Podcasts · True Crime · Society & Culture

The Girlfriends: Flight or Fight

iHeartPodcasts and Novel

70 episodes · in order · Explicit

In the golden age of air travel, flying was sold as glamorous, luxurious, and effortlessly chic. But for the young women working the aisles at 30,000 feet, the reality was very different. When Patt Gibbs joined American Airlines in the 1960s, she was trained to be slim, smiling, and subservient. Stewardesses like her were weighed like luggage, forced to retire at 32 years old, banned from marriage, and expected to endure sexual harassment with grace. One extra pound, one birthday too many, or one wedding ring and your wings were clipped. But when Patt walks into a union meeting on a whim, everything changes. The Girlfriends: Flight or Fight tells the story of the stewardesses who refused to be grounded. From secret meetings to landmark discrimination cases to high-stakes union votes, these women challenged America’s biggest airlines and the sexism baked into the industry itself. A powerful sisterhood began to form across cabin aisles and crew lounges. They weren’t just fighting for better contracts. They were fighting for control of their own lives.

More about the show

The Girlfriends: Flight or Fight is produced by Novel for iHeartPodcasts. For more from Novel, visit https://novel.audio/.

You can listen to new episodes of The Girlfriends: Flight or Fight completely ad-free and 1 week early with an iHeart True Crime+ subscription, available exclusively on Apple Podcasts.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episodes page 1 of 2

  1. Introducing: The Girlfriends

    · 2:48 · Trailer

    Introducing the new podcast The Girlfriends. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

  2. The Girlfriends S1/E1: The Good Jewish Doctor

    · 31 min · S1 E1

    It’s the early 90s and a new eligible bachelor named Bob has arrived in Las Vegas. Every local single Jewish lady wants to date him, but something’s off. It turns out Bob has a secret that he hoped he could leave…

  3. The Girlfriends S1/E2: Lobsters for Dinner

    · 30 min · S1 E2

    Carole is wined, dined and shouted at by Bob until they split. After their break up, Carole tells her friend Mindy about the skeletons in Bob's closet and they start investigating. If you are affected by any of our…

  4. The Girlfriends S1/E3: Bubbly, Bouncy and Very Alive

    · 44 min · S1 E3

    We head to New York City to learn about Gail. In conversation with her loved ones, Carole hears about Gail’s love stories, curly hair, teenage dreams and the last time her friends saw her. If you are affected by any…

  5. The Girlfriends S1/E4: Phone Calls from Manhattan

    · 39 min · S1 E4

    The search for Gail begins. After a rocky start, Gail’s sister Alayne, takes over the investigation into her disappearance. After four years of searching, the police make a shocking discovery. If you are affected by…

  6. The Girlfriends S1/E5: The Best Job a Lawyer Could Have

    · 30 min · S1 E5

    Bob moves again, but this time to the sleepy midwestern town of Minot, North Dakota. For Carole and Mindy it seems like Bob might be getting away with it, until some prosecutors from the Manhattan DA’s cold case unit…

  7. The Girlfriends S1/E6: Women Who Like to Gab

    · 29 min · S1 E6

    The prosecutors arrive in Las Vegas to interview The Girlfriends. Hearing the stories from Bob’s time in Vegas, they become convinced that he murdered Gail. But in an attempt to make their argument water tight, they…

  8. The Girlfriends S1/E7: Cowabunga

    · 38 min · S1 E7

    Bob learns that the DA are after him and when his arrest becomes a national news story, another Girlfriend surfaces. If you are affected by any of our topics please reach out to NO MORE at…

  9. The Girlfriends S1/E8: The Girlfriends Vs Bierenbaum

    · 36 min · S1 E8

    15 years after Gail’s death, Bob is put on trial. The Girlfriends, Gail’s friends and Alayne all weave together the circumstantial evidence that the prosecution believe is enough to prove Bob murdered Gail. But the…

  10. The Girlfriends S1/E9: A Sisterhood

    · 43 min · S1 E9

    After 20 years behind bars Bob finally speaks about what he did. Carole, Mindy and Alayne discuss what it means to live in a world without Gail, and so many other women like her. If you are affected by any of our…

