Behaviour expert: Why do men fall in love with air hostesses

Harry Styles is the latest celebrity to fall for a flight attendant - and now a behaviour expert has revealed why it is that men find it so easy to find love at 35,000 feet. 

Styles could have his pick of Hollywood's stars, but this week it was revealed that he was in a secret relationship with US flight attendant Megan Smith in late 2015, after meeting her on One Direction's private jet.

Countless non-celebrities have also fallen for the charms of female flight attendants while flying and, much like nurses, they are often seen as a pin-up for the male sex. Psychologist Judi James puts the phenomenon down to a 'feeling of helplessness' men feel when they fly, which makes them vulnerable to people paid to look after them.

American air hostess Megan Smith was in a secret relationship with Harry Styles in late 2015 

State of helplessness

James told MailOnline Travel: 'When people fly they are in a state of helplessness - they leave all their ability to control at check-in and this makes them vulnerable and dependent.

'They might also be anxious or scared of flying so the hostess becomes a method of support and reassurance, you just have to sit back and let them take care of you.

'Because you are helpless and they are taking control of your life, this creates feelings of love and dependency, almost a parental feeling. 

'It's the same reason that some patients fall in love with doctors and psychiatrists.'  

People of influence

James believes that these feelings can be even stronger sometimes among people of influence, like celebrities or high-powered businessmen, because they are used to being the more powerful person in every day encounters. 

She said: 'A lot of business travellers are people who are in control of everything in their normal life, but in this situation they are possibly in danger and can’t so anything about it.

'This is very unusual for business travellers and it has the effect of focusing their attention on the people that are there to help to help them more than they usually would do.

'If you watch people with waiters and waitresses you can often see the same thing because they are in charge of the food, much like mummy and daddy used to be,  so there is often a degree of flirting going on. 

'This is even more prolonged on a long haul flight.'

A cradle position

According to James, this feeling of helplessness is exacerbated by the natural position people have to sit in on a flight, with the seat leaning backwards like a cradle. 

She said: 'You have to get into this seat, which is essentially a cradle position,

'You’ve got to lay back in your seat and sleep like a small baby, to lie there and hope that someone likes them enough to help them and feed them.

'That's why the airline adverts often focus on a passenger being tucked into a seat with blanket – it's like being a child again.' 

Old school glamour

Then of course, there is the fact that flight attendants still dress with a touch of old school glamour. 

Most airlines have strict guidelines about uniforms and make-up on cabin crew, which can seem even more stylish when everyone else on the plane is dressed for air travel.

James said: 'They look groomed and smart in a way that turns them into a fantasy figure for a lot of travellers.

'Some people still like to know that there are old fashioned, traditional women around who wear high heels tight skirts and red lipstick. 

'That's why Richard Branson focused so much on patent high-heeled shoes with his Virgin airline company - he knew what he was doing there, it's an old-fashioned trigger. 

'When most men's girlfriends and wives are stomping around in trainers and lace-ups, there is still a section of the world where women pretend stilettos are their normal shoes.  

 Feelings of love

'This combined with a flight attendant's high level of concern and charm is often unique in the modern world and it is very seductive. 

'These all combine to create the perfect storm for creating feelings of love.' 

Other celebrities who've fallen for a member of a cabin crew include actor Kelsey Grammer, who met his current wife, British air hostess Kayte Walsh, when she served him in first class and the pair went on to have two children together.

Clint Eastwood had an affair with flight attendant Jacelyn Reeves in the late Eighties and the couple had two children together. 

And possibly Britain's most famous air hostess, Carole Middleton, met her husband Michael while they were both working as members of cabin crew. 

Source: dailymail.co.uk

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