Ps76 From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR: Posted (1 year 10 months 3 weeks 1 day 23 hours ago) and read 2498 times:
Hi!
Thought I'd try to ask if anyone has had any interesting people they've been sitting next to on flights. I don't normally chat to my seat mate so only remember one time when I was going to Thailand I think when I was talking to this Sweish businessman. He said he used to be a football player when younger then got into business. He also said he could travel business but he preferred to travel in economy sometimes. He was Swedish and blond with very good genes! Nice guy though.
initious From Singapore, joined Dec 2008, 1011 posts, RR: 16 Reply 1, posted (1 year 10 months 3 weeks 1 day 18 hours ago) and read 2459 times:
I do have some stories to share.
SQ CAN-SIN, Y Class, 11 March 2009
My seatmate (which I assume is a Singaporean) asked to look at my copy of the menu as he had the menu for the AMS flight. That was the only conversation we had, though.
TG PVG-BKK, J class, 25 June 2010
I was queuing at the J class check-in counter just before it opened when a Swiss Businessman got into the wrong row (First Class) and switched over to which I engaged in a conversation with him. He was to fly to FRA with TG after landing at BKK. Turns out, he holds a PPL and we talked a bit about aviation.
Onboard, I requested for a second serving of the appetiser (it was too delicious!) and the Indian man next to me engaged in a conversation with me asking if they did not serve me the meal at all. We went on chatting about Thai Airways and their service.
TG SIN-BKK, J Class, 16 March 2011
A very kind German Businessman was sitting next to me and we engaged in a nice conversation about my future travels for my trip I was having at that time with his flying plans back to Germany (FRA) and the airlines he has flown on. He seem to be pretty impressed that I will be flying in the EK A380 the next day!
TG BKK-DXB, J Class, 20 March 2011
A Middle Eastern man from AUH was seated beside me returning from a business trip. He even thought I was Thai throughout our conversation!
TG DXB-BKK, J Class, 23 March 2011
Another Middle Eastern man next to me this time and we had a little chat, knowing that he's a customs supervisor at DXB.
3K SIN-KUL, Y Class, 27 June 2011
The man who seemed of Indian accent which was a seat away from me (we had the middle seat empty) asked me if there were any Duty Free shops in KUL. It turned out that he was from New York and just came in from the Philippines.
In short, I found out that passengers in J class are nicer to talk to probably due to their nature of being a businessman. However, I do not dispel the possibility that there are also nice people to talk to in Y class.
This is your stereo type sales guy/consultant/trainer, a person that lifes, breaths, drinks and eats sales. When I left the airport I had his business card and the firm believe I should call him the next day because we NEEDED HIS EXPERTISE.
Luckily after an hour or so I realised I was just played by a very good sales person. And to be honest, I thought we had a really nice conversation, but afterwards I felt used by his cheeky sales tactics
airtrainer From Belgium, joined Aug 2003, 1519 posts, RR: 13 Reply 3, posted (1 year 10 months 3 weeks 1 day 12 hours ago) and read 2413 times:
A few years ago, I started talking with a man who was mistakenly sat on "my" seat while boarding an UA IAD-BRU flight. We were both in Economy Plus with nobody on the seat next to us and he was in fact assigned to the row behind my seat, we finally kept on talking for the entire flight. After landing in BRU I helped him to buy his train ticket as he didn't speak french or dutch and gave me his name and email to keep contact. We exenged a few emails after that and lost contact. Earlier this year I found his name in my wallet and searched for him on facebook, sent him a message to which he happily answered, but that's it.
Also a few years ago I had a nice talk with a very nice lady on a DXB-DUS flight, sadly I didn't dare to ask for her phone number
signol From United Kingdom, joined Oct 2007, 2948 posts, RR: 7 Reply 4, posted (1 year 10 months 3 weeks 1 day 11 hours ago) and read 2399 times:
Not really, some nice chats with people near us when travelling with our child that usually start with us apologising in advance for any disturbance but stressing that we will do our upmost to keep crying to a mimimun. Most people are happy with this!
