’s Travel Guide post on one of her favorite vacation spots: Lake Tahoe. And keep your eyes peeled the next time you fly…you might just see a superstar in your midst.

To read an in-depth interview with both Christie and Jodi, check out this link.

If you’d like a recap of our Flight Attendant’s performance throughout The Amazing Race, peruse all of Hollye Chacon’s posts on our blog!