Right. Because business travelers are NEVER annoying. :rolleyes: Well except for when they've had 3 drinks in FC before the door closes and 3 more before dinner is served. Those biz travelers are nothing but the utmost of civility.

Are you a single serving friend?

:confused: FC? dinner? on WN? :D

This thread reminded me, I am going to buy one of the flyertalk luggage tags and put it around my carry on, and when walking through the airport or boarding at the gate I am going to hold my carry on in a way that the tag is clearly visible to anyone nearby.

So if any of you see a young to middle age looking man wearing US Soccer clothing with a big yellow flyertalk luggage tag feel free to strike up a conversation, introduce yourself, then we will go back to our business and ignore each other. ^

In fact I highly suggest all regular flyertalk members have that luggage tag on their carry on in a easy to see obvious way so we can all go up to each other and act surprised and say "So you are so and so screenname. Cool!" Then go about our business. Would be neat.

What makes me miserable is the imposition of chit chat from a complete stranger about matters that don't interest me.

What makes me happy is knowing that my smart phone will be silent for the next several hours and I can relax, catch up on a book or watch a movie uninterrupted.

I don't hate the person but would rather just ignore him/her and ask for the same in return.

It's a new service called Southwest Plus. By invitation only, very hush, hush.

I have the yellow Flyertalk tag & if I were to spot someone with one or they me I'll talk as I do not consider Flyertalkers strangers. Otherwise as I stated earlier most likely nothing to say to folks I don't know.

I can say that only once have I had a conversation where the other person tried to sell me something, and a very polite no thanks quickly stopped that. Yes we often talk about work - usually it is how they like their job or not, things they have learned, etc.

I have made a few business connections that way - people who share a common interest or have a service I need. Somehow that "trapped on a a plane" situation actually broke the ice and I think we became a little more honest with each other. Guess it is all luck, of the draw.

I don't mind some idle chit chat at the gate or even on the plane before push back but once in the air those few hours are my time to relax and not be bothered because more often than not they insist on talking about something I don't give a rat's behind about.

Gotta remember it's a public space

friends I haven't met yet
 

I usually list my seat assignments with my itineraries here on FT in hope that someone else from here might look me up once on the plane.
A few years ago a man tapped me on the shoulder during the boarding of a DL flight from LAS to ATL and introduced himself and his wife. I thought that was nice. A simple pleasure I will always remember.

OTOH, I recently found myself sitting next to a person in the exact same field working for a related company (and we knew some of the same people). We had a great time. YMMV, but if both want to talk, it's OK.

I remember one flight from LHR to JFK on BA where I had the pleasure of sitting next to a (apparently successful) real estate agent (not the pearls and twin set type, but rather the big hair, botox, and leopard print skirt version). BA has ying/yang seats in business class, so we were facing each other, which must have been a red rag to a talking bull. She starts conversation as soon as the first glass of champagne comes around.

Agent: "So what do you do?"
Me: "I've got some meetings in NY for the next few days," hopefully sounding vague and not really giving much to go on.

Agent: "But it's Friday, so what are you doing for the weekend?"
Me: "Visiting friends on Long Island"

Agent: "Where on Long Island? I sell real estate, and I've done a lot of homes there. Do you know [insert name of some B-list actor I've never heard of]? I got his last place. Sold his first one too."
Me: "No, sorry, don't know him. I'm in East Hampton for the weekend with friends [big mistake on my part.]"

Agent: "Owmigaaawd, I just sold three places there. I can get you a fabulous place I've just listed, whatdidyousayyoudoforaliving, doyoumakealotofmoneydoingit?" Blah blah blah
Me: [oh dear Jesus]

Meanwhile, a delay of thirty minutes is announced while we wait for some connecting family from Delhi or something. The senior cabin crew member looks at me as she brings around another round of champagne and conveys a "I really do feel for you" while the Joan Rivers lookalike goes on and on about her job, all the crappy houses she has sold in the Hamptons, how many parties she's been invited to, how much her clients love her, the gifts she has been given, blah blah blah.

Eventually the CSD comes around and says to me "Excuse me Mr LE, I think there has been a small mistake on our part with your boarding pass. We need to reaccommodate a family on the lower deck (this was on a 747 UD). Would you like to come with us please?"

This made no sense to me, but I suspected she was trying to help me out of what was proving to be a poor start to a tortuous flight. I grabbed my bag and followed her down the stairs. At the bottom she gives me a new BP for 2K in First and says "I'm sorry, we didn't want to subject anyone to that."

A great flight after that.

I don't mind a good conversation. Sometimes I just want to sleep though, especially after the trips I was taking in my last assignment. 10-12 hour days constantly talking to people made me want to just get on the plane, get in my car, and get home so I could lie down on my couch and watch Walking Dead or Top Gear.

I've spoken to some interesting folks and some lunatics, notably a gentleman who believed an Onion story about Ohio using a crude decapitation tool for capital punishment as well as FEMA death camps.

I work in customer service and also have to talk during the day when I'm in school. Sometimes it's just nice to be able to keep my mouth shut and relax.

That said, if I'm seated next to someone interesting I might talk with them, but I'm perfectly happy with my nose in a book or taking a nap.