New App ‘AirDates’ Aims To Be Tinder For The Sky

Features of AirDates

If you’ve been dreaming of joining the Mile High Club, this could be your shot. A new Tinder-esque dating app called AirDates promises to be the greatest in-flight entertainment since SkyMall.

AirDates, as the name suggests, is designed specifically for travelers looking to make love connections while they fly. The app is only in beta, but it’s caused quite a stir since appearing at the Disrupt London conference in Decemeber.

Users upload their travel itineraries prior to boarding to find other travelers on the same route. The app then scans your surroundings for fellow passengers who match your preferences. You can choose to be visible or remain hidden to other users (either way, you’ll be able to chat).

If someone catches your eye, it’s time to start a conversation. AirDates ensures connectivity is not an issue by using FireChat technology. Users can communicate offline, whether they’re in the terminal or in flight, without using up their data or relying on spotty Wi-Fi. That means there’s no reason not enter airplane mode when the flight attendant asks, so don’t be the jerk who acts like he didn’t hear.

Some of you might, understandably, be unnerved by the potential dangers of disclosing your itinerary to complete strangers. To worriers, AirDates chief executive Michael Richard says a plane is actually the “safest place to have a date.” He told Engadget that having so many other passengers in the vicinity will “eliminate any danger I can think of,” and added that anyone who feels they’re being harassed can instantly block all further communication from the perpetrator.

AirDates is also considering taking a leaf out of Bumble’s book and only allowing female users to initiate conversations. The company hopes the female-first strategy would prevent the sort of abusive behavior that would discourage women from using the app.

If you’re not alarmed by the thought of making your travel plans public, there are other potential concerns to consider. Imagine a mid-air date gone wrong. There’s no chance to whip out the fake-emergency-call-from-a-friend excuse and escape. You and the person you’re trying to evade are now stuck together in a tube at 35,000 feet. You’ll be praying for an emergency water landing if things get awkward.

Engadget writer Daniel Cooper notes another possible warning sign. Richard told him AirDates will integrate with other social platforms, including Facebook, Spotify and Pinterest. The appeal of Pinterest - a seemingly odd choice for a dating app - is the site’s lack of censorship.

“From what I could understand, he believes that people may wish to share erotic images with each other,” writes Cooper. “By way of example, he cited David Hamilton, an art photographer who captured images of women that skirted the line of exploitative pornography. If that's his go-to, I'm taking that as a very big red flag.”

Consider us cautioned.