Busy Travel Season – Get to the Airport Early and Connect with Others

Another Thanksgiving Week Dating Tip to leverage the travel activities which are already occurring.  Whether you are hosting guests this week for Thanksgiving or you are the one doing the traveling for the holiday here in the United States, tomorrow is the single most busy air travel day of the year.  Leverage that Law of Large Numbers for your dating partner locating activities.

Plan to get to the airport early either way.

In the Airport Shuttle

If you are the one traveling, definitely get to the airport early.  You probably booked your shuttle service ages ago and they are picking you up super early.  Rather than viewing that as an annoyance, leverage the time in the shuttle to chit chat with others from your metro region who you normally wouldn’t meet.  With the holiday and the crowds people are more open to talking with strangers.

  1. Ask them where they are going.
  2. Ask them if they will be staying with friends or family.
  3. Ask them if there is anything special they will be doing there.
  4. Ask only about 3 questions, just like that.  And then utter something admiring about where they are going or what they are doing.

At the Airport

Once you are at the airport, and this is something which if you are hosting, you may need to park your car and go in and meet your guests rather than only meet them at baggage claim, you can hang in the food court area, sip a sparkling water, a hot coffee, or enjoy a cocktail at one of the airport lounge bars, and engage the other travelers in conversation.

Use the questions I cited above to help you get the conversation going with strangers at the bar.  This is not the inquisition, so you do want to ask really only a few light engaging questions and then utter an admiring or enjoying affirming comment about their answers.

  1. “Oh that sounds like so much fun.”
  2. “Oh that sounds fascinating.”
  3. “What a great way to spend the Thanksgiving holiday.”

When people are traveling for the holidays, they are more open to chatting while they are traveling.  Leverage that openness and make a concerted effort to place yourself where you will then meet Thanksgiving holiday travelers.

By giving yourself plenty of time to get to the airport as well as to pick up your guest, your whole demeanor will be relaxed, confident, and poised.  That very characteristic alone will make you stand out from the horde of harried holiday travelers.

You never know where it will lead.

Until next time,

Happy Dating and Relationships,

April Braswell

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April Braswell

April Braswell is internationally recognized as America's Midlife Dating and Relationship Mentor and the award winning expert columnist at DatingAdvice.com. Bringing over 40 years of Sales and Marketing expertise, April is a the trusted Small Business Consultant and Coach to Leading Executives and Emerging Leaders. Author of best seller, Get Swipe Right. April coaches marriage-minded men and women to find and attract love, your best life partner. Life Love Love relationship. Love after 40 and 50. Photos appear by licenses with iStock. All rights reserved.

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Comments

  1. Hi April

    Great specific, practical, advice for generating new relationships at the airport.
    Good for developing new relationships even if you’re not looking to date.

    Martin Wright

  2. April.. Funny story… I just flew from the east coast back to LAX. I was wearing a new suit I found at a thrift store in Vermont. It’s a 3 piece suit and it cost me $6! I got several compliments on it that day, and the girl who sat next to me gave me her number! That’s 2 ladies out of the last 2 flights!

    I also wanted to say thanks for keeping up the great work and also wish you a Happy Thanksgiving! Keep in touch…

  3. April,
    Since the 9/11 incident, I can imagine that people in the States are more cautious than before. So probing now requires a higher level of skills. But ten, practice makes perfect :))

    John Ho

  4. Hi April. Those conversation techniques remind me of those taught in the Dale Carnegie course. They are quite effective in engaging a stranger in conversation that person will enjoy.

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