Air New Zealand Launches “Matchmaking Flight”

by Allen Stern on May 14th, 2009

Earlier this year on our sister site we reported on a Love Bus which allowed daters to all ride a city bus in the hopes of finding that special someone. Now Air New Zealand has launched the Matchmaking Flight which also hopes to bring together singles in the hopes of finding that special someone 35,000 feet in the air.

The Matchmaking Flight website uses a Ning-powered social network. The site offers info on pricing and allows interested singles to signup for an account to participate. There is also a blog and a dating search based on the site profiles – you can select from US or Kiwi people.

The flight will depart Los Angeles International Airport for Auckland, New Zealand, on October 13, 2009. Matchmaking Flight passengers will be encapsulated in the matchmaking experience, including: a pre-flight gate party; themed food, drink, and games throughout the flight; entertainment; and a large-scale, singles-only party at the SKYCITY Convention Centre in Auckland.

The Matchmaking Flight looks like a fun idea and I like the usage of the Web to drive interest and start to bring the participants together.

A basic search shows a price of $1,800 from NYC. The bus ride is a couple of hours while the Matchmaking Flight could be 12-14+ hours!