One time on an IB flight from JNB to MAD, I was next to one of the road crew for Johnny Clegg, the South African singer (who was in Business). We chatted a bit, he had a very cool noice canceller device.(looked like an mp3 player, with headphones, but just cancelled out white noise - no facility to listen to recordings). All the crew were dotted around Y, he said as they spend so much time together anyway it was nice to speak to other people !
BAViscount From United Kingdom, joined Mar 2004, 2338 posts, RR: 4 Reply 5, posted (1 year 10 months 3 weeks 1 day 8 hours ago) and read 2375 times:
I've chatted to many seatmates over the years, but I think the one that stands out most in my mind is the lady I sat next to on a BA DC10 flying LGW-JFK back in 1991. The conversation started because I had the window seat, she had the aisle, but her husband was sat in the centre block of seats across the aisle from her. She asked if I minded switching seats with her husband so that they could sit together. I firmly but politely refused saying that I had specifically chosen a window seat, which she understood, and the conversation just flowed from there! We ended up chatting for the whole flight - she and her husband were returning to the US having been on a Kenyan safari so she was telling me all about their encounters with Masai villagers etc. We talked about our respective lives (even though she was 30 years my senior and we really didn't have a lot in common) and generally had a great time - we even swapped addresses!!
When we landed at JFK she thanked me profusely for making the flight such a pleasant one for her, said what a charming young man I was and generally gave my then 24 year old ego a bit of an old boost! What she obviously didn't realise was that I was also pretty drunk!!
And I did actually receive a Christmas card from her later that year, although I'm sorry to say that I never did reciprocate.
Ladies & gentlemen this is Captain Tobias Wilcock welcoming you aboard Coconut Airways flight 372 to Bridgetown Barb
B6JFKH81 From United States of America, joined Mar 2006, 2767 posts, RR: 7 Reply 6, posted (1 year 10 months 3 weeks 23 hours ago) and read 2312 times:
A few years ago I was traveling for business...I cannot even remember where I was flying to LOL!...and was on one of my airlines A320's at JFK. I was seated next to a very nice man whose age was up into his 80's. We had to stop and shut down on the taxiway because Air Force 1 was coming in so the man turned to me, saw I had my airline badges on and just started talking to me like we were old friends.
It turns out he was a pilot in WWII, and he told me stories of the planes he flew and missions he was on. He was fascinated with how technologically advanced airliners have become, we discussed some systems of the aircraft, etc.
Then, he must have been completely comfortable with me becuase he started talking about the most random things! How to make apricot brandy at home. What exercises to do so you last longer in bed. You name it, this guy talked about it LOL! I was having such an amazing time talking with him, I bought him a round of drinks.
When we got to our destination, I helped clean the plane (as is customary), then went to pick up my luggage. The man had such a big bag that he was having trouble lifting it off the bag belt. So, I went over, took the bag for him and waited for him to get picked up by his daughter. I put his bag in the trunk of his daughters car and she said "I'm sorry if he chewed your ear off during the flight" and I said "it was awesome to really get to know one of my customers, and I look forward to seeing him on a flight again in the future!". The old man opened up his window and said "Hey, JetBlue Boy, I'm going to hold you to that promise...and I'll bring apricot brandy from home for that next flight!"
I always smile when I think about that old dude and our chat on that flight, he was really cool.
"If you do not learn from history, you are doomed to repeat it"
UltimateDelta From United States of America, joined Sep 2007, 1993 posts, RR: 6 Reply 8, posted (1 year 10 months 2 weeks 6 days 23 hours ago) and read 2198 times:
Jeff Smisek.
I was next to him on the first part of my most recent trip, on a Colgan flight DCA-EWR. We basically just chatted informally, and I told him some about my interest in planes and flight lessons, etc. Our flight was a little late coming into EWR and I had a pretty tight connection, so I jokingly asked him if he could hold up the next flight a few minutes if it had been necessary. Fortunately it wasn't, so everything worked out.
