Love is in the Air: Navigating Dating and Relationships in Aviation

What happens when two flight attendants fall in love at 35,000 feet? In this episode, we’re pulling back the curtain (literally) on what it’s like to date and build a life together while living the chaotic, beautiful, and always unpredictable life of flight crews. From long layovers to long-distance romance, we’re sharing our own story of how we met in the skies, made it work, and how our relationship has taken flight over the last 11 years.

We talk about everything from early awkward first encounters to joining each other on overnights, navigating different airlines, decoding each other's schedules, and what it really takes to make a relationship thrive when your "office" is in the sky. 

Episode Highlights:

[0:21] Kicking things off with our current flying schedules — surprisingly drama-free (for once!)

[2:47] Reflecting on an adorable couple celebrating 50 years of marriage—and realizing we still can’t do math on how long we’ve been together.

[4:00] The super awkward, super cute story of how we met on a plane (spoiler: there was clapping involved).

[6:09] How long-distance dating worked for us as two flight attendants in different cities—and why it was oddly easier than it sounds.

[9:04] The game-changing role of the StaffTraveler app and how it would’ve made our early dating days so much easier.

[11:02] Why dating someone who “gets the industry” made all the difference—and how we made time to see each other despite totally different schedules.

[14:12] The (very real) challenges of dating someone not in aviation—cue the classic, “Where are you now?” line.

[16:26] Our thoughts on how airline life actually strengthens our relationship and helps us stay intentional with our time together.

[21:55] On trust, independence, and communication—our take on why those matter even more when you’re both constantly on the move.

[23:29] A call to action: Are you dating in the industry? Flying with your partner? We want to hear your stories!

 Links & Resources:

Share your aviation love stories with us at podcast@twoguysonaplane.com

If you loved this episode, please rate, review, and follow “Two Guys on a Plane” wherever you get your podcasts. Share it with your crew, your partner, or anyone who’s ever asked, “So, what’s it like

✈

This episode was brought to you by StaffTraveler, the #1 non-rev app. If you travel on standby and are looking to make your journey easy and stress-free, check out the StaffTraveler app in the Apple App Store or Google Play Store. Visit stafftraveler.com/twoguys to learn more and sign up!

Download StaffTraveler, the #1 Non-Rev App!

✈

Have a story you want to share on our show? Have you ever found yourself on a flight and thought – What Would ‘Two Guys on a Plane’ Do? Send us your wildest or funniest airplane story and we might just share it on a future episode!

Tell Us Your Story!

✈

Want to join us on one of our upcoming group adventures? There are only a few spots left on our trips to Croatia, Egypt, and Thailand!

View Itineraries + Book Your Spot!

✈

We couldn’t do it without your support! As independent podcasters, we rely on audience support to keep our show going. Join our community on Patreon at the link below for exclusive content, early access, behind-the-scenes footage, and more! Thank you so much for being part of our crew.

Support Our Show on Patreon!

Transcript

Rich: 0:00

Have ever wondered what your flight attendants are really talking about behind the galley curtain?

Andrew: 0:06

Welcome to Two guys on a plane. Your go to podcast for an insider look at flight attendant life.

Rich: 0:11

We're your hosts, rich and Drew, and we're here to tell you what really goes on at 35,000 feet.

Andrew: 0:16

So sit back, relax. We're ready for takeoff.

Rich: 0:21

Welcome back to two guys on a plane. Today, Andrew and I are going to talk about dating in aviation, dating and making relationships work. It's no secret that the two of us met on a plane, started dating on a plane, pretty much, and are here 11 years later to tell the story. So we're gonna get into what balancing a relationship in this industry looks like, how difficult and easy at times, relationships and aviation can be. But first, let's talk a little bit about our week of flying. Andrew, how are things going out in the skies for you?

Andrew: 0:55

Um, I don't want to jinx myself, but I've had a pretty easy flight week. I only did, like, three days worth of work. Um, pretty short days, every day. Great crew. So I don't, I don't want to jinx myself for next week, but this one was really, it was actually pretty calm. How's it? Yours

Rich: 1:12

same actually. Isn't that always nice when you're like, things are going according to plan, right? Things have been on time. Passengers have been a nice crew members, pilots. Everybody's been getting along. It's like, oh, this is why I do this job. This is why I love this it's when it works. It's really fun. We caught

Andrew: 1:28

one small delay, but made up all the time. We landed in our, like, a layover city with, like, on time, yeah, like, no one was really, no one really had anything to say. It was really cool. I love hearing that. I know.

