The perfect spot for romance to take flight

IN August, I took an early-morning flight to Phoenix. After wrestling through LAX security lines I managed to secure my seat on the small aircraft. Bleary-eyed, I barely acknowledged the person who sat down next to me. His attempt to initiate conversation was rebuffed without thought.

After we ascended the skies, I glanced over. And then I glanced again. Here next to me was a handsome, wholesome-looking, well-dressed guy. Immediately I did the left ring check -- unmarried, seemingly. And snoozing. Shoot!

Reinforcement arrived in the form of flight attendants serving refreshments. The slumbering prince woke up. We chatted for quite a while and didn’t hit one air pocket. As the plane began to descend I secretly wished we had been on a longer flight to a place like Peru. Would he ask for my number?

We disembarked and he carried my luggage. This guy was batting a thousand. Gentlemen like this are a dying breed. I see women dive at the feet of this kind of guy. When he said a quick and polite goodbye I wanted to hurl myself onto the baggage conveyor belt. Sure, it was just a random guy on a plane, but what a catch. If I had been on my game, I might have slipped him my number. I told myself to be grateful for the laughs we had. And I comforted myself by thinking of Ingrid Bergman’s character from “Casablanca,” and the loss she must have felt on the airport runway.

Flights are the perfect environment for first meetings. You’re in a cozy place but in a public environment. You can engage in semi-private conversation, even if the wailing kid behind you tests your patience. Flight attendants wait on you, so it’s almost like a cheap date. If the flight companion brought a book or magazine, you can glean some information about them -- that they read. And there’s a 50-50 chance that they live in Los Angeles, or at least have a reason to visit. Whatever the case, you share the same destination.

The real reconnaissance work happens during holiday travel. If he’s flying solo at Thanksgiving, there’s a good chance he’s single. Airport terminals on heavy travel days are perfect -- flight delays act as conversation-starters, and long security lines give you a peek at how he reacts under stressful conditions. If he’s on your flight, he’s either a homegrown guy, or at least has relatives in your home state. Even the lengthy Starbucks line at LAX holds opportunity. With a well-planned strategy I could bounce around to waiting areas for flights I’m not booked for. Nobody looks closely at the boarding pass.

A cost-benefit analysis led me to think more travel time would be good for my love life. Looking for cheap flights to practice my new line of attack, I even contemplated a puddle-jumper to Bakersfield. Yeah, but why would I want to date someone going to Bakersfield? And what if I ended up seated next to somebody’s grandmother? Perhaps I should leave my fate to frequent flier miles for trips that I’m actually taking.

All I’m sure of is this: The reading material for my next flight is Chapter 9 of “Dating for Dummies” -- “Getting a Phone Number.”

weekend@latimes.com