I was eating alone at Sam Woo's restaurant in Irvine last week (nice recommendation from my client, BTW) and the man sitting next to me, also eating alone, strikes up a conversation. Turns out he is in the same business I am, and was very interested in what I am doing. I sent him a resume and some samples when I got back form the trip. Haven't heard anything back yet, but who knows?

My former business partner, who is a real schmoozer, has a knack of for meeting people on planes. He met a man who wound up being President of our Board of Directors when he sat next to him on a long flight and started shooting the breeze.

I mostly use flights to relax - read, sleep, and have a nice meal - when I'm sitting up front. I enjoy the "enforced leisure time." Occasionally I will drag out my computer and do e-mail if I'm way behind on it, but it's heavy and a pain to get out of the overhead bin, so I tend to avoid working on planes.

I find sitting in coach a little more conducive to having conversations than 1st class. You're physically closer and there's less room to spread out your stuff (so less of a possibility to do work). Wonder what others' experiences are on striking up conversations in coach vs. 1st class.