Rich: 1:40

Yeah, I had anyone too. I had this couple the other day, and they came on and they both, they came out in wheelchairs. And they, they didn't, they had suitcases. But they, I mean, it was those suitcases where, like, you go to try to lift it for them, and it's so light that you're like, is there anything actually in this suitcase? But they were so sweet. I was kind of nervous at first, because she was she came out, and she was kind of like griping about something that the airline was doing. And I was like, camel, unfortunately, that happens sometimes, but they ended up being the sweetest couple. And they were celebrating 50 years of marriage, and they were we flying to, how sad is it that I don't remember, but we were flying to somewhere in the Caribbean, and they were like, Oh, we just, we're going for warmer weather. And of course, they were from like Florida, because I was like, you two are the sweetest.

Andrew: 2:29

I love those days. Yeah, that's cute. I like that story. It was cute. I hope we can make it to 50. Let me rephrase that. That

Rich: 2:38

sounded a little dark. We'll see how we do this each

Andrew: 2:42

other all the time. Welcome to our relationship. No, it

Rich: 2:47

is a good segue, though, because I do feel like I see those couples and I'm like, 50 years. I mean, you and I have made it 11 and almost 11, and then we've been married for almost eight, and it's, is it 811 I'm not good at math,

Andrew: 3:03

and you think I'm going to be any better?

Rich: 3:05

Well, we've been together roughly somewhere between five and 15 years. You decide what number you choose, because we're going to change it every day, any right? I mean,

Andrew: 3:13

we can't even land on the day that we start a day. How are we going to land on? That has been a constant. But, yeah, I think we're coming up on it'll be eight years of marriage in October, so we've been together for 11 but yeah,

Rich: 3:24

I mean, looking back at it, I remember, you know, if you don't know the story of how we met, I was working a flight to Nashville where Andrew was working at the time, and I was pretty new to flying, so awkward and trying to follow the rules. Also, the awkward part is nothing to do with my career. That's just who I am as a person. But I was pretty awkward. And I was flying with this super sassy gay guy, and he would do this little thing where he would clap anytime, like a like, cute guy would come on the plane. And so my now husband, Andrew, comes on, and he was like, welcome, and he's doing this, like, cute little clap. And do you

Andrew: 4:01

know what it's like to walk on to a plane to a round of applause, because it's, it's pretty fun.

Rich: 4:06

Yeah, you would like, why isn't every flight starting with me on everyone clapping for me? Yeah? Pilots clap when the plane lands. We should get clapped at when, like, the beverage service is done or something. And so I was like, Okay, I agree with that. He's cute, yeah. And he goes, You should go talk to him. And I was like, No, I'm not gonna be that weird flight attendant that, like, is just going up and talking to passengers they think is cute. And he was like, Just do it. And so we started talking, and I was painfully awkward. And Anyways, long story short, the flight ends, Andrew gives me his phone number, and it's like, Call me if you're ever in Nashville. And it was on, like, the boarding pass. It was super cheesy, super cute. And I was like, okay, yeah. Like, I'll, I'll do that. Sure. And, like, totally forgot to tell him that. I was like, you want to know what part left rich left out that make me look bad that he was laying over. So, yeah, I was laying over. And. Sure that night totally failed to tell Andrew and all the conversations we had up to this point. And I got off the plane and I texted him, and I was like, hey, so funny story, we're in Nashville tonight, and he's like, oh, did something cancel, you know? Because he's assuming that I canceled. And obviously a sane person would have told him that we were going to be in Nashville that night. Well, that's my work is

Andrew: 5:23

I commute from where we were, like, to Nashville, so I'm also fairly aware of the schedule. Most of the crews are a turn airline. They do turns to go back. This isn't like a layover

Rich: 5:33

thing. You were on this flight regularly, and you're like, Okay, and so I just leaned in. Was like, Yeah, something like that. Anyways, long story short, we end up going out to dinner that night. And I think the first like, year of us dating, we were in different cities. You were in Nashville, I was in DC, and we were just kind of bouncing around, like, I don't know, it's weird when you're dating a fellow flight attendant, because you're like, This is not like any other relationship. We don't live in the same place. Long Distance isn't as long of a distance as couples who don't have flight benefits, right? What? What do you remember about that? How was that for you when we started dating?

