Are you a talker on planes?

[RooFlyer]

Well I have chatted to Bob Katter twice across the aisle in Y ISA- BNE.

But could you help it? Sorry I’m going to go a bit off my own topic but Bob Katter was in Hobart about a year ago. He was interviewed on the ABC morning radio show.

Katter took off like an FA-18 fighter. Launched into diatribes against many issues none of which relevant to the question or Hobart really.

The host obviously didn’t know what had hit him and took awhile to recover and get a word in edgeways. An hour later he told his audience he was still recovering.

 

[Quickstatus]

I once talked to a NSW State National MP once while riding a T-bar at Mt Perisher.
I didn't want to talk politics so launched into economic theories about collective farmgate pricing - particularly average vs marginal revenue product. . I don't think he liked me.

the thing though about T-Bars is that it is short and you are not stuck with a fellow rider for long - unlike an aluminium tube with no exit.

 

[trendwhore]

Headphones in the whole time, no talk

 

[Noah Count]

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.

I am quite sure I once posted 'you are in bad luck' or words along those lines, we are going to be seat mates but status at the time saw me ending in first. There is no need for anyone to chime in as @Hvr and I are known to each other (Matt_01)

 

[flyingfan]

Not a talker by nature but the couple of times I had chatty seatmates they were a delight to talk to. I count myself lucky.

 

[Larko1]

On my recent flight from HEL to SIN(0030dep), 3 of my seat mates and I were having a quiet little drinkand a chatwhen old mate from across the aisle charged over and demanded we all stop talking as other pax were trying to sleep. We said OK, asked if he would like to join us, but he just stormed off back to his seat. The CSM then came to us and said he complained about the noise. Funny thing was, old mate was wearing headphones at his seat We were polite and said we didn't mean to upset anyone, got another shout for the road and stopped chatting Oh well

 

[Beano]

I once talked to a NSW State National MP once while riding a T-bar at Mt Perisher.
I didn't want to talk politics so launched into economic theories about collective farmgate pricing - particularly average vs marginal revenue product. . I don't think he liked me.

the thing though about T-Bars is that it is short and you are not stuck with a fellow rider for long - unlike an aluminium tube with no exit.

I once got talking to a QLD state MP in the lounge. he was siting beside me and when he finished I complemented him on his quietness of the phone and we got to talking. I still have his card somewhere. That was unusual for me as I prefer my own bubble when flying.

On the other had I was siting in the middle seat and the two lady PAXs either side of me decided to have a chat. One of them was my +1 at the window!! (DBX-SYD). It was a very long flight!

 

[Invisible Monkey]

I'm an introvert so I make the most of the time that I get to myself when I travel.

I will rarely initiate a conversation, when I do it's usually to offer assistance, but I will respond politely if a stranger or FA does want a little bit of small talk but generally, I keep to myself in lounges and on planes. Most of the time I have headphones on, listening to music, podcasts or watching whatever I've downloaded on my iPad for the trip or I'm reading a book.

 

[k_sheep]

I've been meaning to post this for a while, but this post



and another recent experience recently prompted me.

Do you like chatting to your neighbour - known or unknown - on flights, particularly longer ones? On a recent overseas flight with me in 1C on B737, the guy in 1D didn't stop talking to his seat mate for an entire 4 hour trip. Just on and on and on, even during the meal. Now, nothing wrong with that - he wasn't particularly loud - but I have had long haul marathon talkers near me whose volume could have gone down by half.

I can't imaging filling up 4+hours with continuous talk and I certainly wouldn't put up with unsolicited chat from a neighbour if I wasn't interested.

Having sat next to RooFlyer on a flight, you know the answer I am a chatter, but I like to think I'm one who picks up on the social signals and shuts up after the pleasantries for those not wanting to partake.

One flight recently recently on the dreaded red eye from SE Asia, I was in Y (oh why oh Y). Middle seat was free, got the glorious "cabin crew boarding complete" and the aisle and I literally high fived ... and never made eye contact or uttered a word again lol. Slept like babies. So I can go both ways.

 

[Siebert]

A good conversation with a stranger can make a long flight pass surprisingly quickly. I've had a couple where we chatted for an hour or two and then both happily disappeared into movies and sleep. The balance is knowing when to start and when to stop.

 

[Forg]

I suspect there’s a lot of personality difference at play when talking about a “good conversation with a stranger” … for me, any conversation with a stranger is an uncomfortable experience, and more-so for my wife. I suspect whether that scenario can be comfortable very much depends on your personality.