  11. The Girlfriends: Our Lost Sister... Coming Soon

    · 9:09 · Trailer

    In Season 1, The Girlfriends told the story of how a group of incredible women came together to bring down one bad ex-boyfriend and seek justice for the murder of Gail Katz. But there’s one part of that story that’s…

  12. Introducing Season 2 of The Girlfriends: Our Lost Sister

    · 1:21 · Trailer

    In Season 1, The Girlfriends told the story of how a group of incredible women came together to bring down one bad ex-boyfriend and seek justice for the murder of Gail Katz. But there’s one part of that story that’s…

  13. The Girlfriends S2/E1: A Double Mitzvah

    · 30 min · S2 E1 · Explicit

    The club returns! Carole, Mindy, Alayne and Anna are back together again to eat food, drink wine… and solve a 35 year old cold case. If you’re affected by any of the themes in this show please reach out to DNA Doe…

  14. The Girlfriends S2/E2: Mindy Goes Undercover

    · 30 min · S2 E2 · Explicit

    Looking for clues to our Lost Sister’s identity, our Chief Investigator Mindy Shapiro visits her old New York City stomping grounds. If you’re affected by any of the themes in this show please reach out to DNA Doe…

  15. The Girlfriends S2/E3: Lost and Found

    · 33 min · S2 E3 · Explicit

    Producer Anna is joined by Alayne Katz for a pilgrimage to New York City’s biggest public cemetery…could our girl be there? If you’re affected by any of the themes in this show please reach out to DNA Doe Project, an…

  16. The Girlfriends S2/E4: Desperately Seeking Susie

    · 27 min · S2 E4 · Explicit

    While Detective Mindy gets to talk to a (real life) cop about the case of our Lost Sister, the rest of the gang gets a breakthrough. If you’re affected by any of the themes in this show please reach out to DNA Doe…

  17. The Girlfriends S2/E5: Her Legacy

    · 48 min · S2 E5 · Explicit

    To find an end to the story, the Girlfriends go back to the beginning. If you’re affected by any of the themes in this show please reach out to DNA Doe Project, an organisation we’ve partnered with. The Girlfriends:…

  18. The Girlfriends S2/Bonus 3 - The Girlfriends’ Guide to: Finding a Missing Person

    · 21 min · S2 E8 · Bonus

    In the third instalment of the Girlfriend’s Guide we turn our attention to the over 600 thousand people who go missing every year in the United States. With the help of a citizen sleuth and former Missing Persons…

  19. The Girlfriends S2/Bonus 2 - The Girlfriends’ Guide to: Tackling Intimate Partner Violence

    · 25 min · S2 E7 · Bonus

    In the second episode of The Girlfriends’ Guide, we learn how to tackle domestic violence in our own lives from the people who fight it every single day. If you are affected by this episode please reach out to NO MORE…

  20. The Girlfriends S2/Bonus 1 - The Girlfriends’ Guide to: Identifying a Doe

    · 33 min · S2 E6 · Bonus

    The Girlfriends’ Guide, hosted by Producer Anna Sinfield, is a three part mini series where we lay out how you can solve crimes and keep your girlfriends safe. We dive back into our archive of never heard before…

  21. Introducing Season 3 of The Girlfriends: Jailhouse Lawyer

    · 5:29 · Trailer · Explicit

    What does it mean to be a victim, or a villain? What happens when the line between the two starts to blur? On 7th July 2010, Kelly Harnett says her abusive boyfriend murdered a man right in front of her. So how did…

  22. The Girlfriends S3/E1: Hell's Gate

    · 38 min · S3 E1 · Explicit

    Meet Kelly Harnett. She’s a loving sister, a childhood gymnast and an aspiring DJ. And, according to the justice system; she’s also a murderer. Anna travels to New York to meet Kelly, and to try and figure out how a…

  23. The Girlfriends S3/E2: The Good, The Bad and The Kelly

    · 39 min · S3 E2 · Explicit

    Anna traces a path back through Kelly’s turbulent life to answer the question: how did she get here? If you’re affected by any of the themes in this show please reach out to NO MORE at https://www.nomore.org a…