Andrew: 6:10

Um, I mean, looking back, I think it was a lot of fun. I think that you made me feel really special when we started dating because of the amount of effort that you were putting in. It was text, it was phone calls. It was joining each other on overnights or planning vacations or things like that. So, like, that's a really nice way to say stage five clinger. No. I mean, no, because it does. It takes a lot of work. Like, we're not always in one time zone, we're not always in one city, we're not always in one space. So the I mean, I hope you felt the same effort that I was feeling, but it just made me feel really special, because there was a lot you were putting in a lot of effort to make sure that you know we were communicating or seeing each other.

Rich: 6:51

Yeah, I think that's honestly one thing that I really love about dating in this industry, or loved about dating, not currently dating. That made it sound weird, but I that I really loved is like, we had to make that effort to see each other or it wasn't going to happen. And I think, like, we both dated other people that weren't in the industry and people that were in the industry. And it just, you really see the difference there of, like, understanding the lifestyle or not understanding lifestyle. And it really forced us to, like, bounce around. Like, I remember we'd be like, Okay, you're flying this week. Where are you? Okay, I'm in Chicago. I'm in Phoenix, and I'm In Miami, or whatever the case may be, I don't know. I said Miami, we never, it

Andrew: 7:35

was always random, go to Miami, but yeah, we went there for Christmas. And then we ended up watching, like, meet me in St Louis on our overnight together, right?

Rich: 7:46

We're so cheesy. We always have been,

Andrew: 7:48

yeah, but yeah, milkshakes under the arch. And then we went and watched, meet me in St Louis, because that's where we were for the holiday. We were

Rich: 7:55

always bouncing around. And I feel like, Yeah, I mean it was chaotic, because you'd be like, Okay, I'm in St Louis for 12 hours, and it's like, when you start dating, you really want to see somebody, and so you're like, Well, I guess I'll hop on a flight. No one see. See what that looks like. You know what I wish we had back then too, because I remember how chaotic this was, trying to get on a flight, and if you fly standby and have airline benefits, you know how chaotic This is. But trying to find seats and find flights that have seats like I wish. Staff traveler, if you guys know it, it's an app that non revs use for standby travel, and it gives you seats from different airlines. It's totally free. I would have made this so it would have made dating so much easier because staff traveler, you just plug in the city. So say, I want to go from Philly to LA and it'll give you different options to be like I want to be like, I want to connect through here. I want to go here. I want to fly only this airline or this airline. And you can just get loads for every flight. And people, other airline employees around the world, put in their flight loads for their own respective airline. And then you get to see, okay, this flight has 12 seats open, six people listed. Okay, I have a decent shot at getting on that. That would have made life so much easier, much easier, because

Andrew: 9:04

you were flying and I was texting you for loads to figure out what seats like on your airline that I was trying to get to where you were, because obviously, that's the easiest way to do it, right? Yeah, it would have made life so much easier. Also, it would have made it easier to surprise you.

Rich: 9:18

That's fair too, right? Rather than being like just your airline, you can just go to staff traveler, right, and not have to bother your airline people. And that's one thing that I always it was so chaotic because you'd be messaging people from, like other airlines, they wouldn't get back to you, or, you know, things like that. And it's like you're posting on Facebook and these like, load share groups that never quite there either weren't accurate or they didn't get back to in a timely manner. And I

Andrew: 9:46

think that this is one of those places where the fact that we don't work for the same airline made it more difficult for us, because it's not like we could bid the same overnights. We don't stay at the same hotels when we do get to overnight, so it took a lot more work. To do it, because we would bid overnights together, right? Like, okay, let's both bid for Phoenix on Saturday the 12th, and see what happens if we both get them, then we'll hang out. And, you know, we were doing things like that, so, but then you still have to figure out how to get to each other, because we're not in the same hotels, right? Would have made it way easier if we worked for the same airline, but it's no for me.