I've also sat next to a number of deadheading pilots and other crew members, and that's always interesting (In a good way!).
planeguy727 From United States of America, joined Mar 2007, 1066 posts, RR: 1 Reply 9, posted (1 year 10 months 2 weeks 6 days 22 hours ago) and read 2183 times:
My favourite was a woman that sat next to me on a flight to PHX (from SAN). She told me that in her nearly 20 years in the fashion industry she had never met a gay man. I actually laughed.
It might be important to note that the conversation started because I was traveling with a single red rose. She asked who the lucky lady was. I said his name is Keith and I am flying out to be his date to a fraternity formal (all true).
aerdingus From Ireland, joined Dec 2006, 2485 posts, RR: 18 Reply 10, posted (1 year 10 months 2 weeks 6 days 10 hours ago) and read 2115 times:
On a TS A310 flight from DUB - SNN - YYZ, I sat next to a couple from Montreal. They were really nice, but I couldn't believe when they told me they had to drive 8 hrs home from YYZ!
I felt like such a moron because I was so nervous flying alone for the first time I ended up sayin things like "Did ye enjoy yer visit? Oh yeah Dublin's great but really full of tourists"
BA EI FH FR LX RE SK TS VY ZB 3K 5G A300 A310 A319 A320 A321 A333 ATR72 B735 B738 B744 B772 MD82 BCN BOH BRU CPH CRL DUB
apodino From United States of America, joined Apr 2005, 3640 posts, RR: 6 Reply 11, posted (1 year 10 months 2 weeks 6 days 5 hours ago) and read 2081 times:
One time I was flying JAX-DTW on a NW DC9, and was connecting to PVD in DTW. The gal who sat next to me was a rather attractive lady who was chatting and flirting with me the whole way. We ended up getting lunch together in DTW, and we were talking so well, I almost missed my connection to PVD. When I got the PVD gate, they had given away my seat in Y, but then they gave me a free F upgrade.
MichaelEI From Ireland, joined Jan 2011, 130 posts, RR: 0 Reply 12, posted (1 year 10 months 2 weeks 6 days 3 hours ago) and read 2066 times:
I was on a DL flight from DUB to ATL, and ended up sitting beside a maths teacher, from the school down the road from my own, who lives around the corner from me - and I had no idea, I'd never met him before in my life!
Last year I was on a ZB flight from BJL to LGW, and in talking to some of the crew during the flight, I told them I was flying with EI from LGW to DUB the next morning. One of the crew said that their boyfriend would be on that flight - he ended up sitting beside me :P
homeland545 From United States of America, joined Jun 2010, 39 posts, RR: 0 Reply 14, posted (1 year 10 months 2 weeks 5 days 19 hours ago) and read 1995 times:
- I was 10 flying by myself again and thank god my mom was scared she got me F class seat and I was playing tag with the FA and she was surprising nice...the older couple behind me asked if i had fun and said ohh yeah...but that was a 11 years ago
-My family and I were flying back GEG and we a stopover in SFO i told my little sister to draw a picture for the FA and she put to the flight princess...so she gave it to the first FA she saw and the FA saw it and said for me and he loved...he announced over the pa about the picture my sister drew and everyone around us started to ask for a picture too
BNAOWB From United States of America, joined Dec 2009, 349 posts, RR: 1 Reply 15, posted (1 year 10 months 2 weeks 5 days 19 hours ago) and read 1990 times:
On the short-lived DME-ORD route on AA in 2008, my seat mate was an incredibly beautiful 22-year old Russian woman. This was her first trip to the U.S. We talked for most of the 10 hour flight. Interestingly, a flight attendant that I had met on the outbound ORD-DME segment asked me privately if she was my "new wife". Evidently, this flight attendant had seen American men returning with their new Russian brides on DME-ORD previously. I told him that my wife and kids probably would not be pleased with me having a second wife. Anyways, this beautiful Russian seat mate seemed quite happy to help me with my Russian language interest. She was very enchanted by the idea of being over the Atlantic Ocean which she had never seen.
