Seatmates

Peter Shankman sees air travel as a risky business. But it’s not the plane he worries about. It’s the empty seat on his left — and who’s going to fill it. “You watch 404 Not Found

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nginx/1.14.0 (Ubuntu) people coming down the aisle toward you and the theme from Jaws is playing in your head. You’re thinking, ‘Oh no, not this one’ or ‘That one looks like bathing is optional.'” So the 33-year-old U.S. marketing and p.r. executive created AirTroductions, an online service that matches up air travelers for business, friendship, romance — whatever you want from an in-flight neighbor. “You have control over everything you do when flying — which flight, what you eat — except who you sit next to. So I thought, let’s see if we can change that.”

Since launching last fall, AirTroductions has racked up almost 14,000 members worldwide. Post a free online profile, register your flight details and see if other members are on your flight. If you meet your match, a $5 per-person fee is charged per round-trip. AirTroductions customers meet at the airport and check in together. “I remember sitting on this one flight and next to me is Miss Texas. My four-hour flight took about 14 seconds,” says Shankman. Way to fly the friendly skies. airtroductions.com