Camilla Jessen
How often passengers actually hook up on planes.
The fantasy of sneaking off for a secret encounter at 35,000 feet has long been part of pop culture.
But behind the myth is a far less glamorous reality.
A veteran flight attendant has now detailed how often passengers actually attempt the so-called Mile High Club, and what crews do when it happens.
How common it is
A survey of more than 11,000 users of dating sites in the US and UK found only about 5% had tried it during a flight, though 78% admitted they were curious to try.
That low figure mirrors what cabin crew observe.
Mandy Smith, a longtime flight attendant and author of Cabin Fever: The Sizzling Secrets of a Virgin Air Hostess, told Ladbible that the real number is small.
“I would say one in twenty or thirty flights,” she said, adding that it’s “not really that often.”
She explained that crew members are used to the behaviour and rarely shocked by it, but that their response depends on the situation.
Crew responses vary
According to Smith, a quiet knock on the lavatory door usually ends the moment.
“It’s worse when you’ve got children on board and it’s in the daytime,” she noted.
Night flights, however, can prompt a softer approach. She admitted that if couples are discreet, she might not step in: “I probably wouldn’t even interrupt them if I’m honest.”
Still, some travellers push the limits and require firmer intervention from the crew.
An awkward case
Smith described one incident involving an 18-year-old passenger who was intent on joining the Mile High Club.
“She just grabbed anyone,” Smith recalled, explaining that the woman tried twice within the same flight.
After crew members spoke with her parents — who were travelling with her — the attempts stopped.
“She was only 18 bless her, she didn’t do it again,” Smith said.
While during it on a plane is not explicitly outlawed, legal experts note it may fall under public indecency rules.
On international routes, liability can depend on factors such as the aircraft’s registration, the airline’s base and the jurisdictions of departure and arrival.
Sources: Ladbible
