Avoiding Close Encounters. Chatty Seatmate Strategies
Mar 2, 1999 | 4:26 am
#17
Original Member
Join Date: May 1998
Location: In protest of Flyertalk's uncalledfor censoring of my point of view, I cancelled my InsideFlyer subscription. So long, and thanks for everything.
Posts: 3,325
Bravo Rudi: Best seat mate - my wife Helen. Second best, "Ok sir, we've blocked the whole row for you so you can strech out" (CO SFO-EWR).
Only down side to first class seats, you can't lift the armrest to cuddle.
Only down side to first class seats, you can't lift the armrest to cuddle.
Mar 2, 1999 | 8:49 am
#18
Original Member, Moderator: Hotel Deals and MilesBuzz
Join Date: May 1998
Location: Washington, DC
Posts: 14,291
I love my wife dearly and enjoy travelling to new places with her but she is not the best seatmate! She gets bored quickly..."What are you reading?" "When will they serve the meal?" "Do you think the hotel will lose our reservation?" "I wonder if I remembered to lock the house"......
[This message has been edited by MileageAddict (edited 03-02-99).]
[This message has been edited by MileageAddict (edited 03-02-99).]
Mar 2, 1999 | 11:44 am
#19
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: May 1998
Location: Digital Nomad Wandering the Earth - Currently in PARIS, FRANCE!
Posts: 61,971
My wife is still full of awe for my ability to get her into first class, so I appreciate her child-like appreciation of my awesome power...(hey, its just about the only time I can impress her anymore, so I'll take what I can get, ok.) 
Mar 2, 1999 | 12:22 pm
#20
Commander Catcop
Join Date: May 1998
Posts: 10,259
THose last four posts were beautiful. You are lucky to have the PERFECT Seatmates (and life mates!)
One of my dreams is to fly first class and seated next to me: our "unofficial" FLyertalk
spokeswoman, Meg (or CATWOMAN, Michelle Pfeffer.) OR even Jodie Foster (she's the smart actress.)
But I guess they all have their own planes.
------------------
CATMAN
One of my dreams is to fly first class and seated next to me: our "unofficial" FLyertalk
spokeswoman, Meg (or CATWOMAN, Michelle Pfeffer.) OR even Jodie Foster (she's the smart actress.)
But I guess they all have their own planes.
------------------
CATMAN
Mar 3, 1999 | 12:43 am
#25
Original Member
Join Date: May 1998
Location: CNF/LAX/HKG/PVG
Programs: AA EXP, Lifetime PLT, Silver EK Skywards
Posts: 748
Worst seat mate(s): Flight from Sao Paulo to Los Angeles on Varig- Old couple who didn't speak a word of english, got up every minute to chat with other tour friends, and "made" me fill out their immigration papers.
Best Seat Mate: My girlfriend. Traveling with her is always an adventure. Unfortunately she is one of those that falls asleep really fast.
Most Intimidating: Martina Navratilova. Didn't know whether to say hello.
Best Seat Mate: My girlfriend. Traveling with her is always an adventure. Unfortunately she is one of those that falls asleep really fast.
Most Intimidating: Martina Navratilova. Didn't know whether to say hello.
Mar 3, 1999 | 3:46 am
#27
Join Date: Jan 1999
Posts: 3,065
I just don't have a problem with this - being British, I just refuse to talk to anyone unless we have been properly introduced.
It is amazing how people get the message after ignoring then for 5 minutes.
Failing that break wind - it has an amazingly quieting effect on your fellow passengers.
MF
It is amazing how people get the message after ignoring then for 5 minutes.
Failing that break wind - it has an amazingly quieting effect on your fellow passengers.
MF
Mar 8, 1999 | 9:37 am
#28
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: May 1998
Location: Massachusetts, USA; AA 2.996MM & Plat Pro, DL 1MM, GM & Flying Colonel
Posts: 25,037
Maybe not my best seatmate, but surely one of the most memorable: first class, Delta, DFW-ATL, bulkhead row. Tall, very well-built young man (I'm a straight male, BTW). We got to talking about my computer - one of the early portables. He said he could use it for his part-time master's program as he travels a lot. I said it was great but its 16-pound weight might be a problem. He said he didn't think it would be for him. We kept talking and a bit later on exchanged business cards. It was Dave Johnson, then training for the 1992 US Olympic decathlon team. He _throws_ 16 pounds further than I could _carry_ them!
Best was probably returning from a long weekend on Grand Cayman with my girlfriend. It was a spur-of-the moment thing to escape from a New England winter. We flew down (DL) in coach and she didn't know I had booked the return in first. When I started for the door as they pre-boarded first she asked "shouldn't we wait for them to board Gold Medallion?" I said "no" and showed her the boarding passes (carefully kept hidden until that point). She was all smiles. Stretched the vacation a few more hours, more so than if we had been in first both ways.
Worst: BOS-ORD, UA coach, Met Life insurance salesman who insisted on going through his entire PowerPoint presentation for me. Packed flight, I had the window and he was in the middle, so there was no escape.
Best was probably returning from a long weekend on Grand Cayman with my girlfriend. It was a spur-of-the moment thing to escape from a New England winter. We flew down (DL) in coach and she didn't know I had booked the return in first. When I started for the door as they pre-boarded first she asked "shouldn't we wait for them to board Gold Medallion?" I said "no" and showed her the boarding passes (carefully kept hidden until that point). She was all smiles. Stretched the vacation a few more hours, more so than if we had been in first both ways.
Worst: BOS-ORD, UA coach, Met Life insurance salesman who insisted on going through his entire PowerPoint presentation for me. Packed flight, I had the window and he was in the middle, so there was no escape.
Mar 8, 1999 | 12:10 pm
#29
Original Member
Join Date: May 1998
Location: Palo Alto, CA, USA
Posts: 3,475
This was mentioned on the 'Child in FC' thread so credit where credit is due. It's bad enough when one's seat-mate chooses to jaw non-stop . . . but what REALLY makes me crazy is the flyer next to me who insists on bellowing into the cell phone! Any tips on how to handle this without being TOO obnoxious?
I can handle the person who wants to talk to ME with a variety of tactics (best is wearing the earphones even when NOT listening to the classical music channel). But, I haven't figured out how to nicely discourage the business person seated next to me who spends most of the trip on the cell phone. Help!
[This message has been edited by KatW (edited 03-08-99).]
I can handle the person who wants to talk to ME with a variety of tactics (best is wearing the earphones even when NOT listening to the classical music channel). But, I haven't figured out how to nicely discourage the business person seated next to me who spends most of the trip on the cell phone. Help!
[This message has been edited by KatW (edited 03-08-99).]