Now You Can Pick Your Seatmate- Maybe!

[+ Lucky]

Some airlines are making it possible for you to pick the person who sits next to you on the plane. The details seem to be hard to work out, say what do you do if the person you pick doesn't pick you?- but in the pic that accompanies the article, I pick the guy on the right. But the guy on the left would do too!

http://graphics8.nytimes.com/images/2012/02/24/business/global/24seats-span/24seats-span-articleLarge.jpg

 

Interesting that they picked two guys or the photo! Here is the article itself: http://www.nytimes.com/2012/02/24/business/global/selecting-a-seatmate-to-make-skies-friendlier.html?hpw

[adriano46]

For most of my adult life I have flown on planes, and the vast majority of them have been long-distance flights averaging 8 to 10 hours or more (and averaging 8 to 10 flights/year of these).

 

I have learned to choose as often as I can an aisle seat (so that I do not have to disturb a stranger when wanting to get up and stretch or go to the bathroom, and to have a slight edge on "room" to avoid being crushed in a centre seat etc...), and these days I always opt for any form of "extra room" or preferred seating if it is offered.

 

But what I have always feared once I sit is "who will be next to me?" and I think many here who are frequent long-distance travelers will admit the same.

 

As the plane loads, I wonder as each person enters the flight, "Is that the one?" and the reaction looking at them runs the gamut of absolute shock to lust (with a record of about 99% going to the ones who instill in me the shock -- I NEVER get the one who would incite lust in me). I tend to be somewhat introverted in flying, not really wishing to engage in conversation with whoever is next to me, knowing it is highly unlikely I will ever see them again in my life.

 

As a young man in my 20's I was on a flight to Austria one winter, a long business trip. I flew TWA and it was -- thank God -- a half-empty flight. These were the days when I would always dress in a business suit and tie on a flight, as did most on the trip, and I preferred then a window seat. I was called to the front of the plane just before they closed the door, to receive a special packet my office had rushed to me (try having that done these days!!!!) and on the return to my seat passed an elderly woman seated on the aisle, and the centre seat was empty. Suddenly as we were taxi-ing to take off, a man in his late 30's or early 40's approached that woman sitting near me and asked if she would want to switch seats with HIM, which, to my surprise, she did. He sat down in her seat, and I wondered, "Now what?"

 

Once we took off, he began chatting me up, and I realized he had been drinking a bit already, and while not un-handsome at all, I was not even aware I was "gay " at the time or at least I was not acknowledging it, and the whole scene felt awkward, especially when he decided to slide into the centre seat next to me as we crossed the Atlantic and his leg was unconfortably close to mine too much. It was awkward fending this guy off, and on arrival he kept fllowing me through Customs and praise the Lord, I was sooo happy when I discovered my luggage had not arrived (yeah... TWA)... and so I had to go off and fill out lost luggage reports, and I finally freed myself of this guy. That's the closest I ever got to joinging a Mile High club.

 

To the topic, being in my late 50's I doubt I would be the luck of the draw for a man in is 20's through 60's who would be suited to my own taste if the choice is based on "looks" -- and so I guess it would not work for me, but one can still hope that the long-distance flight gods would occasionally smile down on me and place a MALE next to me (I usually get FEMALES), and one easy on the eyes, and who has a great personality, but I doubt the day will come. I just don't see how this system will really work as I choose a seat primarily for personal comfort these days. Who sits next to me? Well it is the luck of the draw I suppose.

[+ Italiano]

I fly quite often because of my job. About 6-7 years ago I was at Milan airport waiting for the boarding of the plane to NYC. I was VERY happy because I had been upgraded to business, and definitely for a transatlantic flight it's a big difference! I noticed this hot man who was with two other colleagues, handsome face, piercing blue eyes, quite built, not very tall, and I had the feeling he sort of returned my eye-contacts. I was wondering where he would sit, and my heart jumped a little bit when I found out we were side by side! After taking off we began to chit chat, I found out he was Italian-American and that he had a family-owned business of pasta making in MA, and that he traveled often to Italy of course for his work. Being myself an Italian native and raised, I am a fan of fresh pasta and great (Italian) cooking and we really spent hours talking and talking about this and other topics. He told me he was married with kids, didn't ask me any personal question, I didn't tell him I was gay, but I had the feeling he got it. He behaved extremely friendly and pointing those piercing eyes on me, and I almost felt a bit intimidated... I am not the most aggressive person with these kind of things so I kept quite neutral even if I would have loved to jump on him or feel his big thighs with my hand! Arriving at JFK we exchanged email, phone and address and said goodbye, he took another flight to Boston, I took a cab home.

A few days later I received at home a HUGE box containing frozen fresh pastas and sauces, I couldn't believe it! Of course I contacted him and thanked him, we "hoped" to see each other in another future occasion, he sent me another box about 8 months later (by the way, the fresh pastas, filled and not filled, were fantastic!), we kept sending each other a "greetings" email from time to time and then eventually stopped doing it. I always thought that somehow he had a little "gay gene" inside of him but that wasn't really capable of making a step forward. I didn't help him to let that out, unfortunately!

