Love was in the air on an Air New Zealand flight between Auckland and Wellington last Monday. It certainly was for an Auckland woman, who was on the hunt for the man sitting next to her in seat 17C after she felt some chemistry during their in-flight conversation.

"Everyone loves a love story, and we were hoping this could be the start of a Christmas romance," -Sister of unnamed woman

The woman, who wishes to remain anonymous, was flying on NZ441 from Auckland to Wellington last Monday when the well-dressed, handsome stranger occupied the seat next to her. Seeing the woman with her sister, he offered them his aisle seat in case it would be easier to care for the young one. Some good conversation ensued after that. But with a flight time of only 50 minutes, it was just long enough to spark some intrigue.

The search begins

Details about the 'handsome stranger' were rather few and far between. Therefore, the unnamed woman's sister - who was on the same flight - contacted the New Zealand Herald in an attempt to track the man down.

The sister says that the woman in question is quite picky when it comes to men and thus this particular chap stood out:

"For someone to catch her eye is a big deal...So if you are the man from 17C, she would really like the chance to go out for a drink and chat some more...He was very tall, handsome, has dark hair - I can't remember what colour his eyes were without being creepy," -Sister of unnamed woman

What happened next...

Knowing the flight and seat number, the most effective way to get in touch with the passenger would be through Air New Zealand. Unfortunately, this would almost certainly be a violation of privacy policies! Spreading the word via the public would be the only viable way to connect. But of course, a lot is left to chance - especially if the man isn't much of a newsreader. There are certainly more questions in addition to "will he know she's looking for him?", questions like: Is he single/available? Does he feel the same way?

In a very recent update by the New Zealand Herald, the man was found with the assistance of Air New Zealand. The Herald reports that the man's mother first spotted the article and contacted him laughing.

The gentleman did not want to give his name but the Herald confirmed that the man in seat 17C wants to go on a date with passenger 17B.

"I really enjoyed meeting the two lovely sisters, they seemed sweet and caring. The woman, in particular, had a great personality, was pretty, blonde and fun to chat to." -The man in 17C

Conclusion

Perhaps flirtatious Diet Coke-branded napkins a la Delta would have been more immediately effective in this situation. Perhaps the one that said:

“Be a little old school. Write down your number & give it to your plane crush. You never know…”

In that Valentine's Day marketing campaign, too many passengers complained about the bold napkins being too creepy. Those were subsequently phased out by Delta.

We're delighted to hear the two have connected and had our fingers crossed for a Christmas romance. No pressure though...

Have you ever had positive conversations with a stranger in the seat next to you that led to a friendship or relationship? Let us know your story in the comments!