  24. The Girlfriends S3/E3: He Said, She Said

    · 36 min · S3 E3 · Explicit

    In 2010, a traumatised Kelly sits in a police cell and reckons with the horrors of the previous night. Years later, Anna tries to make sense of the night of the murder and discovers that some of the accounts aren’t…

  25. The Girlfriends S3/E4: The Shawties

    · 32 min · S3 E4 · Explicit

    Stuck in Rikers Island Jail, Kelly forms a family of women who’ve been through hell, just like her. But she’s got enemies too. And as she studies for her case, she begins to discover that the law… just might be the…

  26. The Girlfriends S3/E5: Is He Dead Yet?

    · 38 min · S3 E5 · Explicit

    Kelly’s case finally goes to trial and the prosecution throws everything they have at her. How can she convince a jury that, not only is she not guilty but that she’s a victim too? If you’re affected by any of the…

  27. The Girlfriends S3/E6: Guilty Schmilty

    · 43 min · S3 E6 · Explicit

    Reeling from the jury’s verdict, Kelly searches for the strength to keep fighting in a new maximum security prison. If you’re affected by any of the themes in this show please reach out to NO MORE at…

  28. The Girlfriends S3/E7: Going Underground

    · 39 min · S3 E7 · Explicit

    Years into her incarceration, with a decade left to serve… a new law might finally give Kelly, and some of her inmate clients, a chance at freedom. But for some, it might have come too late. If you’re affected by any…

  29. The Girlfriends S3/E8: No Regrets

    · 46 min · S3 E8 · Explicit

    Struggling to adjust to life outside of prison, Kelly tries to start fresh. And Anna discovers that while her story is nearly over, for Kelly… it’s only just the beginning. If you’re affected by any of the themes in…

  30. The Girlfriends S3/Bonus Ep 1: Lisa and Bruna

    · 29 min · S3 E9 · Bonus · Explicit

    Bruna DiBiase is the judge who presided over Kelly’s resentencing. But long before Kelly walked into her courtroom, Judge Bruna’s life had already been touched by tragedy. In the first of four bonus episodes, Anna…

  31. The Girlfriends S3/Bonus Ep 2: Tina’s story

    · 37 min · S3 E10 · Bonus · Explicit

    Anna deep dives into the story of Tina, who you first met back in Episode 7. Unlike Kelly, Tina fully admits that she committed a terrible crime. But is prison the right place for her? And does she deserve to be…

  32. The Girlfriends S3/Bonus Ep 3: Is Abolition the Answer?

    · 42 min · S3 E11 · Bonus · Explicit

    Anna sits down with author, lawyer and activist; Leigh Goodmark, to discuss the problems of prisons. Especially when it comes to imperfect victims, like Kelly. And Anna asks - is prison abolition really the answer?…

  33. The Girlfriends S3/Bonus Ep 4: Live from Wilderness with Kate Summerscale

    · 28 min · S3 E12 · Bonus · Explicit

    The fourth and final bonus episode of Season 3 and our first ever LIVE episode of The Girlfriends! Recorded in front of a live audience from Wilderness Festival in Oxfordshire, UK, Anna is joined by author Kate…

  34. Introducing Season 4 of The Girlfriends: Untouchable

    · 2:48 · Trailer · Explicit

    When Niko Quinn saw her favourite cousin murdered in broad daylight, her life turned upside down. She went looking for justice, but instead uncovered a dark scandal at the heart of her community: A police detective had…

  35. The Girlfriends S4/E1: No Place Like Home

    · 32 min · S4 E1 · Explicit

    When tragedy strikes on a quiet spring morning, Niko Quinn’s tight knit community is torn apart. But that moment is just the start of an investigation that will uncover deep corruption, decades of abuse and a dark…

  36. The Girlfriends S4/E2: So Help Me God

    · 35 min · S4 E2 · Explicit

    As Niko Quinn grieves the loss of her favorite cousin and Lamonte McIntyre stands trial for a murder he says he didn’t commit, buried secrets about the lead detective in the case begin to surface. US resources for…

  37. The Girlfriends S4/E3: The Two Day Trial

    · 32 min · S4 E3 · Explicit

    After 23 years behind bars, Lamonte McIntyre is finally stepping back into court to try and prove his innocence. When Khadijah Hardaway joins his desperate fight for justice, she helps uncover a chilling pattern of…

