Breaking the ice with the person sitting next to you on an airplane

I overcame one of the biggest small talk hurdles flying to London last week: speaking to the person sitting next to you on an airplane.

In general, people just don’t know how to do a cold open without talking about the weather or jobs.

I am determined to break that trap.

We were on the runway at JFK and I just blurted out to my seatmate:

“Wow. There is a remarkable line of planes waiting to take off. Here, look out the window.”

She leaned over a bit and saw the insane conga line of planes of every size waiting for takeoff.

That started a 2+ hour conversation, cutting into the 5 hour 15 minute flight time over the pond, costing both of us whatever sleep we could get. 

She was the global head of HR of a major ad tech company flying back to her family after two days in NYC. I was visiting my family and friends before heading north to The Fringe.

At flight’s end, we exchanged details, as they say in the UK.

I know many people hate speaking to their flight seatmates, especially because it forces them to make that cold open. We fear invading that personal space, as squeezed in as it is.

Try my self-imposed rule: never open up about the weather or jobs.

I know that feels incredibly restraining, right? That’s how programmed we are. 

In the mission to communicate in better ways and open new connections, there is no shortage of levers to pull. 

After all — each game of “Jeopardy” has a total of 13 categories.

You just have to open your eyes, observe, and then speak.