In a heartwarming story, Dallas residents Cathlyn Jones and Michael Davis, who met aboard an early-morning Southwest Airlines flight back in 2018, are now engaged to be married, one year later.
As Southwest has unassigned seating, Jones selected a seat in the row where Davis was sitting after noticing him almost immediately. “I boarded the flight and saw a cute guy around my age sitting in the exit row of the flight. I thought to myself, ‘Why not? He’s handsome and I get extra legroom,’” Jones told airline-2019-11/” target=”_blank” rel=”nofollow noopener noreferrer”>Business Insider.
Introductions made, the two felt an instant connection and exchanged phone numbers at the end of the flight. Both Davis and Jones told reporters that, upon exiting the plane, they excitedly phoned family members to say that they knew they’d met their future spouse. They went on their first date a week later, and the rest is history.
Due to Davis’ career as a professional baseball player, the couple has largely maintained the relationship long-distance for a full year now.
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When he decided it was time to pop the question, he selected a venue that would recall the conditions of their first encounter—the Frontiers of Flight Museum in Dallas, Texas, which houses the very first Southwest airplane.
He also arranged an elaborate hoax in order to surprise Jones, luring her to the museum under the pretense of participating in a commercial photoshoot. Her family was in on the secret, and they even sent her a fake itinerary to make the shoot seem legitimate.
Upon arriving at the museum, Jones found Davis waiting for her inside the plane with a ring and a photographer ready to capture the moment. “I immediately burst into tears,” Jones told Business Insider.
The couple’s family and friends were all waiting for them when they stepped off the plane, and the group sat down to a celebratory lunch that made the occasion even more joyous.
Southwest Airlines itself congratulated the couple with a gift basket. “They sent us a bottle of champagne with our names, engagement date, and the flight number we met on engraved on the bottle,” Jones said. “Southwest has always been my favorite airline to fly on, but I love them even more now after meeting my future husband on it.”
Jones also offered some advice to other flyers, saying, “It’s so important to just be kind, smile at a stranger, and spark conversation with those around you.” She also added, “Go ahead and sit next to that cute guy with the open seat next to him. You never know what will happen!”