Rich: 10:27

I would agree with that. But yeah, I mean staff traveler and just technology in general. I mean, I don't know how people did it before FaceTime, before texting, Oh, for sure. I mean the ability to

Andrew: 10:39

share airplanes, where, yeah, tech swap. I mean, you're not supposed to, but you have a little bit of downtime, you can be like, Hey, thank you. Have you today, right?

Rich: 10:48

But like sharing your schedules and all of that just makes it so much easier to connect with people I can't imagine. Like, oh, I've got to run down to the lobby and use a phone or something. Like, people definitely couldn't date the way we do now. I mean,

Andrew: 11:03

when I started it, you did that, I did that. Yeah,

Rich: 11:07

different, different times, right? Yeah, you would have had to

Andrew: 11:10

have done it that way, because it was like paper schedules and pagers,

Rich: 11:13

yeah, and you're right about us working for different airlines too. I often fly with couples at my airline, and I always find that interesting, because I can't tell if you and I would like totally vibe and get along, because, you know, we have the same level of expectation when it comes to, like, what our co workers do, or if that would drive us to, um, marriage counseling.

Andrew: 11:40

I mean, I think it would be fun. Um, if we did, I I feel like we either have to work in the same galley or, like, different aisles if we were going to do it, but I feel like if you know, we were in different galleys, we'd both try to be in charge of the airplane. So I don't I think that would cause us to fight. But, yeah, I would say it would have made dating eater easier if we worked for the same airline, that's for sure, but

Rich: 12:05

sustaining the relationship maybe,

Andrew: 12:08

yeah, but I really loved dating, particularly another flight attendant. And I really loved dating someone who didn't work for the same airline as me, because you understood what I was going through, but you didn't know the exact ins and outs of of my job. So, like, we still had things to talk about, right? And just the travel of it all, I kind of miss it. I wish we did it more now. Like, I wish we still did some of those things that we used to do, but like, what? Like joining each other on layovers, or planning intentional too, every now and then, every once in a while, but not as much as we did when we first started dating. That's fair, because that was our whole dating life, right?

Rich: 12:48

Was meeting up in random cities. Yeah, yeah, which is so not traditional dating at all. And that's one thing that I don't I dating non airline people while being in the industry was always so aggravating, because I would get so tired of the questions of, like, where are you now? Like, I dated this one guy, and he was like, Oh, you're so distant. And it's like, yes, quite literally, I am in California and you were in Washington, DC, like, and he just could not get the grasp of, like, I'm gone all the time. I remember

Andrew: 13:22

I was dating this dude, and we had dated, we had gone on like three dates. Now, granted, this was probably over the span of like three or four months, because it's like all I could fit into my schedule. But I remember on the third date, him being like, did you do you really like your job? Yeah, like a lot.

Rich: 13:41

Yeah. Yeah, tickles,

Unknown: 13:43

very clingy. There's

Rich: 13:44

a long story there, and maybe that's the whole podcast episode in itself. But we won't, we won't get into it. Well,

Andrew: 13:49

he wasn't the only one. He wasn't the only one, but there were, like, when you're dating someone that's not in the industry, kudos all of you who are trying to start relationships while being a flight attendant with people who aren't in the industry. I couldn't do it. It was too much, because everyone would be like, so when are you home again? Do you really love your job? Like, why does feel like I don't ever see you? Yeah,

Rich: 14:12

and it's that there's like, two sides of that too, right? For people that are in aviation trying to date people, you've either got the people who are like that, where they're like, Oh, you're so distant, or they have trust issues that were always gone, and they hear cliche stereotypes about fighting as being like Sky mattresses and air mattresses and whatever they call us to make us sound like we're all just promiscuous or whatever. And then you've got the flip side of it, where the people like fetishize like our job, and it's like, you don't actually want to date me as a person. You just are turned on by my job, or you want my flight benefits. And it's like, well, now you're just being a creep. Like, get away from me. Yeah, I don't, I don't envy the people that are are doing this and dating non airline people, because it gets. Uh, exhausting sometimes, right? But, yeah, I mean, with our schedules and stuff, do you think that makes dating easier, or, like, in terms of getting past dating, but like maintaining our relationship, people always ask us, you know, your schedules are chaotic. Do you even see your husband? And I don't know. I feel like we do. Do you feel like our schedule makes it easier, or more difficult for us to kind of keep the spark alive. So maybe it's