  38. The Girlfriends S4/E4: Three Sisters

    · 39 min · S4 E4 · Explicit

    When Niko, Khadijah and Nikki finally come together, they instantly form a sisterhood. Niko tells her girlfriends the story of her older sister, Stacey. A woman whose life was turned upside down when she met Roger…

  39. The Girlfriends S4/E5: I Smell A Rat

    · 36 min · S4 E5 · Explicit

    As Stacey Quinn’s life goes into a downward spiral, her sister Niko watches on, desperate to save Stacey before it’s too late. But the walls are closing in on her, and it will take a whole sisterhood of women to get to…

  40. The Girlfriends S4/E6: What Would You Have Done?

    · 37 min · S4 E6 · Explicit

    When Trena Cooper was a child, she had a dream that her mom had been killed by a police officer. 20 years later, she sets out on a mission to get to the bottom of her mothers murder investigation as whispers…

  41. The Girlfriends S4/E7: The Reckoning

    · 34 min · S4 E7 · Explicit

    It’s December 2nd 2024. After flying under the radar for decades, Detective Roger Golubski has finally been arrested. So the girlfriends drive over to the courthouse for the first day of a trial that will shake them to…

  42. The Girlfriends S4/E8: It Could Have Been Us

    · 37 min · S4 E8 · Explicit

    As Nikki and Khadijah start to pick up the pieces, they discover the story is darker than they could have ever imagined. The shocking news takes them back to the very beginning, where they uncover a vital missing piece…

  43. The Girlfriends S4/Bonus Ep 1: The Freedom Seekers of Kansas City

    · 29 min · S4 E9 · Bonus · Explicit

    Quindaro was once home to a stop on the Underground Railroad. In this episode, Nikki traces the long, rich, revolutionary history of Kansas City Kansas through the lens of a freedman who escaped slavery to make…

  44. The Girlfriends S4/Bonus Ep 2: A Girlfriends Guide to Healing in The Aftermath of Trauma

    · 35 min · S4 E10 · Bonus · Explicit

    We’ve explored how people fight for justice, but how are the women whose lives were affected by Roger Golubski healing the aftermath of their trauma? In this episode, Khadijah and Nikki discuss the power of sisterhood…

  45. The Girlfriends S4/Bonus Ep 3: A Girlfriends Guide to Navigating Police Misconduct

    · 35 min · S4 E11 · Bonus · Explicit

    What are your rights if you’re stopped by a police officer? What evidence would you need to build a case if you were a victim of police misconduct? In this episode Nikki dives into the laws and protocols surrounding…

  46. The Girlfriends S4/Bonus Ep 4: A Girlfriends Guide to Making a Change

    · 29 min · S4 E12 · Bonus · Explicit

    Roger Golubski’s story exposed decades worth of corruption at the heart of Kansas City Kansas, a systemic failure to hold perpetrators to account. In this episode, we explore how Wyandotte County’s current District…

  47. The Girlfriends S4/Bonus Ep 5: Sparking A Movement

    · 26 min · S4 E13 · Explicit

    Emmet Till’s murder sparked a 70 year movement, in this episode Khadijah speaks to a woman whose family has been fighting to preserve his legacy about what it takes to launch a movement and how you can mobilise your…

  48. The Girlfriends S4/Bonus Ep 6: How to Put a Spotlight on Your Story

    · 35 min · S4 E14 · Bonus · Explicit

    Sharing your story, whether that’s on social media or through the news can be pretty daunting. But putting a spotlight on your community is essential to drawing attention to the causes you care about. So in this…

  49. Introducing Season 5 of The Girlfriends: Trust Me Babe

    · 1:55 · Trailer

    When a group of women from all over the country realise they all dated the same prolific romance scammer they vow to bring him to justice. In this brand new season of global number 1 hit podcast, The Girlfriends, Anna…

  50. The Girlfriends S5/E1: Shark Bait

    · 40 min · S5 E1 · Explicit

    Wendy is a single mom with a busy job, looking for love on Maui, Hawaii. Then, she begins dating a con artist. By accident at first. And then, before long - out of sheer curiosity and with the help of her protective…

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