No, This Isn't A MHC Story. Sorry.

by Aero-News Associate Editor Rob Finfrock

Has Match.com failed to bring you true love?

Were you turned away from eHarmony after receiving a personal note from founder Dr. Neil Clark Warren, stating "yours is such a... um... unique personality that I cannot in good conscience accept your money in the nigh-infinitesimal hope of finding that one perfect match for you throughout the entire world... and on a related note, have you ever read Darwin?"

Do you have a hit single to your name -- from 1994 -- and your own television show on the E! network?

Don't despair, there may be hope for you yet. Modern science and marketing -- the same forces of nature that allow Ronco to exist and prosper -- have found a way to wed (sorry) two of the more unpleasant experiences known to humanity: commercial airline travel, and the blind date.

All you need is a root canal for the Agony Trifecta.

Still, if you've given up all hope of finding The One in a dank bar or nightclub, a new website called Airtroductions.com may be for you. The site aims to match you with your ideal seatmate on your next commercial airline flight, in hopes of sparking romance in another environment known for stale air, bad food and watered-down Johnny Walker.

After filling out a brief introduction -- including your name, home airport, a photo if you choose and a 150-word description of "Who Would You Like To Sit Next To You?" -- the site searches for other members who will be on the same flight as yours. If someone looks interesting, you can send an anonymous email (for $5) and then both members can decide if they'd like to request side-by-side seats on the flight.

Frequent travellers can purchase a monthly membership, with unlimited contacts, for $19.95.

Airtroductions CEO and aerial yenta Peter Shankman -- who bills himself as the 'Airtroductor' -- told ABC News the service is more than an airborne matchmaking service. Although not by very much.

"If you meet someone on the plane, and you have a great time on the plane, and you wind up having a date and having 10,000 babies, good for you," he said. "The purpose of the site is to have a good time on your flight and make it a little more fun."

You can almost hear the wink-wink, ya know? Shankman adds that on one flight, he was paired with Miss Texas 2002 -- a fact he features prominently on the website (hey, I would, too.)

Now, I know what you're thinking. "I dunno, that sounds awfully desperate... but maybe I'd consider it if a singer who had a hit song on the "Reality Bites" soundtrack also used it?" Well, there ya go.

Bespectacled songstress Lisa Loeb featured the website on an episode of her E! network reality show chronicling her search for Mr. Right, "Number One Single."

"I travel all the time," she said. "And I have met interesting people on the plane before. And somebody told me about Airtroductions, and I went online. For some reason, I trusted it and I thought, 'Well it's gonna be safe.'

"I'm on an airplane," she added, "and I actually ended up with a pretty good date."

In addition to its romantic prospects, Airtroductions also allows members to post that they'd rather be left alone on the flight, and gives them the option of pairing up with a seatmate who also wishes to keep to themselves.

The service, which advertises over 7,800 regular users, is not without some drawbacks. If you regularly fly out of LAX, JFK (or DFW?) you should be able to find a few other members on a future flight; less so if you live in Cedar Rapids, IA.

It's also unclear if any of the pairings, to date, has resulted in an ever-lasting love connection (or any entries into the Mile High Club -- don't lie, your mind went there.) Then again, the site's only been around since last November.

Miss Texas, huh?

FMI: www.airtroductions.com