Life as a member of the British Airways flight crew has allowed one man to travel the world, meet rock royalty, real royalty and ensure thousands of people enjoy their flying experience.

Jeffrey Palmer has been a member of the British Airways team for 21 years and does not plan on switching careers anytime soon.

?It?s not a job, it?s a lifestyle,? he said. ?No day is the same and I have friends literally all around the world.?

Mr. Palmer sat down with in the lobby of the Fairmont Hamilton Princess to discuss his views on a life of service.

?I am in Bermuda, sitting in a fabulous hotel, meeting great people and I get paid for this!? he exclaimed.

?Can you imagine life getting any better than this??

He started as an aircraft engineer in the1980s and then decided his personality was more suited to meeting people and helping them enjoy their flight. After 11 years as a steward he became a Cabin Service Director and is now in charge of the cabin crew he flies with.

He has travelled to the Caribbean, North America, Far East, Middle East and Europe. Essentially Mr. Palmer has seen the world. ?We?re a premier service and we want to ensure that everyone who steps on board is treated with respect,? he said. ?In particular Bermuda is a premier route with high profile people on it. I always tell my crew, when travelling to Bermuda, give me 120 percent for seven hours and then enjoy your time off.?

He describes the Island as ?enchanting? and ?the most beautiful place on earth?. Mr. Palmer has been coming to Bermuda since he began flying and noted he has seen many hotels come and go, he has stayed in the old Bermudiana Hotel and Belmont Hotel.

Despite seeing many changes to the Island, including the rise of International Business, he said the Island has changed very little.

?The people are the same.? he said ?I?m not saying the Island is in a time warp, but the essence of the Island remains. People are still friendly, there is still the colonial feel and the beeches are as beautiful as ever.?

Talking with Mr. Palmer is a trip in itself, he easily navigates from the mundane to the hilarious as he recounts his experience with BA.

He deftly answered questions about crying babies and said he never gets annoyed with the wails and simply empathises with the mother. He also said no matter how rude a passenger became it was his job to ensure they enjoyed the flight.

Being with the company for so long means that Mr. Palmer has also had his fair share of brushes with celebrity.

?Mick [Jagger is great, so is his ex wife Jerry [Hall. Jemima Khan is also wonderful,? he said.

But the celebrity he most vividly remembers meeting is the late Princess Diana. ?Princess Diana was the most amazing person I have met,? he said. ?When I greeted her, with her proper title, she replied ?I?m not Your Highness I am Diana?. We sat and talked for half an hour, she asked many questions about my life and told me about her projects. I was doing some paper work when the plane landed and people began to disembark when someone came and asked me to report to the door. Princess Diana would not disembark without saying goodbye to me and thanking me, that?s just the type of person she was. She died three months later.?

Despite the glamorous lifestyle he leads Mr. Palmer said that people hoping to join the cabin crew need to realise that it is a life of service. ?You?re stuck in a metal tube for hours so you better like people,?he said.

He explained that the ideal steward has people skills, compassion and a desire to help people. These characteristics are far more important than a desire to travel and a dynamic personality Mr. Palmer said.

?You have to remember that all those people [passengers are paying your salary,? he said.

Currently there are no Bermudians flying as BA crew, which Mr. Palmer said was a shame considering the Island is well known for its hospitality.

?As long as people have a British passport and are willing to move to London they are eligible to work with BA,? he said. ?I think Bermudians would be great at the job because they have grown up in a tourist centre and are polite.?

The only down side to his job would be missing out on events or birthdays while he is abroad. Currently Mr. Palmer works 14 to 21 days in a row before getting time off in London. The shift sees him make numerous transatlantic flights. Before sitting down at the Fairmont Hamilton Princess he had flown from London to Atlanta, spent the night, Atlanta to London and then London to Bermuda. He arrived on the Thursday flight and was preparing to leave on the Saturday evening BA flight.

All in all Mr. Palmer can find little to complain about, lots to gush about and a few things that make him laugh about his job.

?There is no such thing as a mile high club certificate,? he said with a laugh. ?I actually had a couple emerge from the bathrooms mid flight and excitedly ask for their certificate. I had to tell them to go back to their seats.?