Andrew: 15:27

because I'm used to it, but I feel like it's easier, yeah, and I feel like we're of a similar wavelength, like we're together or we're apart, like I I'm not tracking your schedule all day. I don't know where you are, what you're doing, so I think it gives us things to talk about, right? I know those couples who were like, he just landed in this city, but yeah, I mean, I feel like when we're together, we're together, I feel like we spend like, full block of three days off. We spend that together like we're very intentional with our time, and we use times like when we're not together, for friends or for hanging out with friends, and I feel like there's a really good balance for us if it's not like mutual friends. So you know, we will hang out with friends together, but if it's friends that we don't share together, we use times when we're not home together for that. You know what I mean? So I think we set up our schedules in a way where we actually spend more time than the traditional couple who's home Monday through Friday? Yeah, I would agree with that works in nine to five Monday through Friday,

Rich: 16:27

right? I just feel like people with nine to five jobs, you get stuck in such a rut and like a monotony, it's like, okay, sure, you might see your spouse or signify another, whoever it is, every single day, but you take that for granted. You take that time for granted. Like, you get home at the end of the day, you bitch about work a little bit, you have dinner and you go to bed and you wake up the next day and you do the same exact thing. It's like, you and I fly three four days. We don't see each other, honestly, sometimes we barely talk. I mean, we text a lot, yeah, but we don't always have time for phone calls and things, because, you know, I'll be doing a red eye, and you'll be doing flights during the day. So it's like, when we are together, we're both, I think it makes us both more appreciative of the time we have together, and it forces us to really be like, You know what? We haven't seen each other in a week. This one day that we have together is going to be like, uninterrupted hangout time, yeah, like, where phones down, catching up on our favorite TV shows, cooking dinner, going for ice cream, like, going for a walk, doing all the things. And I really feel like there's so many people out there that I hear like, Oh, it's so hard, yes, but also that sort of stuff really forces you to to make it work and to push forward, right?

Andrew: 17:40

And if we really miss each other, we jump in a fight, we go on an overnight together, right? Even if they're not the glamorous ones. I normally only join for the glamorous ones these days, I

Rich: 17:50

remember once I you had, like, Philly overnights. There was a period where you weren't based in Philly, Oh, yeah. And you would have layovers, like at the Philly airport, and I would go stay with you in the hotel, yeah, and I remember, like, things like that, that it's just funny, because people would be like, what? Like, this doesn't make any sense. Why didn't

Andrew: 18:08

you just go home? Right? He's like, it's more fun. Like, it makes it like a fun little adventure. But, like, you would have like, 11 hour overnights in the Philly airport, and I'd be like, sitting in the lobby waiting for you to get there. Love those days. I know remember that day. I don't know where I was coming in from, but I remember I cleared customs to, like, run back to get on whatever plane you were going to, I think you were going to Lisbon or something like that. Oh, yep. And I was coming out of customs and was texting, you were like, we have seats. And I was like, Okay, I'll be there in three

Rich: 18:36

minutes, like, a 12 hour day, just to then get on like, a six hour flight with me. And it was like only flight attendants would do this chaotic kind of shit, because most people would be like, that sounds insane, but if

Andrew: 18:47

I didn't do it, we would have gone two more weeks without seeing each other, and that didn't sound fun to me either, because our days off didn't line up. So

Rich: 18:55

oh, you know what else I loved when we first started dating, is we were always in the same airports at the same time, and I would be working a flight in and out of somewhere, and you would come and you would meet me with coffee at the game. You did that a lot like, I actually probably owe you money, but, yeah, no, I that was always just made my day because I'd be working this quick turn in and out of an airport, and I'd be like, Oh, I have to run up real quick. And my crew would be like, we don't have time for anything. We're about to board. And I'm like, I know, I know. And I'd run up and I'd kiss you in the airport, and you'd have a coffee with your name on it, because obviously you were the one who ordered it. And I was just felt like, I'm hot shit, like I got this guy shows up to my airplane and he brings me coffee and, yeah, stuff like that. I just love it. Yeah, dating in this industry is not for the faint of heart, though. I'll say that No, like you gotta be,

Andrew: 19:50

for sure, committed. You have to put some work into it. Yeah, yeah. I mean, do you feel like you have to be? Do you feel like being independent is important? And if you're dating in aviation, because, well, for sure, yeah, you're not always alone, though that's the wild part, right? Like, because if I'm at work, I'm surrounded by people, but yes, you are alone. Yes, you do have to be independent. It, it is a part of it. But more than independence, I think, like, open and honest communication is important, right? Because, like, you can say, I'm lonely, I miss you, and you can adjust schedules, or you can say, I got this this week. I don't really need you, you know what I mean. But so, yes, I think to a point you need to be independent, but I don't think that has to be your whole personality either.

