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(c) Elliott Publishing.

Love is in the Air
ChrisCrossings · June 17, 1999

Q: I've been hearing a lot about the Mile-High Club lately. Is sex on planes possible? Is it any better than on the ground?

- Jim Nova

A: Oh, come on. You're not seriously thinking of joining the club? In-flight sex is possible, but it's nearly always very uncomfortable. Most couples retreat to the closet-size bathroom during a quiet moment on a long flight and consummate their membership in the Mile-High club there. Check the list of membership requirements if you want to make it official.

There are several challenges to consider, including turbulence, alert flight attendants, other passengers, and of course, lack of space. The bolder passengers don't bother to use the WC. You've probably read about the sexual antics of travelers who reportedly joined the Mile-High Club while in their seats. This is disturbing behavior to say the least, and I'm reluctant to even write about it for fear that someone might try it again.

If you're considering joining the club, let me be the first to beg you -- please, please, be discreet about it. There's nothing remotely appealing about watching someone have sex at 36,000 feet.

I'd be lying, though, if I said there wasn't something about travel itself that was, well, stimulating. Nearly two-thirds of the respondents to recent Hyatt Resorts guest survey said the lovemaking is better on the road. One-third of those polled even confessed to overindulging in sex while they were away from home. Of course, there was no mention of who the sex was with.

Edgar Herold, who studies sex and tourism at the University of Guelph in Canada, says travelers are more likely to engage in a casual sexual relationship while they're away. One recent study of students spring break in Florida found that during a one-week period, one quarter engaged in casual sex and another quarter students had some form of casual sexual contact.

In fact, there's plenty of anecdotal evidence -- culled from the files of therapists and counselors -- to suggest that travel and sex are all but synonymous.

With good reason: Ads lead you to believe you'll make love to a gorgeous model under a moonlit sky if you'll just book a room. The pitches range from subtle -- a hotel chain ad that innocently asks "Who is he sleeping with?" while another advertises its "touch" -- to in-your face -- a resort that bills itself as "Sea, Sand and Sex" or simply, "Hedonism."

So while sex on the plane may not be the most gratifying, the sex at your destination might be. My advice is to wait until you land. You'll inconvenience your partner and the passengers around you less and the airline will let you use that return ticket.

Have a good trip, Jim.

Christopher Elliott can be reached at christopher@elliott.org. Or visit his home page at http://www.elliott.org.