Mile-High Flirting Made Easy: Virgin America Wants Fliers To 'Get Lucky' On Plane With New Service

The airline Virgin America has launched a new in-flight service which allows passengers to use a touch screen to send drinks, a meal or snacks to other fliers. Virgin CEO Sir Richard Branson says the new seat-to-seat delivery service will encourage flirting at 30,000 feet.

"Here's my guide to getting lucky at 35,000 feet," says Branson, according to lalate.com. "First, pinpoint the object of your affection. Treat her, or him, to something delicious with the Red seat-to-seat delivery system. I say that your chance of deplaning with a plus 1 are at least 50 percent."

Built-in monitors on the back of every seat will allow fliers to locate other fliers on a digital seat map then browse the existing Red on-demand food ordering system to select food or a cocktail to be sent to the apple of their eye. They can even send a text message to that person afterward.

FOX News says that Virgin America launched the service in conjunction with the beginning of its Los Angeles-Las Vegas line, but it is available throughout all of the airline's flights.

Other airlines have recently introduced services which increase customers' connectivity on virtual platforms. KLM Royal Dutch Airlines now features a "meet and seat" service in which fliers can link their Facebook and LinkedIn profiles to their check-in information, while Malaysia Airlines lets passengers see if friends are taking the same flight or visiting a destination at the same time as them, using Facebook. But it seems that Virgin Airlines may be the first in explicitly linking these forms of online connectivity to romantic objectives. The new service also makes it easy for customers to loosen up while trying to woo their fellow passengers -- they can open a tab with their cards using the seat monitor.

The Mile-High Flirting idea will allow airlines to collect on passengers' generosity with their in-flight neighbors, in a move which Sir Richard Branson believes will become a model for other airlines. Previously, passengers could only use the on-demand food ordering system to order for themselves and their family.

Virgin America was recently ranked the best of 14 US airlines in an annual airline quality ranking. Virgin was, notably, the smallest airline of all those listed, with 52 planes in service. It marked the first year that Virgin America, launched in 2007, was considered large enough to be included in the quality ranking.