Rich: 20:37

Yeah, that's a good point. I being independent is such a like, I don't know unique thing. I feel like, when you grow up, you think independent means, like, I don't need nobody. I got me. The rest of you don't matter. And it's like, really, there's a balance to it. Like you have to be able to be independent and live your own life, but also being able to, like, coexist with somebody and lean on them when you need them. I don't know it's interesting, but that's

Andrew: 21:02

why I said earlier. Like, there's together, there's our time together and there's our time apart. Like, when we're together, I don't have to be independent, yeah, right. But when we're not apart, I don't care where you are. If there's a Bible, no, I tell my mom this all the time too. If there's a problem, someone is gonna call you and tell you that there's a problem, you know? But otherwise, I don't need to, like, watch every city that you're in all day long to be like what he landed in. I It's weird. If that's what you need. That's good for you. I love that journey for you. I just feel like my personality, it would make it really hard for me, yeah, to be in a relationship where I felt like I had to, like, track you all day long, right?

Rich: 21:41

Or, like, check in with someone like you said, trust and communication and honesty, like that sort of thing. If you need to know, like, the second someone lands somewhere, or whatever. Like, are you in that healthier relationship? If you're that CO dependent, and,

Andrew: 21:55

I mean, we try to do that for each other, we really do, we'll be like, taking off love you have a great day, right? Landed. Miss you, but some degree also you forget to do those things too, because you get busy and life gets chaotic, and boarding and deploying, you get chaotic, and you don't always have time to do it. So I Yes, that's why I say this is a, yeah, it's a fine balance. Because if you need those things, for me, I need you to say that in a way, right, that like makes sense. But

Rich: 22:19

I do think there's, overkill too. I mean, there's some couples in this job, and not that it's wrong to, like, fly together or work together all the time, but like to be so co dependent that, like, you cannot be apart from someone, kind of makes me worried for people too, because it's like, are you losing yourself in that relationship? Like, do you have time for you? Do you have time? Like, for me, I love it. Like, having layovers alone sometimes is so nice because it's like, this is like, me time to, like, watch whatever stupid show I want to watch that maybe you don't like, or whatever. Like, that time that we get to spend apart. So you can starfish, starfish in the bed, exactly. I do that when you're there too and you don't like it. But just having that time alone to like, be you're just free alone, whatever you know, I agree you need the headspace you need to, like, reset and just time alone. And it's cliche, but absence makes the heart grow fonder.

Andrew: 23:17

But now I need to know, because we don't work for the same airline, so we can't fly together, but I feel like maybe we need to find some friends to come have this conversation with us, to be like, to compare, right? That kind of like dating story. What

Rich: 23:29

is dating? Right? Together? Is it flying together while dating actually like

Andrew: 23:33

or are you in a couple? Do you fly together? Well, what

Rich: 23:36

do you guys think? Let us know, send us a DM on Instagram, or you can always email us at podcast, at two guys on a plane.com, tell us your stories. Tell us your aviation love stories. Are you flying together, flying separate working for separate airlines? How'd you meet? Tell us your love stories. We'd love to hear the same part of the airplane together. Follow us wherever you get your podcasts. Leave us a review if you like our show. We can't wait to hear from you guys join

Andrew: 24:01

us next time for more humor, heart and stories from revived car.

Rich: 24:06

This episode was brought to you by staff traveler, the number one non rev app if you travel on standby tickets and are looking to make your journey easy and stress free, check out the staff traveler app in the Apple App Store or Google Play Store. Visit staff traveler.com/two guys to learn more and sign up

Buzz Burbank: 24:23

an ironic media production visit us at I R O N, I C, K, media.com you.