Flirting in the air has never been easier. Since the summer, it has been possible thanks to Wingle, an app to chat with strangers during the flight. The app appears to be particularly popular on flights from Santiago de Compostela.
You get on the plane, feel uncomfortable because of the increasingly cramped seats and don’t know what to do to make the time pass faster. You read a book, watch a movie on your tablet or, since the summer, you try your luck in love. How? With an app on your phone.
That’s how easy Wingle makes it for you, the new app created by the Spaniards Íñigo Merino Arribillaga and Pol Quintana. The app is already known as the “Tinder of airplanes”. You don’t need an internet connection, no photo, no name. Just Bluetooth, a phone, your flight number and the desire to have a good time with an unknown fellow traveller.
Popularity of Wingle
After just a few months, the app already has more than 13,000 users. The app was used during about 2,300 flights. Lavacolla, the airport of Santiago de Compostela, stands out when it comes to using the app. This surprised the creators during the summer, when they saw how many people were using the app on flights departing from there.
“It surprised us because, compared to busier airports, the usage rate here was very high,” explains Íñigo Merino. He thinks this is because Santiago is the end point of the Camino de Santiago pilgrimage route. Many pilgrims travel alone and seek companionship on their return journey to continue their experience.
Experiment in Santiago
Because of its success, Santiago was chosen for an experiment. A nearby café was transformed into an airplane cabin and simulated a series of flights, allowing users to try out the app and chat with each other.
Use and restrictions
If you are going to use the app, be careful and remember that the app will only work during your flight. Once the trip is over, the app becomes useless until you enter the details of your next flight. This can frustrate a potential relationship or flirt.
The story of Jorge and Marisa
This happened to Jorge Pérez, a 28-year-old who tried out the app last summer. He found and lost his potential match, Marisa, during a two-and-a-half-hour flight from Amsterdam to Madrid. “I hadn’t downloaded a film and was sitting between two people, so everything was against me. Then I saw the app’s ad in the chair in front of me and decided to try the app. I started chatting with Marisa, a wonderful woman. We clicked without seeing each other, but I forgot to ask her phone number or Instagram account. So I never saw her again.”
The charm of anonymity
That anonymity, that short chat period and the uncertainty about what comes next… It’s all part of the charm of an app that’s here to stay. So if you’re planning a flight, download Wingle and go on an adventure. Just make sure you don’t suffer the same fate as Jorge and Marisa and that your potential love doesn’t linger in the air.