The Mile-High Club: Yes or no?

If you haven't heard of the Mile-High Club, here's your TL;DR: It’s having sex on an airplane during a flight. While the idea might seem like it was born from late-night movie scenes or overly optimistic travel blogs, the Mile-High Club has been around for over a century. According to a Condé Nast Traveller piece on the club’s origins, one of the first rumoured entries happened in 1916, when a pilot took a passenger on a joyride in a “flying boat” and things escalated mid-air.

Since then, the myth has endured. Surveys show that around 5% of people claim to have done it, while up to 78% admit they have fantasised about it.

The fantasy vs the reality

The appeal is obvious: It’s secretive, spontaneous, and a little bit scandalous. There’s a thrill in doing something taboo, especially at 30,000 feet. But according to flight attendants, most people’s attempts to join the club end up being less “romantic rendezvous” and more “desperate scramble in a shoebox-sized loo”.

Commercial aircraft bathrooms average about 60cm wide – about the width of a standard dishwasher – and while the fantasy might be fun, the reality is often cramped, unhygienic, and incredibly obvious to everyone on board.

You will get caught

Flight attendants can unlock toilet doors from the outside, and they’re well-trained in recognizing when two people "just need the bathroom at the same time". Some airlines deal with these incidents every few weeks, and the consequences can include fines, warnings, and even bans from flying that airline again.

In the UK, joining the Mile-High Club isn’t illegal, but it technically counts as public indecency if someone happens to see you, and that comes with legal consequences. Other countries have similarly murky laws, and you definitely don’t want to be trying to explain yourself to border patrol on arrival.

Is there a right way to do it?

Sort of. If you’ve got the cash, there are niche travel companies like Love Cloud that offer private flights decked out specifically for this kind of experience. Think plush beds, champagne, and no angry toddlers waiting outside the door.

But for the average traveller flying economy? It’s probably best to leave the fantasy at the gate. There’s a reason more and more people are saying no to the Mile-High Club these days. The New York Post even reported that it’s rapidly losing its allure. Tiny cramped seats, oversold flights, and invasive TSA pat-downs are enough to put anyone off wanting to indulge in a bit of hanky-panky mid-flight.

Sure, the Mile-High Club is iconic. But in real life? It’s uncomfortable, risky, and rarely lives up to the hype. If you’re looking for a memorable hookup, you're probably better off waiting until you're off the plane and somewhere that doesn’t involve turbulence, flimsy locks, and the very real threat of being escorted off your flight. A nice, private hotel room, for example, where you can hang the “do not disturb” sign and get down to business without knowing there are 300 other people waiting for you to do the walk of shame back to your seat.