 

It is funny that today after reading this thread I though about him and looked for him on the internet but couldn't find the website of his business anymore.

Nevertheless I found a video of him promoting his new restaurant in NH that he opened with his "partner" (of course I imagined him leaving his wife and kids and running away with his gay lover! ), and here it is. Isn't he hot and nice? I want to fly to Salem just to go to his restaurant and kiss him!

 

http://how2heroes.com/videos/profiles/about-joe-faro

[adriano46]

OMG -- Had a lunch at his restaurant recently in Salem. Food was very well done, place very comfortable and inviting; excellent service and I got to meet him and those piercing blue eyes as he was friends with the person who invited me to dine there. It is worth the drive (I drove up from Boston), and never imagined what xafnndapp wrote but when I saw the name of the restaurant and opened the video, even my heart skipped a bit. WHAT A SMALL WORLD!

[+ Italiano]

OMG -- Had a lunch at his restaurant recently in Salem. Food was very well done, place very comfortable and inviting; excellent service and I got to meet him and those piercing blue eyes as he was friends with the person who invited me to dine there. It is worth the drive (I drove up from Boston), and never imagined what xafnndapp wrote but when I saw the name of the restaurant and opened the video, even my heart skipped a bit. WHAT A SMALL WORLD!

 

Wow, small world, yes!!

He is hot, isn't he? And he is such a nice guy, really husband material!

I am glad that his restaurant is very good, he is really passionate in what he does, I could feel that.

[adriano46]

As an Italian who has also lived in Italy for many years, I found his restaurant one of the most authentic I have seen in the US. Everything about it was fresh, homemade, excellent. And yes, he is very easy on the eyes. I found him very engaging, down to earth, great personality. That the restaurant is as good as it is, is a testament to his drive. If anyone is in Boston, it is worth the 35-45 minute drive to Salem to visit this place. Lunches are really great.

[Bosguy]

I fly quite often because of my job. About 6-7 years ago I was at Milan airport waiting for the boarding of the plane to NYC. I was VERY happy because I had been upgraded to business, and definitely for a transatlantic flight it's a big difference! I noticed this hot man who was with two other colleagues, handsome face, piercing blue eyes, quite built, not very tall, and I had the feeling he sort of returned my eye-contacts. I was wondering where he would sit, and my heart jumped a little bit when I found out we were side by side! After taking off we began to chit chat, I found out he was Italian-American and that he had a family-owned business of pasta making in MA, and that he traveled often to Italy of course for his work. Being myself an Italian native and raised, I am a fan of fresh pasta and great (Italian) cooking and we really spent hours talking and talking about this and other topics. He told me he was married with kids, didn't ask me any personal question, I didn't tell him I was gay, but I had the feeling he got it. He behaved extremely friendly and pointing those piercing eyes on me, and I almost felt a bit intimidated... I am not the most aggressive person with these kind of things so I kept quite neutral even if I would have loved to jump on him or feel his big thighs with my hand! Arriving at JFK we exchanged email, phone and address and said goodbye, he took another flight to Boston, I took a cab home.

A few days later I received at home a HUGE box containing frozen fresh pastas and sauces, I couldn't believe it! Of course I contacted him and thanked him, we "hoped" to see each other in another future occasion, he sent me another box about 8 months later (by the way, the fresh pastas, filled and not filled, were fantastic!), we kept sending each other a "greetings" email from time to time and then eventually stopped doing it. I always thought that somehow he had a little "gay gene" inside of him but that wasn't really capable of making a step forward. I didn't help him to let that out, unfortunately!

 

It is funny that today after reading this thread I though about him and looked for him on the internet but couldn't find the website of his business anymore.

Nevertheless I found a video of him promoting his new restaurant in NH that he opened with his "partner" (of course I imagined him leaving his wife and kids and running away with his gay lover! ), and here it is. Isn't he hot and nice? I want to fly to Salem just to go to his restaurant and kiss him!

 

http://how2heroes.com/videos/profiles/about-joe-faro

Thank you so much for this information and the video--he is a real hunk plus his voice and the way he carries himself makes him a person anyone would like to meet. I then went to the restaurant website and was floored with the unique menu.

I live west of Boston, but will be driving to NH within the next couple of weeks.

 

Boston Bill

[+ Italiano]

I live west of Boston, but will be driving to NH within the next couple of weeks.

 

Boston Bill

 

I am VERY jealous!!

[jackboy48]

I wonder what this man would say if he knew he was being discussed on this web site? Would he be embarrased/mortified or flattered?

[Irtwo]

People have to upload their pic to be considered. I would guess only good looking people (or ones who think they are) would put their pic up. This is going to end up good looking people picking other good looking people. And it will become obvious soon enough that the seats with no pics are the unattractive ones.

 

And as far as that Italian food guy... WOW!! Major hotness!