If you are of a mind to seek company then there are choices to be made about which airline and which aircraft will best serve that need. Personally the thought of engaging with other passengers is usually the last thing on my mind but there have been times when despite the flat bed, sleep has not come, and having watched three movies in a row, sheer boredom has driven me to seek company… In economy class this has usually meant button-holing the cabin staff for another cup of tea or gin and tonic as the mood required. They rarely have time to talk unless of course you are feeling ill, and then you may find the attention is not always to your liking. Even worse is when you are unreasonably perceived to have drunk too much and your supply of beer and wine is curtailed with an implied threat that if you don’t behave stronger measures will be applied. I have only seen that happen once and the poor guy (yes it is usually one of those) subsided before they could bring out the restraints.
Some airlines provide bar areas in business and first class that afford an opportunity to sit on a bar stool, eat snacks and drink your favourite tipple while chatting to the cabin staff. The aforementioned A380 is the best guarantee of this. I first encountered this wonderful idea on a Virgin flight to Hong Kong and made good use of the nice leather bench seats to sit and peer out at the mountains far below. The conversation around the bar at the time was of the golfing- squash-stock market variety coupled with intemperate remarks about the state of the world and why the Empire was a good thing really (not the Empire that fights back Empire but that one that used to paint the globe red). Had my companion not been happily sleeping on his flatbed, I would have encouraged him to join me as a protective measure against being drawn into such conversations but after one sentence’s intervention on my part and the leery incomprehension it received, I decided that a strategic withdrawal back to my pod via the bathroom was a good idea.
The point being that the choice of new friends can be somewhat limited. However, the idea of a lounge or bar area is an excellent one and at least gives you a legitimate reason for prowling around the cabin working on your fitness routine. They also give you an opportunity to imbibe at will on top of all the drinking you have already done with your meal.
Which brings me to the thorny subject of alcohol and flight…