Doctor calls out Qantas airline flight attendant for calling her 'miss'

A university lecturer is criticising Qantas airline after a flight attendant referred to her as ‘miss’ instead of ‘doctor’.

Dr Siobhan O’Dwyer appeared to court controversy with her tweet about the airline. She wrote:

Hey Qantas, my name is Dr O’Dwyer. My ticket says Dr O’Dwyer. Do not look at my ticket, look at me, look back at my ticket, decide it’s a typo and call me Miss O’Dwyer. I did not spend 8 years at university to be called Miss.

The Australian academic, who is currently based in the UK, received more than 8,000 likes and was retweeted more than 1,000 times.

Academic Dr Mel Thomson tweeted in support of O’Dwyer: "You have all of the solidatory on this issue. [sic]

"I'm first gen to finish high school (let alone get several degrees) in my family … I'll be damned is some trolley dolly gets to decide what honorific I get called, FFS."

She later deleted the tweet after many people, especially flight attendants, found her use of the term ‘trolley dolly’ insulting.

One flight attended said the comment was ‘condescending’.

Dwyer’s tweet divided opinion, with some arguing that the flight attendant’s mistake was the perfect example of everyday sexism.

Others however, thought Dwyer’s tweet was less about pointing out sexism, and more about ego.

One doctor called her reaction 'academic elitism':

I’m a male medical doctor. I can’t recall the last time I was addressed by my title of ‘Dr’ as stated on my boarding pass. Who cares. You can’t expect society to hold the same value in your academic achievements as those in your professional domain would. This is academic elitism

Another called it 'petty.'

In a follow-up tweet, the academic insisted it wasn't about her ego, but about everyday sexism:

This was not about my ego. It was about highlighting one of a thousand instances of sexism that women encounter every day. It’s not about the title, it’s about the fact that this wouldn’t have happened if I was a man.

A Qantas spokesperson told Mail Online:

We are extremely proud of our cabin crew who respectfully serve our customers day in and day out and play a vital safety role.

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