An academic has sparked online furore after lambasting a Qantas staff member for apparently referring to her by the wrong title.

Siobhan O’Dwyer claims sexism was the reason she was apparently referred to as “Miss”, rather than “Doctor” by a staff member on a recent flight.

The lecturer, who online refers to herself as a feminist, used Twitter to blast the airline publicly last week.

“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, call me Miss O’Dwyer,” she wrote on Twitter.

“I did not spend 8 years at university to be called Miss.”

Her comments, which have been shared more than a thousand times, initially drew messages of support from fellow Twitter users, who shared similar experiences.

However, it didn’t take long for the discussion to turn sour, after a fellow academic weighed in by referring to the staff member by the outdated slang term trolley dolly.

“I'll be DAMNED if some trolley dolly gets to decide what honorific I get called, FFS,” Mel Thompson wrote on Twitter.

The comment, which has since been hidden from public view, sparked a barrage of angry messages from Twitter users who responded with claims of hypocrisy from the pair.

The comment, which has since been hidden from public view, sparked a barrage of angry messages from Twitter users who responded with claims of hypocrisy from the pair.

“Some trolley dolly"? Is respect only afforded to academics? You seem more than happy to denigrate other women,” Twitter user @gameof4quarters responded.

“Please don't refer to us as trolley dollys. We may not have completed a PhD however we are required by law 2 maintain quals that enable us 2 evacuate an aircraft in 90secs, keep u alive inflight, prevent hijackings, put out fires etc. I have always used the correct honorific (sic),” Twitter user @happylittleveg wrote.

Dr O’Dwyer later clarified her post after “copping flack” online, saying her message to the airline 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.”

Qantas has yet to respond to PerthNow’s questions as to whether it had investigated Dr O’Dwyer’s claims or contacted her.

“We are extremely proud of our cabin crew, who respectfully serve our customers every day and play a vital safety role,” a spokesperson for the airline said.

Earlier this year, the airline sparked debate after instructing staff to stop using “gender-inppropriate” terms such as “guys” and “mankind”.

Dr O’Dwyer has declined media interviews.