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From requests for more coffee to inquiries about Wi-Fi access, flight attendants ask all kinds of questions during their flight. One question most flight attendants never hear is, “How did you magically travel from the front of the plane to the back of the plane?”

Brenda and Glenda Key, however, have heard this question more than once during their careers as Houston-based flight attendants for United Airlines. No, they don’t have any magical powers. They do have something that sets them apart from most flight attendants, though: they’re identical twins.

“It’s so funny when one of us is in the front of the plane and one of us is in the back, and people walking down the aisle will say, ‘How did you get back here?'” the twins told TPG in an interview.

The realization that Brenda and Glenda are, in fact, two different people usually leads passengers to share their own twin stories. “They love to show us pictures of their grandchildren who are twins or their sisters who are twins,” Glenda said. “We like to interact with people and we get to hear a lot of interesting stories.”

After speaking with the twins, I can safely say that Brenda and Glenda’s story is as interesting as the passengers they meet.

The twins grew up as the youngest of seven children in Moberly, Missouri. “We’ve been interested in airlines since we were little girls,” said Brenda. “Our family would go to Lambert Airport in St. Louis and park the car in the driveway at night to watch the airplanes take off and land. It was a thrill for us as kids.”

Brenda and Glenda worked briefly with the now-defunct Eastern Airlines after college, but eventually decided to pursue careers based on their parent companies. Brenda went into marketing, and Glenda became a teacher. After about eight years, they realized two things: they missed each other, and they missed flying.

“We decided to apply to the airlines again and it was the best decision we ever made,” said Brenda.

Both flew with Continental Airlines in Denver in the 1980s before landing at their current home at United Airlines’ Houston base in the 1990s. Houston’s George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH) is home to United’s state-of-the-art Inflight Training Center, where United trains more than 600 flight attendants each month to prepare them for their careers.

Having entered the industry 40 years ago, it is clear that they have made the right choice. Brenda and Glenda are the friendliest flight attendants in the sky.

“A warm welcome and a smile go a long way, whether it’s a business traveler or a leisure traveler,” Brenda shared. “People notice when flight attendants take the time to get to know them. It makes them feel more comfortable.”

Both twins love to fly, but they especially love to fly together. At United, Brenda and Glenda often “buddy bid” for shifts. “It’s really a blessing because we can choose our schedules to be able to fly together,” Brenda said.

One of the advantages of working on the same flights is to enjoy layovers together. Some of his favorite layovers have been in Israel, Munich and Jackson Hole, Wyoming.

“I get to experience these new places with my sister, and it’s so wonderful,” Glenda said. “I don’t enjoy doing it alone. It means a lot more to share it with a family member.”

You’d think they’d be sick of each other by the time they land, but the pair never tire of each other. “On our days off, we do everything together,” Brenda said. “We go to the grocery store together and even the dry cleaners.”

The sisters have planned to retire together. They plan to one day buy property in Texas and open an animal shelter for cats and dogs that need homes. “We’ll do it together so they can get double the love and double the care,” Glenda said.

In the meantime, Brenda and Glenda will continue to do what they do best — making the experience twice as friendly as the “friendly skies.”

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