Of all the places to spark a connection with someone, airports must surely be the most exciting setting. Perhaps it’s because you’re already in the mood for adventure and discovery, or maybe it’s down to the fact that you’ll soon be jetting off to your destination and may never see that person again, which adds a sense of mystery. It could be that they have an exotic accent, or a perfect tan, or a fresh perspective on life that you don’t come across in your hometown. Or maybe you simply have a thing for people wearing a travel pillow around their neck?
Whatever the case, it’s safe to say that even the most fleeting airport romances make for some precious memories. We wanted to explore this further, which is why we surveyed people around nine major airports to find out how they feel to meeting people while waiting for a flight.
Read on to find out what people’s attitudes are towards airport romances, and how many have experienced something lovely among the luggage tags.
Jump to a section of the report
- Popular locations for American romantic airport encounters
- Top airports for making new friends
- Airports where love is least likely to bloom
- Airports where people have met their partners
- Demographics most interested in airport romances
Popular locations for American romantic airport encounters
We began by asking people if they had ever had a romantic encounter or connection in an airport. The top place with a positive response was Orlando International Airport, where 31% of people said yes. The lowest was Philadelphia International Airport, with only 21% of people agreeing they had ever experienced romance in that particular type of setting.
Between these figures we have LAX (30% of people said yes), ATL (30%), JFK (28%), SEA (28%), DTW (27%), ORD (24%) and EWR (24%).
Top airports for making new friends
There’s a big difference between feeling a romantic connection and simply having an enjoyable chat, which is why we also asked people if they have ever made friends in airports.
Surely the number of people answering positively to this question will be much higher, right? Actually, no, as the highest agreement was in Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, where 16% of people said they have made friends in airports. The lowest was O’Hare International Airport, with only 7% of people agreeing with this question, which may mean the Windy City is actually the least chatty.
Here’s how many people in the other airports answered yes: DTW (15%), JFK (14%), SEA (14%), PHL (13%), LAX (12%), MCO (10%) and EWR (10%).
Airports where love is least likely to bloom
There will always be hotspots for airport romances, which means there will also be places at the other end of the scale. To determine this, we asked people if they have ever fancied someone at an airport.
With thousands upon thousands of people using airports every single day, it must be easy to spot someone among the crowds who you fancy, yet quite a few people answered “no” to this question. In Seattle-Tacoma International Airport and JFK, 23% said they have never fancied someone at an airport. The figures get even higher from here, with 24% at MCO, 26% at DTW and LAX, and 28% at PHL, EWR, ORD and ATL all saying no.
Airports where people have met their partners
Looking at the subject matter from a more positive perspective, we also asked people if they had met their partner at an airport. Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport was a particularly romantic place, as 9% of people said that yes, they had indeed met their partner at an airport. The one with the least airport-inspired partners was Newark Liberty International Airport, with just 5% answering “yes” to this question.
Between the two we have ATL, ORD, LAX and JFK all with 8%, SEA with 7%, and PHL and MCO with 6%. Still, when you consider the many barriers in the way of starting a relationship with someone in an airport, not least that they may be from another country, all of these figures are actually quite encouraging.
Demographics most interested in airport romances
Our final question was “Do you love or find the idea intriguing? After all, meeting a stranger in an airport and really hitting it off is a very romantic, exciting and heart-warming idea for people of all ages. Let’s see what everyone said…
The airport with the most people who voted yes, with 29% showing just how romantic they are, was Seattle-Tacoma International Airport. Next was John F. Kennedy International Airport with 27% and Philadelphia International Airport with 25% saying they loved the idea or found it intriguing. The figures then dip below one-quarter, as only 24% of people in Newark Liberty International Airport answered yes, and in both Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport and Orlando International Airport it was 23%. Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport and O’Hare International Airport were even lower, with only 22% agreeing.
The absolute lowest, and this may come as a surprise, was Los Angeles International Airport. Here, a mere 20% of people said that they love the idea of an airport romance or find the idea intriguing. Perhaps they’re so used to Hollywood blockbusters and Netflix romantic dramas that they’re looking for something more original these days?
Did any of these statistics surprise you? Did you think that there might be more romance in the air at LAX, or that more people would chat with each other at O’Hare? Most importantly, are you going to put extra effort into your outfit the next time you visit the airport to catch a flight? Regardless, if you want to turn up to your flight in style, make sure you book your airport parking in advance, to secure the best deal.
Methodology
Surveyed 200 flyers from each state using 3Gem.com
