Other than posting meal pictures and mentioning my aircraft ”downgrade” on my Sunday night redeye, I didn’t really write anything about my mileage run this past weekend (although a hotel review is on the way, stay tuned). I did, however, have a few fun interactions and observations.
Continue reading: I’m anti-social, get a psychic reading, and get sniped for “security” reasons
Share your questions, experiences, and thoughts below.
Just finished a trip to Canada this past weekend - and also noticed that the planes were consistantly cleaner and all the flight crews were cordial (and this was in steerage plus). Hope it's not just a blip!
LOL, I know what you mean about seatmate conversations! This weekend, I had taken a red-eye from LAX-ATL, and then in the morning, continued on my last segment to get home. During my last flight, the guy beside me kept talking to me about his new job, and how he's going to travel a lot for it, etc. When he asked me where I was coming from, I said, "I just came in on the red-eye from LA, and I'm excited to finally be seated on this plane because I can get a little more sleep before heading straight to work after landing".
He didn't catch the hint. I'd start to fall asleep, and then he'd initiate another conversation. It eventually reached a point where I pretended to be sleeping, so he'd stop talking to me.. so I'd be able to sleep for real. And it worked. 😀
So you're not going to spill the beans about your psychic reading? Did she see travel in your future? 😉
I just had the anti-social conversation with a friend over the weekend. I am just like you - I rarely talk to my seat mates and almost never start conversations myself. When I travel for work my job requires me to engaging, friendly and "on my game" with people I barely know. By the time I hit the plane, I just want to recharge and not socialize. Let me read my book and enjoy my warm nuts - then I'm a happy camper.
The benefit of striking up a convo 15s before deplaning is you know when it will end.
Is it possible that a lot of the improvement with the inflight experience is facilitated by reduced traffic and increased block times allowing for generally easier and lighter operations? Then again I generally think UA is fine until something goes wrong, so I am not as naturally talented a reviewer as many are.
When it comes to conversations, I am not a very social person (don't go clubbing say, and am married) but for a young person (under 30) I have always been the kind of older folks find easy to talk to. I find it has been very rewarding to engage my seatmates in a bit of conversation. My strategy is usually just to at some point during boarding ask something like "headed home?" or "headed out for business?" depending on my best guess. Usually we have one of those in common, or that way we find out a bit about each others occupations and why we are traveling. I do it in a super casual way and that way there is no real burden to keep the conversation going. I am always surprised how often on a long trannscon (SFO-BOS usually, which is a great route for interesting people I think in E+) it germinates into an interesting conversation. I have met some real interesting people, interesting businesses, fellow engineers, high-up political people, etc. and learned stuff about the world I wouldn't have otherwise.
Then again, sometimes you get the seatmate that starts hugging you saying she is afraid it looks like the plane has stopped moving when she looks out the window. Then you have to have a whole different type of conversation ... about how a plane works.
Agree with SFOtoBOS-I generally find on average its worth trying to talk with my seatmate. On the upside, you get a very interestingfun conversation. On the downside, it just doesnt go anywhere. Im not socially inept to the point where I cant tell when someone else isnt interested in talking. If they dont want to talk, I stop.
Now I wish all MY seatmates were as good at sensing when I dont want to talk to them 😉
“I just tell people that if they want the truth they should listen to Rush Limbaugh.”
This is when I would have closed my eyes (as I was rolling them). Haha.
I know you don't spend any time in coach, but I frequently do, and on several recent longer flights the purser has come back to thank me for my loyalty to United as a 1K and offered me (and my travel companion!) a drink from the first class cabin. I am thinking this is new but maybe they have always done it??? In any case, I love love love this gesture.
As for chatty seatmates, I never stop talking and I know it is bad to narrate my every thought but I am a Pisces so perhaps that is my excuse. I appreciate that it can be annoying but I just can't help myself - I love small talk. I try to bring a book, wear earbuds, or drink a lot (although sometimes this has the unwanted effect of making me talk more and more loudly).
So I was thinking more about this seatmate who starts a conversation at the end of the flight. Maybe she is a nervous flyer who was all chilled out on some anti-anxiety meds and in the zone so not talking but just started to come around as you landed and decided to say hello. 🙂