From Flight Attendant to Vice President: An Alumna’s 30-Year Airline Career

Michielle Sego-Johnson ’88 is in the business of traveling. Through an illustrious career in airline hospitality that has spanned more than three decades, she’s seen more of the world than most people could ever dream of. But for her, there’s no place like Auburn.

It runs in the family. “My dad said, ‘Look I really want to support you,” said Sego-Johnson. “You know that you can go to school anywhere you want. However, I’ll pay for you to go to Auburn.”

Frank Sego ’50, her father (and The Plainsman’s 1948 sports editor), made good on his promise. Sego-Johnson left her hometown of Montgomery and enrolled in the fall of 1984. Four years later, she graduated with a political science degree, a fiancé and a tight-knit group of friends that she remains incredibly close with to this day.

She decided to take a gap year to improve her LSAT score before heading to law school. But life, as it so often does, had other plans. Her fiancé, Michael Johnson ’88 (now husband of more than 30 years), suggested she spend the year as a flight attendant.

“He said, ‘You’ve got a little bit of time, and you could see the world,’” Sego-Johnson said. “That wasn’t even in the realm of anything I’d ever considered. But I thought, well, it’s not a bad idea, so I did it.”

That simple idea turned into a nearly 20-year career at Delta. Those decades saw many promotions for Sego-Johnson, who discovered not only a genuine love for the industry, but a passion for teaching other flight attendants how to perform the role to the best of their abilities.

“I just believe that a person can really transform an experience, and I believe a flight attendant can do that. Sometimes it’s the smallest things that they can do for customers who might be traveling during a difficult time, but sometimes it’s the big things.”

She joined United Airlines in 2008 and was promoted to vice president of Inflight Services and Catering Operations in 2022, a role of incredible importance. She currently presides over United’s more than 30,000 flight attendants, ensuring they have the tools they need to provide the best possible customer experience.

That includes various inflight services and the complicated world of airplane catering, which has been a new experience for Sego-Johnson.

“I understood what it was like on the other side of the cart, so to speak, but our team works with 140 kitchens all over the world. We oversee all production, from cooking to packaging and distributing.”

The most important part of the job, though, is safety—for the flight attendants and the customers. Flight attendants have been known to perform CPR, handle medical emergencies, deal with incidents on board the plane, prevent injuries and so much more. Sego-Johnson is responsible for ensuring they stay on top of their game, from overseeing manual updates to enforcing regular training.

“Life is never dull. Every morning, I think ‘What will today bring?’ It’s generally something that I didn’t expect—and it’s always exciting.”

While the move to United Airlines proved incredibly rewarding, it was far from an easy decision. She couldn’t have done it without the support of her husband, who stayed home in Atlanta with their young children, Zac and Lacie, while she worked in Chicago five days a week building her career.

“She’s my muse for hard work,” said Lacie, who frequently turns to her for professional advice and inspiration. “She’s not only a leader, but she’s also a kind leader. Sometimes when you meet someone in a position of power, you think, ‘They must have had to step on some people’s throats to get to where they are.’ But that’s not her. She got where she is because of perseverance and determination.”

“Sometimes when you meet someone in a position of power, you think, ‘They must have had to step on some people’s throats to get to where they are.’ But that’s not her. She got where she is because of perseverance and determination.”

Sego-Johnson’s diligence and dedication to her job has never wavered, even after a breast cancer diagnosis rocked her world.

“I had delayed routine check-ups because I was ‘busy,” said Sego-Johnson. “During the next year, I underwent a series of extensive procedures and treatments, many of which were more draining emotionally than physically.”

Though the treatment was demanding, she made it through to the other side and has been cancer free for five years. She now encourages all her flight attendants to make annual health screenings a priority.

Sheryl Croy ’87, a close friend and former roommate, jokes that Sego-Johnson’s time at Auburn, particularly as Alpha Delta Pi’s standards chairperson, played a pivotal role in the trajectory of her life.

“I didn’t realize it at the time, but that was actually a pretty fitting role for her,” said Croy. “One thing about Michielle is that she’s always going to do the right thing.”

By Corey Ann Williams ’17