When flying through the air at high speeds on your way to some enchanted global destination, remember one
thing: a flight is an opportunity. Specifically, it’s an opportunity to get to know your neighbor, a
fellow human being whose mind is a universe in itself.
Before you is a guide to conversing with the stranger in the locked-and-upright position next to you. Break out the charm...
1. Assess the situation.
Within the first five seconds, you should be able to feel out whether you’ve got an interested interlocutor or someone who’s just looking to catch a few winks before heading to a meeting straight from the airport. (An eye mask is always a dead giveaway.) But if you get an engaged look or a smile in return, proceed.
2. Know your aims.
Is this someone you’d consider asking out for a drink once you reach your destination? Because that is some graduate-level in-flight conversation starting and should not be approached lightly. Or is this just someone you saw watching the game at the airport bar who might share your opinion on small ball in the NBA? These are very different situations and demand different tacks.
3. The first round is on you.
Nothing elegantly ingratiates you with someone better than a gratis beverage.
4. Look out for any books they may be reading or have tucked in their personal item.
Great conversation starter.
5. Listen more than you talk.
In this regard, the rules of in-flight conversation with strangers don’t deviate much from the rules of conversation with strangers anywhere. Be engaged. Keep things open-ended (e.g., “What’s bringing you to X,” “Name your top five albums for a transatlantic flight,” “What do you want out of life”). And most importantly, check periodically to see when another round might be in order.
6. Avoid the topic of work, unless they bring it up.
It’s too expected, and it often leads to you having to feign interest in uninteresting things for long periods of time. It’s a good indicator that you’ve lucked into a seat next to someone worth knowing if they can carry on a substantive conversation without referring to it.
7. Know when to call it a flight.
No matter what happens, you two are in this for the duration of the flight. That means you need to become okay with awkward silences. It’s an unspoken contract that, in the sky, it’s okay to be forward about wanting to take a nap, leaf through a magazine or get some work done. Don’t be the person who can’t pick up on a cue.
8. If all else fails, check to see if there’s onboard wi-fi.
Siri is always up for a nice chat.
Before you is a guide to conversing with the stranger in the locked-and-upright position next to you. Break out the charm...
1. Assess the situation.
Within the first five seconds, you should be able to feel out whether you’ve got an interested interlocutor or someone who’s just looking to catch a few winks before heading to a meeting straight from the airport. (An eye mask is always a dead giveaway.) But if you get an engaged look or a smile in return, proceed.
2. Know your aims.
Is this someone you’d consider asking out for a drink once you reach your destination? Because that is some graduate-level in-flight conversation starting and should not be approached lightly. Or is this just someone you saw watching the game at the airport bar who might share your opinion on small ball in the NBA? These are very different situations and demand different tacks.
3. The first round is on you.
Nothing elegantly ingratiates you with someone better than a gratis beverage.
4. Look out for any books they may be reading or have tucked in their personal item.
Great conversation starter.
5. Listen more than you talk.
In this regard, the rules of in-flight conversation with strangers don’t deviate much from the rules of conversation with strangers anywhere. Be engaged. Keep things open-ended (e.g., “What’s bringing you to X,” “Name your top five albums for a transatlantic flight,” “What do you want out of life”). And most importantly, check periodically to see when another round might be in order.
6. Avoid the topic of work, unless they bring it up.
It’s too expected, and it often leads to you having to feign interest in uninteresting things for long periods of time. It’s a good indicator that you’ve lucked into a seat next to someone worth knowing if they can carry on a substantive conversation without referring to it.
7. Know when to call it a flight.
No matter what happens, you two are in this for the duration of the flight. That means you need to become okay with awkward silences. It’s an unspoken contract that, in the sky, it’s okay to be forward about wanting to take a nap, leaf through a magazine or get some work done. Don’t be the person who can’t pick up on a cue.
8. If all else fails, check to see if there’s onboard wi-fi.
Siri is always up for a nice chat.