While helping her fill out the immigration form, I developed a sick feeling in my stomach when I saw that she was going to be staying with a 57-year old American man in Denver. I sincerely hope that she was not exploited. I know that she was planning to return to Russia one month later. I gave her my e-mail address but never heard from her again.
EL-AL From Israel, joined Oct 2001, 1119 posts, RR: 5 Reply 16, posted (1 year 10 months 2 weeks 5 days 8 hours ago) and read 1929 times:
When I fly I usually fly with family or friends, so I usually seat next to them, yet, I do fly alone from time to time and I try to make a conversation. They usually fall asleep (hope it's the flight and not me) and we talk only 10 minutes after takeoff or when I need to go to the loo.
My best seatmate was an american woman in her 50s, sat next to my on an 11 hours TLV-EWR (CO, B772) flight in 2005. We talked most of the flight (both of us can't sleep on airplanes) made it passed very fast. I guess the other passenger on a aisle seat didn't enjoy our relationship that much...
In 2000, when I was 15, I met on a long YYZ-JFK-TLV (LY, B744) flight a Canadian teenager who was my age, we spent most of the flight together (first time he met an Israeli his age), staid in touch afterwards and I even paid a visit to his home when I was in Canada the next year.
"In our country, those who do not believe in miracles are irrational" - David Ben Gurion.
ALTF4 From United States of America, joined Jul 2010, 1143 posts, RR: 4 Reply 17, posted (1 year 10 months 2 weeks 5 days 3 hours ago) and read 1902 times:
I look pretty young, so most people try to ignore me during the flight. Every now and then they ask where my family lives, assuming I am flying to go see them for the week. Never fails that when I tell them I am a consultant traveling to a customer's site, they do a double take and then either don't say another word the entire flight, or we start talking about what we do for a living.
The above post is my opinion. Don't like it? Don't read it.
fxramper From United States of America, joined Dec 2005, 7023 posts, RR: 93 Reply 18, posted (1 year 10 months 2 weeks 4 days 18 hours ago) and read 1862 times:
Summer of 2005 I got to sit next to former Texas Governor Ann Richards on LAX-AUS. It was truly my pleasure talking with her. We talked about everything but politics. She declined her DPS escorts and drove herself to and from the airport in a Cadillac. I got to help her get her checked luggage at AUS and walked her to the car.
Chatted with M. Night Shyamalan on MAD-MIA years a go when he was working on the terrible film script for the Village. Nice enough guy but hasn't made a good film since Signs (2002).
Last night I did IAH - AUS and sat next to the pastor doing the funeral for the trooper than shot and killed Charles Whitman, the UT clock tower sniper. I think the troopers name was Houston McCoy if I recall correctly. It was an 11pm flight and I had been flying all day to get home.
FlyboyOz From Australia, joined Nov 2000, 1893 posts, RR: 28 Reply 19, posted (1 year 10 months 2 weeks 4 days 17 hours ago) and read 1859 times:
On Qantas flight, a middle eastern girl (or indian) looked very excited to sit next to me. I didn't know her and why she was so happy to talk to me. I said to myself... "oh dear..." lol. I mean i didn't feel like to talk to my seatmeats as I was too tired but we did talk a lot. She was so nice, lovely and friendly. Then she gave me her phone number but I didn't keep in touch with her as I lost it.
I LOVE talking to friendly flight attendants and pilots!!
dstc47 From Ireland, joined Sep 1999, 1350 posts, RR: 3 Reply 20, posted (1 year 10 months 2 weeks 3 days 13 hours ago) and read 1795 times:
I really do not like to converse with others on aircraft but sometimes it happens.
Two cases.
