Flying Solo? A New App Can Help You Make Friends At The Airport (& On Your Flight)

You're not alone if you've ever wished for company while killing time in the airport. Well, technically, you were alone, but there were other travellers wishing they could meet up and make new friends while trapped in a terminal too. A new app is looking to link solo flyers with new connections while en route, both in the airport and in the air.

The Flight Mate app lets frequent flyers create a custom profile and look for nearby travellers to grab a drink at the gate or just gab during a layover. Users can also share their seats with other passengers on the same flight to connect beforehand or even help pick seats in the first place.

The app can be especially handy when booking a flight. Users enter their flight number to find other Flight Mate travellers, read their profiles and then pick a seat beside the one they vibe with best. You can then decide whether to update your profile with your seat number or not.

"Flight Mate works ideally with airlines that have assigned seating, but you can always use 000 as your seat number as a placeholder to let other Flight Mate users know you’re on that flight, further allowing you to connect, network, or socialize," according to the app.

Profiles also don't require a real name or photo, but users are more likely to build trust with other travellers if they do have a selfie. Users can report or block any users on the app and Flight Mate promises to "do everything possible to get law enforcement involved in resolving serious issues."

While in the airport, the Flight Mate "Find A Friend" option connects users with nearby profiles to expand a flyer's travel network.

Whatever you do, just don't put "loves to travel" on your profile. This isn't Tinder, after all.