It’s Hard to Make Friends as an Adult. Have You Tried the Airport?

livemint.com:

The six arrived as ordinary travelers at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport in September. Now, they are a tightknit group of friends who call themselves the “Delta Six." Some bands of buddies begin at school or work. This one started when an airline announcement asked for volunteers to defer their flight to Jackson, Wyo., to the following day—the plane was over its weight capacity.

The voucher value climbed quickly. Once it hit about $2,000, the group that would become the “Delta six" gathered by the gate agent to take the deal and work out logistics. The six, ages 26 to 47, quickly realized they had much in common: a love for Jackson and a good voucher offer—and a sudden need to fill time at the Atlanta airport.

Airline travel has been rife with disruptions. But some fliers are finding that hangups bring an unexpected perk: new friends. The next time you’re stuck in an airport, you can wander to the food court for Panda Express orange chicken, thumb through People magazine, or stare into your iPhone until your neck hurts and your thumbs are googling chiropractor near me.

Or, how about making a friend? Yes, right there at the airport. You are sure to have something relatable to vent about. That was the route taken by the “Delta six": Laura Virostek, Peter Elliott, Caroline Croft Estay, Tyler Case, Jocelyn Boss and Elizabeth Ferguson.

Only two, Elliott and Ferguson, a couple, knew each other before then. Otherwise they were strangers. They had to use their meal vouchers, from the airline, at the airport, so the six dined there together before heading to their nearby hotel.