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January 10, 2023

Hispanic Heritage Month Feature: Anjanetee (Angy) Camacho Betancourt

Two years can make a world of difference for almost anything, especially for DCA-based Flight Attendant Anjanetee Camacho Betancourt. In honor of Hispanic Heritage Month, we’re sharing her journey to America and pursuit of a lifelong dream.

What inspired you to move to the United States last year?

I met my husband, who is an American, in Cusco, Peru. We got married in Venezuela in November 2018 and we were waiting on immigration for me to come to the United States. Because my country does not have a U.S. Embassy, I had to move to Columbia to wait for my emigration process while my husband had to return to America for work. On March 17, 2020, a week before I was supposed to get my visa, the embassy shut down in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. I was stranded in Columbia. It took almost two years to be together. I arrived in the United States in November 2020. It was very difficult being a newlywed couple and being separated, but we got through it. My kids are still waiting in Columbia, but I’m here working hard for them. Little did we know, life was preparing us for this job and for all the days I would be away from home.

What made you want to pursue a career in the aviation industry?

When I was a teenager, I saw these beautiful women walking [in] the airport, dressed in these beautiful uniforms, rolling their rollaboards and I said, “I want to be one of them one day.” But for varying reasons, including becoming a mom (which is my pride title), I put my dream and my needs aside. My kids are now old enough (14 and 8) to understand that mommy has wanted [to pursue] this her whole life. So, they helped me and inspired me to not wait any longer. This was my time to go and make my dream come true.

How long have you been with PSA?

I went to training in July, graduated in August and have been flying since.

You shared that in your culture, when someone comes and visits you at your home, you make them feel special and that’s what you try to do with all customers. How do you make those intentional connections with them?

It depends what position I am working that day. When I am in the front, I greet every passenger with a smile. Even though they can’t see me smiling, they feel that vibe. I say hello and compliment every single one of them when they get on board. Whether it’s their shirt or shoes, I try to find a detail and say something nice about it. Then, when we are in the air, I take care of them. I take their order and I let them know after I have served them, I am here. Please hit the call button if you need anything. They like that.

If I am aft Flight Attendant, when they have boarded, I say hello to all of them as I am making my way down the aisle, closing bins, doing my compliance check and securing my cabin. Once in the air, when I am doing service, I do it with gratitude because thanks to that passenger in that seat, I am here. I love my job, so I try to do everything with love and my passengers can feel that. Even when there are delays, I treat them with even more kindness and empathy because they don’t understand why there are delays. They just want to go to their destination. So I’ll look up their connections and help them out so they know what to do when they get to airport. [I] even go out of my way and ask passengers to please let the other passengers that have tight connections to get off first. It’s usually a good outcome, the ones with final destinations stay seated until the others who are in a hurry deplane.

For aspiring aviation enthusiasts interested in pursuing a career in the field and who share a similar story, what encouraging words would you share with them?

You can do it and it is possible. Aviation has forever touched my life and I don’t think I could ever go back to an 8-5 job. Being a flight attendant is being someone’s superhero that day on your flight, and that is something that words can’t express. How you feel knowing you did something for someone who you’ll probably never see again, I wear my wings with pride.