Are you a talker on planes?

[Pushka]

God, no. I barely speak to my own husband on a 14hr flight. Headphones on, window shade down and zone out. I dont even watch movies or listen to music as its zone out or sleep time

Well, I didn't say I talked to my husband for those interesting conversations I do have.

We flew up on Jetstar to Bali on Monday. Two aisle seats. Jetstar back to Adelaide. Two aisle seats. FIights through to Europe - two rows apart and window (j). I did decide we should sit together on the seats through Europe. I'll let you know how that goes. Turkish Airlines keep sending me emails - you can sit together with your partner if you wish. I don't wish.

 

[jase05]

At check in we are often offered a chance to be seated together and both recoil in horror at the thought

QR are the worst for this and last year for one of one of our flights we went to check in and was told that they had changed our seats and placed us into the middle QSuite to sit together. If looks could kill from Mrs Jase. Needless to say they were changed back to window seats

 

[Noah Count]

Wouldn't you prefer sit next to your +1 and not talk rather than sit next to a stranger? Preference of window seat aside.

In my mind it is just relative, I have been with my +1 (wife) for +30 years. When on flights the last thing we want to do is to sit next to each other, even our daughter dose not do this. Our family may travel different to others - J and F (paid or points) is just normal.

 

[Denali]

I tend not to talk but occasionally you do run into someone you glad you did. I found myself next to a former State Treasurer (in Y LAX-SYD with a shadow between us) and had an insightful conversation in the galley.
In my youth, played fizz-buzz with a team-mate for most of an overnight BOS-LHR flight coming back from a rugby tour. Retrospective apologies to all disturbed.

LAX-SYD flight and federal minister Julie Bishop (now former minister) was across the aisle from me and I didnt speak to her (because I dont talk to people) but I will say every time I looked around she was working and a couple of hours after arrival she was with the press scrum with the Chinese reps somewhere.

Well, I didn't say I talked to my husband for those interesting conversations I do have.

We flew up on Jetstar to Bali on Monday. Two aisle seats. Jetstar back to Adelaide. Two aisle seats. FIights through to Europe - two rows apart and window (j). I did decide we should sit together on the seats through Europe. I'll let you know how that goes. Turkish Airlines keep sending me emails - you can sit together with your partner if you wish. I don't wish.

Had similar on a Delta flight, someone offering for us to sit together as the seats were 1-2 seats as it was a small plane (he actually wanted the single seat but nope). Told the person we had been married 20yrs and can survive being apart for a 90min flight and I know Mr Denali liked the single seat

 

[Flyerwin]

I don't like small talk or talking to strangers so it's a no from me. On flights, I usually am reading a book.

 

[Noah Count]

I usually am reading a book.

Several years back I am sure there was a book club on this site. Most were about airlines and just past from on to another.

 

[Forg]

30min out of Zurich via Hong Kong as I type this, so I guess a bit over 20hrs in the air, and I think the only discussion my wife & I have had (in the air) was her commenting how she nicked the bathroom I’d been waiting to use …

Talking to a partner, friend or workmate is a bit different to being roped into a conversation with a stranger, mind you. Was happy to chat with a friend from work when we flew up to Byron 6-ish months ago, for example.

 

[VPS]

I don't like to chat too much because often you get really boring people.

On one flight into Venice my seat mate slept most of the time and watched movies with headphones for the rest which was fine.

Just before we were landing he made some comment about coming home and we just had a couple of minutes chat (he asked what I was doing).

I asked him if he knew where the Flix buses left and he said no and that was it.

As I was getting my suitcase he came to find me and had gone and asked where the Flix bus stop was and escorted me there.

 

[OZDUCK]

QR are the worst for this and last year for one of one of our flights we went to check in and was told that they had changed our seats and placed us into the middle QSuite to sit together. If looks could kill from Mrs Jase. Needless to say they were changed back to window seats

QR tried to do the same to us three times on one trip. Before the flight apparently by a 'logarithm', at check-in and asked again when we were on board. Very rapidly changed back to our selected seats. After 50 years of marriage we don't need to sit together.

 

[Rich]

In my mind it is just relative, I have been with my +1 (wife) for +30 years. When on flights the last thing we want to do is to sit next to each other, even our daughter dose not do this. Our family may travel different to others - J and F (paid or points) is just normal.

I think J and F makes it different. I am thinking about rando Y passengers who I would want to avoid. Though I have chosen adjacent aisle seats when with kids (who think just because they are taller than me now, I should sit in the middle, even though I paid).

 

[aspro2]

I don't like to chat too much because often you get really boring people.