The first was a man on BRU - DUB who was returning to attend his father's sudden funeral. He was at the end of one of those nightmare journeys on connecting flights from the far side of the world. It put my rather average but mildly irritating day in context. Not unexpectedly it was no barrel of laughs, but perhaps I helped. The second was a girl who was a medical student from overseas studying in Ireland, who really, really wanted to qualify and go home to help her people as she was from a country with few medical resources. Somehow she woke me up about jobs that really matter and people that really want to do something.
jetblueguy22 From United States of America, joined Nov 2007, 2021 posts, RR: 1 Reply 21, posted (1 year 10 months 2 weeks 3 days 7 hours ago) and read 1780 times:
AIRLINERS.NET CREW FORUM MODERATOR
DL GRR-ATL
I talked to the gentleman who worked for the government on the unmanned drone program. He shared some pretty interesting stuff about them. Clearly he couldn't share too much but it was cool to hear some details you don't really hear everyday. Though I think the several drinks he had helped in his sharing of them!
Blue
Professor Foltz: You push down on that yolk, the houses get bigger, you pull back on the yolk, the houses get bigger.
loubert From United States of America, joined Aug 2010, 60 posts, RR: 0 Reply 22, posted (1 year 10 months 2 weeks 3 days 1 hour ago) and read 1741 times:
June 1999, NW either DTW-SFO or SFO-DTW:
My seatmate was a woman in her mid-40s who is going to or coming from a Star Wars/Star Wars fan fiction convention. This was about 4 or 5 weeks after Star Wars Episode 1: The Phantom Menace came out so we naturally talked the whole way about the state of the Star Wars Universe.
She confided in me that she was having a personal crisis in that she was really starting to hate George Lucas. We agreed that Jar Jar Binks could only have been shamelessly created so as to pander to pre-school aged kids (she had a pre-teen whom she said couldn't stand Mr. Binks). We both thought that the heavy use of CGI as opposed to scale models transformed the hostile and dangerous universe of the first three films wherein everything looked like it could take off your arm into something rather sterile and safe, which in turn made the characters seem invincible since they could take impossible leaps from speeder to speeder. Oh yeah, we also agreed that HAN SHOT FIRST!
I wonder if she is no longer into Star Wars...
August 1999, NW, DTW-SFO:
I'm heading out to the bay area to start my university studies. I sit next to two women in their mid 20s who give me some sage advice to me, an incoming freshman: "Remember to drink a lot of water after drinking a lot of alcohol."
PlymSpotter From Spain, joined Jun 2004, 11122 posts, RR: 63 Reply 23, posted (1 year 10 months 2 weeks 3 days ago) and read 1736 times:
These conversations aren't something which tend to stick in my mind very much as it's normally just idle chatter; bits and bobs about life and travelling basically. I have a bundle of business cards from the people I meet, a few I keep in touch with but most I might as well recycle.
One very interesting conversation which sticks in my head was whilst flying from El Calafate to Buenos Aries. It would be impolite to go into specific details, but the project he was working on sounded very interesting and he had lived and traveled all over the world.
agrflyer From Switzerland, joined Nov 2005, 133 posts, RR: 0 Reply 24, posted (1 year 10 months 2 weeks 2 days 10 hours ago) and read 1683 times:
Back in 2002 when I flew ZRH-JFK on a LX A332 in Business Class I had a LX MD11 pilot who was on a positioning flight next to me. It was a lovely flight. On the way back from EWR I spoke to a guy the whole flight long who turned out to be an important customer of the company I had recently joined....
ZRH-TLV-ZRH on LX in Y, ZRH-VIE-YYZ-TPA-IAD-YYZ-FRA-ZRH on OS/AC/UA/LH in C in June on a award trip
25 auntie: A few years ago, someone I worked with was sat next to a random stranger on a flight from DUB - MAD They got chatting ..... fast forward 7-8 yrs .....
26 daviation: A few years ago I was on a CRJ to SWF, and Vladimir Feltsman sat down next to me. He was a Soviet pianist who couldn't leave because of the polical cl
27 daviation: Last year, on a business trip returning from PHX, I sat next to two other businessmen. One of them was absolutely terrified to fly. When I asked what
28 keagkid101: On a PDL-BOS flight last year, I spoke with a Portuguese man who grew up in the US. He was very nice, former military, and he was happy that he actual
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