After selecting your target - go back to your seat, relax and give the target time to get bored (everybody gets bored on a long flight).

My technique (before I was married, of course):
- Later - take a hopefully empty seat beside the target
- pull out a travel backgammon set and ask: "Do you know how to play backgammon?"


1) Target: "Yes"? You: "Let’s play".
2) Target: "No" ?" You: "Let me teach you".

That way you promise relief from boredom not involving strain or dangers of forced conversations.

The rest is up to both of you ...

(from the airline passengers guerilla handbook).