It started like any other flight. She was slingin’ chicken or beef, he was sittin’ in 14C — and by the time the wheels hit the tarmac, the whole bloody internet was losing its mind.
Meet Tash Kennedy — 32, blonde, cheeky, and quick with a wink. Tash has been a flight attendant with Southern Skies Airlines for the better part of a decade. She’s clocked more miles than a Qantas jet engine and flirted her way through more safety demonstrations than she can count.
But nothing could’ve prepared her for what happened last Tuesday on a routine flight from Sydney to Bali.
“I swear, the minute I saw him, my heart did a full-on shoey inside my chest,” Tash told The Herald, still buzzing from the media frenzy that followed.
“It was my ex. My first real love. Sitting there, smug as Vegemite on toast, in bloody 14C.”
Blast From the Past at 35,000 Feet
Let’s rewind a bit.
Back in 2015, Tash and Dan — a scruffy, tanned surfer bloke from the Gold Coast — were the Aussie answer to Ross and Rachel. They met at a house party, bonded over their mutual hatred of magpies, and spent three years in a whirlwind of beach trips, late-night kebabs, and long hugs at train stations.
But life got in the way. Tash took a job with the airline, Dan went off chasing waves in Indo, and the spark fizzled out. Last she heard, he was living in Canggu, selling coconut bowls and pretending to be spiritual.
So when Dan boarded her flight looking all rugged and sun-kissed, with his stupid dimples and that dumb smile, Tash nearly dropped her entire tray of Bundy & Cokes.
“He looked up, blinked, and goes, ‘Tash?’ I just stood there frozen like a cold pie at a servo.”
In-Flight Entertainment: Two Exes and a Snack Cart
Passengers nearby were already getting curious. Tash was just meant to be handing out pretzels and doing her aisle strut, but instead she was having a full-blown rom-com moment with the bloke in 14C.
She tried to keep it professional. Smiled. Asked if he wanted still or sparkling. He asked if she still took three sugars in her tea.
“Mate, I lost it. I did the whole nervous laugh. Nearly elbowed the drinks cart into some poor bloke’s knees.”
By the time they hit cruising altitude, word had already spread down the rows like wildfire. One teenager in 12A started filming. Tash’s co-worker, Maddy, began live-tweeting the whole thing like it was The Bachelor – Sky High Edition.
Midway through the flight, Dan scribbled something on a napkin and handed it to her. It read: “Let’s not let this be just another flyby.”
Soppy? Absolutely. Did it work? Bloody oath it did.
“I sat down in the jump seat at the back and just stared at the ceiling like, ‘What is my life?’” Tash laughs.
“I mean, who reunites with their ex mid-flight while handing out cheese crackers?”
Landing, Love, and Viral Madness
When the plane touched down in Denpasar, passengers actually cheered. Someone played “Love Is in the Air” from their phone speaker. Tash gave Dan a cheeky side-hug at the gate, and they agreed to catch up over a coconut (not in the spiritual influencer way, this time).
But the real chaos began after the video hit TikTok. Maddy’s live tweets went off. The teenager’s video got picked up by @AussieRomComs. Within 12 hours, it had 3.4 million views. Headlines screamed:
“Stewardess Finds Love at 35,000 Feet”
“Exes Reunite Mid-Flight in Wild Twist”
“Chicken, Beef, or Boyfriend?”
Even Southern Skies Airlines jumped in, tweeting:
“We can’t guarantee love on every flight, but our snacks are always free.”
Where Are They Now?
Since touchdown, Tash and Dan have been “catching up” every day — going on scooter rides, eating nasi goreng, and rewatching their viral moment on mute in beach cafés.
“It’s been mad,” says Dan. “I rocked up thinking I’d get a cheap flight and maybe a tan. Ended up with a second shot at love and a bloody fan club.”
Tash is back to flying part-time while soaking up the sun in Bali. She’s already been offered an interview with Sunrise and a potential book deal (working title: Love in 14C).
When asked what’s next, she just grins and says:
“Dunno. Might marry the bloke. Or start a podcast. Or both. Life’s a bit of a banger when you least expect it.”
Flight Tips from Tash (Now an Internet Icon)
Never fly without lip balm and backup undies. You never know who you’ll bump into.
Keep an eye on row 14. That’s where destiny apparently lives.
Always tip your flight crew with kindness. You might just witness a love story unfold.
If someone gives you a napkin with a cheesy line — read it. Could change your life.
So next time you hear your seatbelt click, take a peek down the aisle. Maybe it’s your turn for a little turbulence of the heart.
As for Tash and Dan? They’re just enjoying the ride. And who knows — maybe the next time she says, “Please prepare for landing,” she’ll be saying it to her future husband.