$1,900 for sex on a plane? The rise, the risks and the business of copulating at heights

In September, a British couple was arrested after landing her plane in Ibiza: They had been caught having sexual relations in the aircraft bathroom. Under section 71 of the UK Sexual Offenses Act, it is illegal to have sex in a public toilet. That was the reason why the outburst ended up in the media, in the hands of justice… and on social networks, after many passengers recorded the moment in which the stewardess opened the bathroom door.

But is there a specific regulation or conduct manual that explains to the crew how to act if a couple decides that the plane is the best place to have sex? Arantxa, a 32-year-old stewardess, answers: “The truth is, no. If you are in the bathroom, what you have to make sure is that there are only two people, because there are only two masks [de oxígeno, necesarias en caso de una despresurización de la cabina]. At times, three people have tried to put three people in the same bathroom, as happened to us on a flight between Madrid and Santo Domingo. What we do in cases like this is kindly invite them to remain in their seats, for their safety,” he assures ICON.

A study launched by JetCost – an application that compares offers on flights, hotels and rental cars – in 2016 indicates that 14% of Spanish cabin crew have had sex with a passenger on the plane, a percentage that rises when the relationship It is between crewmates: in that case the figure rises to 21%. Popular culture has taken care to give a certain mystique to sex several kilometers high. In Rich and famous (1981) was glamorous. In Snakes in the plane (2006) It was exciting, and 365 days (2020), exciting and desirable. But it was a former stewardess named Mandy Smith, from Virgin, Richard Branson's airline, who, when publishing his memoirs, Cabin Fever, made it clear to all readers that sex on board an airplane is not something that only happens in fiction. “My suitcase was more prepared for a meeting of tupper sex than to travel,” he confessed in his book.

The sex club in the heights

To be part of the so-called Mile High Club (the mile high club) You don't have to fly a plane, just get on one and have sex at least once. This club has your own website, in which those who have decided that climax is better at height share their experiences with pride. A woman who calls herself Mrs Poppy claims that her first time on a plane was with her husband, who was the flight commander. “I was flying to Frankfurt from Colombo with my three children. My husband was the captain of the flight and, since he had always heard that there are people who have sex on board, that had become my fantasy. My husband and I, taking advantage of the fact that the crew was resting and that our children were asleep, had incredible sex. Believe me: with 300 passengers on board, I had to cut myself short to not make too much noise. I am glad to have had this experience,” she writes.

Kris Jenner preferred to tell it openly to Magazine Cosmopolitan. “I was with Bruce [hoy Caitlyn Jenner] on a commercial flight, in first class. We became part of the Mile High Club, and by doing so, we thought we had gotten away with it, because we had sex in the bathroom and no one said anything when we came out. However, when the plane was close to landing, the flight attendant shouted throughout the plane: 'Congratulations, Mr. and Mrs. Jenner! They are now part of the Mile High Club! We're so proud of you, so we're going to give you a bottle of champagne!' I tried to hide in the seat. She was embarrassed to death.”

But why do so many people believe that sex in an airplane bathroom, a priori a small and uncomfortable place, is it something worth trying and sharing with the world? “Adrenaline comes into play, which is the risk hormone and is immensely addictive, as it intensifies physical and emotional sensations,” explains psychologist Lara Ferreiro. “Orgasms are intensified by the low atmospheric pressure, while the feeling of danger excites many.”

There are so many people who fantasize about having relationships on high that there are already companies that have been able to take advantage of their desires. The best known is Love Cloud, a company that offers flights (for now, only in Las Vegas) to celebrate weddings, anniversaries, Valentine's Day gatherings, birthdays or… “special occasions.” Pay attention to the literature on their website: ”An exclusive getaway to the clouds that provides the most serene backdrop for passion to arise.” Among the existing contracting options is becoming part of the Mile High Club, with three modalities that range between $995 for a 30-minute flight and $1,895 per couple for a one-hour flight. By paying for these experiences, each passenger receives a card and a certificate signed by the pilot indicating that one is already part of the Mile High Club. If at some point in the past having sex on the plane was something to keep secret, today it is directly something worthy of a decoration.

Although the majority of those who book Love Cloud services are couples, the company has occasionally served groups of three or four people. For an additional fee of $200 per person, it is possible to cultivate polyamory: a mattress on the floor, pillows lined with red satin and a curtain that separates the bed area of ​​the pilot (who wears sound-cancelling headphones). They complete the scenario. In addition, those who contract the service can bring their own music lists to connect to the plane's sound system. Still not convinced? If, despite all of the above, what you want is to fly for a little while with your partner in a suggestive environment, but without going too far, Love Could also offers an option in the form of a romantic date: here, directly, sex is prohibited.

Which brings us back to the case that opens this article. No matter how exciting sex in the air may seem, it is worth taking into account the laws of the country where the plane is registered. That is the prevailing regulations, something that explains the arrest of that British couple: in the United Kingdom, sex in public bathrooms is punishable. In Spain, having sex on a plane would be a crime if it were done with the door open, as it would incur crimes of exhibitionism and sexual provocation. Anyone looking for sexual turbulence, therefore, should also take the laws into account. Call it geopolitics, if you want.

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