Networking on a plane: Best stories?
 

I'm curious, what are some of the best stories you have related to networking on a flight? Ex: most interesting or fruitful connections made

Looking forward to reading!

Networking on a plane: Best stories?
 

About 13 years ago I was flying the Swiss flight from BKK to SIN. I was in business class and sat next to a very beautiful woman about my age. When the drinks came around she suggested I try the scotch. That got us talking and it turned out she was traveling from Zurich back to SIN, her home. I asked her what she did and she told me she was a high end madam arranging "dates" for rich Swiss guys. It was a great flight with fantastic networking opportunities. At baggage claim she asked which hotel I was staying at in Singapore. Later that evening I got a call from her inviting me to dinner....

Met a scientist and speaker who was presenting at a Clinton Global Initiative event the next day in NYC.

Met a guy who spent 30 years in the bicycle industry. He gave me his card and he subsequently gave me some good advice and dealer connection on a road bike.

One time on United, I was sitting in Row 22 Seat A. After I had sat down, an older gentleman slowly walked over and lowered himself into Seat B...

Not my own story, but...

This was before the days of LinkedIn, etc., and before airport security was as we know it today. A friend of mine relocated halfway across the country for a job, only to lose it thanks to a corporate reorg. He felt strongly about wanting to find a job back in his old state, but there weren't the online resources for networking and jobhunting that are available today. So on early mornings or late afternoons when he didn't have other obligations, he'd throw on a suit, grab his briefcase and an old boarding card, then head to the major airport near his house. And he'd grab a spot at the gate handling the next flight back to his old city. Then he'd strike up conversations with people who looked like business travelers, telling them that he was catching a flight to whatever destination was leaving from the next gate, or the flight took off at the same gate later in the day.

"Oh, you're from [his old city]? I lived there for years and loved it. Relocated out here for work but I'd really love to end up back in [old city]. Me? I work in [fill in his job]. How about you? Oh, I know a few people who used to work there. Here, let me give you my card -- tell them you ran into me. It's supposed to be a fantastic company to work for. If you hear of anything, let me know."

If I'm remembering the story correctly, one of those creative networking opportunities actually got him back to his old town.

Not my story either, but...

A friend of mine met her future husband on a flight - they were sitting next to each other. The way she put it was that they were both seeing other people at the time, but by the end of the flight they just knew they'd end up being together...
...can't really network any closer than that, can you ;)

Pointer to the rest of that story?

For those of us flying UA long enough, it's a riff on:

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/unite...seat-22ab.html

Met a pilot that tries to "network"!!

Not mine either but a good story...

The Bangalore Express, a Networker's Paradise

-On Air Pacific NAN-LAX, I met my (uh, ex-) girlfriend

-With NH KIX-HKG, some guy attending the HK part of the Canton fair let me use his ticket to pay a visit

-After a Sriwijaya Air MES-BTJ leg, a local Acehnese-Chinese woman gave me a tour of Banda Aceh

-A few years ago on a cheap DTW-HND, I led a fellow FTer around Tokyo all-night

There are more, but these come to mind first

A wrong-networking story …. a guy yammers on about some insider trading. At the end of the flight he finally asks his seat mate who he works for. The SEC.

Another a 19 year old kid yammers on about bringing his dope on the plane past the TSA and then asks his seat mate if they thought there were any "Feds" on board. They happen to be a federal LEO.