Making a friend on a flight

Last Thursday, I got on a plane for the first time in almost two years. Up until the pandemic hit, I traveled regularly. I have never been a nervous flyer – I figure those pilots are much better drivers than I am. My only angst usually comes from worrying about who will be seated next to me. Will they be a talker? Will they be someone I want to talk to? I love meeting new people – but this extrovert felt out of practice and nervous.

After a two-year hiatus amidst a world-wide pandemic, I felt very out of sorts. I overpacked and overthought every decision. I checked and rechecked my flights and all the travel requirements repeatedly, worried that I had forgotten a step. I even used some frequent flier miles to upgrade my seat to Comfort+ so I would have extra time to board and some extra leg room.

One of my favorite things about the Birmingham airport is how easy it is to navigate and how quickly I can get from my car to the gate. This time was no different – only 21 minutes lapsed from the time I closed my trunk until I was seated at the gate. (TSA Pre-check for the WIN!)

The flight attendant at the gate was named Pleasant, and she absolutely lived up to her name. She greeted each passenger cheerfully and individually, adeptly handling any little hiccups in the boarding process. She scanned my boarding pass and wished me a Pleasant trip.

I had just settled into my aisle seat when a man hesitantly asked me if he was in the right place. He held out his boarding pass so I could see it, and when I confirmed that he was, indeed, my seatmate, he sheepishly apologized and admitted he had never flown before. At this point, I took a better look at my new friend and observed that he was in his late 50’s.

“Wow, you’ve never flown before?” I asked.

“No ma’am, I never needed to before,” he replied.

Immediately, my focus shifted to helping him getting settled in. I showed him how to store his bag, buckle the seat belt, turn on the headrest TV and most importantly for him, open the window. I found out his name was James, and he was headed to Ft. Wayne to visit his father, who wasn’t doing well (hence the need for the flight). The flight attendant came by to make sure we were ready to do our duties sitting in the exit row, and I told her it was his first flight.

“Well, honey, make sure you really read the information on the card in your seat pocket, and if something happens, you’re in charge of yanking that door open, okay?”

James’ eyes widened and he diligently read the material in the pocket, while the pilot began making the announcements. He nervously bounced his leg up and down and ran his hands over his knees while we taxied. Then, as we went down the runway, I reached over and rubbed his shoulder until we took off. Once we were in the air, James quietly shook his head and said “Wow!” in a reverent tone.

James took about two dozen photos of the clouds while we made the short flight from Birmingham to Atlanta, and marveled at the fact that it felt like we were going slowly, when he knew that we weren’t. He was so cute that I snuck this photo of him. When we landed, he breathed another “Wow!” and shook his head in disbelief.

We made our way off the plane and when we got to the monitors to see where his next gate would be, it became clear that he was really overwhelmed. I had a few hours before my connections, so I offered to walk him to the gate. While we navigated our way to the plane train and ultimately, to his terminal and gate, I heard more about his family and his deep desire to be there with them during this difficult time. I wanted nothing more than for this sweet man to make it there with no issues, so when we arrived at the gate, I told the flight attendant that it was his first time flying. She gave me a knowing smile and took over. She checked him in, tagged his bag and escorted him to the walkway to the plane.

My new friend turned around right before he entered and gave me a nod and a wave. I waved back and watched him until I couldn’t see him anymore.

As I made my way to my own gate, my heart was full of gratitude. I was so grateful that our paths crossed today, that he was seated next to me, that he admitted it was his first flight and asked for help, and that I had time between flights to spend with him. I can’t help but think that none of that was an accident – just like it never really is when you make a friend out of a stranger.