Australian woman’s love letter to ‘nice guy’ on Virgin flight goes viral on TikTok
An Australian woman’s TikTok has gone viral after she wrote a love letter to a plane passenger in an attempt to get a date.
Isabella Duric, 23, was on a Virgin Australia flight from Sydney to Melbourne on January 13, when she saw a “cute young man” in the back row, opposite her and her friends.
Although she admitted that it was a dare, she said that she was truly interested in the young man.
“My friend said, ‘I found your guy at the airport,’ and pointed to the man behind us,” Isabelle, from Melbourne, told news.com.au.
“I told the girls about it on Snapchat and said, ‘Imagine I sent a message to the guy, and dare me to do it.’”
In the clip, which has had 1.3 million views, Isabella shares a photo of the note she wrote to the young man, which reads: “Hey, add my number,” alongside her Instagram and Snapchat accounts.
I signed her name and put “blonde” in parentheses to help identify her.
One of the two friends traveling with them was seen collecting the letter and attaching it to her lover, who was wearing a white hat and sitting next to the window.
“It bounced off the window and landed near his seat. But he thought it was someone else’s and didn’t read it,” Isabella explained.
In the caption, the 23-year-old expressed the “embarrassment” she felt when he didn’t read the note.
“I thought it was the perfect opportunity to shoot my shot. I decided to go all out and write a letter that would catch his attention. However, the execution turned into a comedic embarrassing moment,” she wrote.
“After drafting the letter, we were able to throw it in his direction. But moments later, I was overwhelmed by the looming embarrassment when he didn’t even glance at the letter we threw his way. It was one of those awkward moments where you just wish the situation would go away.”
When the mission failed, the trio decided to alert him with a message on their phones that said “open note” in bright yellow font, Isabella told news.com.au.
The clip then cuts directly to a text message from her crush, indicating that their mission was (ultimately) successful.
It read: “Hi Isabella, I’m Lachie the guy who dropped a note on haha how are you (sic). Didn’t have internet on board to add you unfortunately.”
Many jumped into the comments section begging for an update – including Virgin Australia who commented: “We’re on the edge of our seats.”
Isabella revealed to news.com.au that she responded after Lachie’s message and apologized for “being annoying” to which Lachie replied: “Nah, you’re fine.”
The pair continued messaging for a few days, talking about what each other was doing at work and at university – but Isabella said it didn’t develop into anything else.
“Everything is meant to happen for a reason, and it was also a running joke (about my bumps at the airport) — and I’m seeing someone else now,” she said.
In the caption, Isabella said it’s all a “playful reminder of the risks we take in the name of love or attraction, especially in close quarters like a plane.”
“I think that’s the mystery behind who they are and where they go. And holiday romance is a big thing now as well,” she said.
This has sparked a lot of discussion in the comments section about “airport crashes” and spontaneous plane actions in the name of love.
Libby Minogue, Virgin Australia’s chief marketing and customer operations officer, said they often heard stories of people finding love on Virgin flights.
“Whether it’s a conversation at the gate or a connection with the person in the next seat,” Minogue said.
“There’s something about flying that makes people more open to the unexpected. From parades to mid-air weddings, we’ve played Cupid more than once. It turns out that love is actually in the air.”
According to Sydney-based clinical psychologist and relationship expert, Shahn Baker Surekli, there has been a cultural shift in how people seek connection.
“For years, dating apps dominated, offering efficiency but also creating what I like to call a ‘connection vacuum,’” said Sorekli, owner of Drummoyne Psychology.
“From a psychological perspective, this reflects a broader tension between stimulating convenience and authenticity – people crave meaningful interaction, but the digital format often encourages superficial engagement that ultimately turns people away from that experience.”
He said he sees two patterns emerging: “Some individuals become more socially avoidant due to decreased interpersonal interaction and skills, while others consciously decline.”
Co-author L “The Eight Links of Love” He explained that people are tired of online transactions and want to experience that feeling of excitement and vitality that comes from real face-to-face meetings.
“Gestures like leaving a note on a plane capture this impulse perfectly. It’s not just about romance, it’s also about the human need to reconnect in real time with vulnerability and excitement, without technology mediating the moment.”
Dating and relationship coach in Sydney Nicole Colantoni He added that when you travel, you are often less guarded and more open to adventure, viewing everything around you as a possibility.
“Research backs this up, describing airports as ‘liminal spaces’ – transitional environments where normal roles and daily routines dissolve and people become more curious and receptive to new experiences and interactions,” she told news.com.au.
“You also share a moment of anticipation with strangers, which makes sparks seem more likely. That’s why airport crowds are so common: the combination of novelty, closeness and a sense of ‘what if’ can heighten the attraction.”
The fact that Isabella’s video has attracted more than a million views suggests that this is an experience that many people relate to and find desirable, she said.