On one flight into Venice my seat mate slept most of the time and watched movies with headphones for the rest which was fine.

Just before we were landing he made some comment about coming home and we just had a couple of minutes chat (he asked what I was doing).

I asked him if he knew where the Flix buses left and he said no and that was it.

As I was getting my suitcase he came to find me and had gone and asked where the Flix bus stop was and escorted me there.

I think this is a great example of why the world works better when there is at least a touch of social pleasantry. With everyone headphoned, doomscrolling and the rest, so much of the basic pleasantness of society is undermined.

That's not to say that I want people to talk to me! I don't initiate unless there's some coincidental thing that supports a friendly comment, and I don't want a conversation unless there's a warm vibe and actual engagement.

• The young Russian guy on the way to Vietnam would have got my help communicating with the FAs if he had bothered to acknowledge my simple perfunctory "hello" as I sat down.
• The octogenarian Floridian would have got help from me to do up her seatbelt, but she had ignored my presence and then made a scene with an FA.

On the other hand:

• A lovely Taiwanese lady in Y offered me her Line ID so she could send me all sorts of dining recommendations (with no other intent).
• A biologist in J started showing me some conference slides because what he was working on was genuinely interesting to me.
• A young German dude in Y moving to Australia was relieved I could speak German and give him the lie of the land. (But alas I didn't know the price of cigarettes...)
• The septuagenarian Doreen in PE was friendly enough that I let her hold (crush) my hand during take off and landing cos she was having a meltdown about those two phases of the flying experience.

But then of course there's:

• The Danish salesman in Y who wouldn't STFU about his pyramid scheme garbage, despite me saying I wasn't interested... to the point that I had to tell him to stop being so rude.

Meanwhile, on QR at Doha, our flight was delayed for mechanical reasons after we had already been bused to the steps of the plane. We were bused back to the terminal, but were given no information about what to do next. A guy with a distant vibe had been very interested in the detail of what was happening operationally (in a manner which wasn't normal paxish) and then I saw him huddled with ground staff in a too-familiar way, so I asked politely if he had extracted any info. It turned out he was in marketing for QR and so was able to extract more useful info than the rest of the pax were given, and then a pleasant conversation ensued for an hour of waiting, without me being the driving force. On landing at our destination he came over to me at the carousel and gave me his card, asking me to email him about service failures on my preceding flight.

 

[Hvr]

I'm a quiet passenger with my headphones on after a quick hello to the person beside me. I'm on the aisle. I let them know to tap me on the shoulder if I'm asleep when they want to get out.

A smile at the end of the trip and usually we're both happy.

 

[Warks]

I still quote that to the younger generations but they have no idea when I say "London... here we come!"

 

[AuSammy]

OMG - that would be my absolute worst nightmare

 

[Beer_budget]

QR tried to do the same to us three times on one trip. Before the flight apparently by a 'logarithm', at check-in and asked again when we were on board. Very rapidly changed back to our selected seats. After 50 years of marriage we don't need to sit together.

I somewhat anticipate this kind of "help" with our MUC-SIN booking on SQ. We have booked A and D, and our friends separately booked F and K, so we can all travel together, but us girls have the respective window seats so we can rest and have a break, and the boys who have been friends since school can gossip

I will be polite, briefly, but I basically never want to chitchat with a stranger in an enclosed space. I just want to look out the window, drink champagne/whatever grape juice QF are serving in Dom Y, and nap.

 

[daft009]

the first time I sent my dad in J in SQ to SYD-SIN-DEL he said he didn't enjoy it, this was about 9yrs ago now.

When I asked why, he said no one to talk to/have a beer with like in Y lol
he was a great networker and made friends wherenever he went, bit like @trippin_the_rift said
and as we run a business it was always a great asset!

I used the points I earnt on our business expenses so he could travel J once retired.
After a while he did come around and started enjoying J, lots of hosties to talk to on SQ!

He passed away ~3months ago suddenly, I told the above story in my eulogy and it got a huge laugh!

 

[jastel]

I will go either way...depends on the person and topics.
But I can take a hint if the other person is not into it.

Recently spent 4 hours sat next to a well known politician, we solved nearly all of Australia's problems during the trip.

 

[DC3]

[*]The young Russian guy on the way to Vietnam would have got my help communicating with the FAs if he had bothered to acknowledge my simple perfunctory "hello" as I sat down.
[*]The octogenarian Floridian would have got help from me to do up her seatbelt, but she had ignored my presence and then made a scene with an FA.

 

[Quickstatus]

After 50 years of marriage we don't need to sit together.

I reckon, not much to talk about after 20 years