We were strangers when we sat next to each other on an airplane — this annoying in-flight habit made us friends for life

Yahoo

16-06-2025

This friendly meet-cute is plane adorable.
Two women flying to the Dominican Republic with a tight layover and a shared love of beauty products turned a routine flight into a viral celebration of girlhood.
Sydney Hogerheide, traveling from Traverse City with a connection in Charlotte, was prepared for chaos.
A three-hour delay left her just 30 minutes to make her international flight to Punta Cana. 'So our doors for our international flight to Punta Cana were supposed to close at 11 a.m., and we showed up at 11:02,' she recalled to People.
'They were holding the door for us.'
Still breathless as she boarded, Hogerheide slipped into a basic economy seat beside Haylee Culpepper, who was flying solo after her boyfriend scored a last-minute upgrade to first class. What could've been an awkward shuffle before a silent ride turned into something much more.
'I was by myself in basic economy because my boyfriend got the upgrade,' Culpepper said. 'Then Sydney came running in, panting and sat next to me — and it was immediately, like, 'Girl, it's okay.''
What followed was a spontaneous beauty session that transformed row 28 into a mini makeup bar. The two swapped bronzers, mixed foundations and shared mirrors, bonding over their love of cosmetics and candid conversation.
For both women, it was more than glam — it was a beautiful connection.
'I always like to land with a full beat,' Hogerheide admitted. 'I'm like, we should do a full beat in basic economy.'
So the girls unloaded their makeup bags and got to work side by side.
'She forgot her dark summer shade. She only had her winter shade, and I had both. So we were mixing,' Hogerheide said.
Culpepper remembers being touched by the small gestures. 'I would literally be over here, clearly needing the light, and she's just handing me the light mirror. She's like, 'I got it. You need it,'' she remembered.
The pair talked about everything from careers to big dreams as they powdered their faces and swiped on their lip gloss. Culpepper, who works in sales, shared her tips with Hogerheide, a nurse exploring new paths.
'We were just chit-chatting and yapping about sales,' Culpepper said. 'That was a big topic of convo. She was like, 'Teach me the sales ways,' because she's in nursing, and she's like, 'I know I can do this.' '
By the time the plane touched down, their in-flight glam session had created a bond neither of them expected. And fortunately, their time together wasn't over yet.
As they began to say their goodbyes, the women discovered they were staying at the same resort. That night, they reunited by the pool, and Hogerheide snapped photos for Culpepper and her friends, cementing the start of a unique friendship.
Later, Hogerheide shared a video of their airborne makeover on TikTok and it immediately went viral.
'My friends are the TikTok girls. I'm new to the TikTok block, so I'm learning the ropes,' Culpepper shared. 'And I'm like, 'Wait…this is a lot of likes, right?''
The video quickly racked up over six million views and more than a million likes.
She captioned the video: 'Met this stranger on the way to Punta Cana. She had a rehearsal dinner and I had a dinner reservation, so we did a full beat in basic economy. We shared all our makeup products and ordered champagne. This is girlhood. Men will never understand.'
The internet agreed.
Suddenly, their DMs were flooded. Beauty brands reached out with offers and PR packages. But what mattered most wasn't the internet fame.
'For me, I think it was the perfect epitome of girlhood,' Hogerheide explained. 'It was the first thing that came to mind.'
'Girlhood is getting ready in your robes in a hotel room with music blasting, and you're able to talk for four hours without stopping and without getting tired,' she said. 'Like, that's girlhood.'
Culpepper echoed the sentiment. 'I feel like girlhood is just uplifting others, coming together over shared experiences that we have because we are women, things that guys will never understand,' she noted.
'But I think it's also about not gatekeeping, like sharing all the secrets, like the best products and things like that,' Culpepper continued. 'Telling each other everything, whether it's about sales or TikTok — sharing how to make it. There's room for all of us in this space.'
Since returning home, the two have kept in touch, making a pact to stay in each other's lives. 'All my layovers are always in Charlotte, so obviously I have a place to go if I ever do end up getting stuck in Charlotte,' Hogerheide noted.
'We literally said, just because of this and because we actually immediately hit it off, we're gonna continue the friendship.'
Their sweet story has resonated across social media as a reminder that genuine human connection still exists, even in the most unexpected places.
'Always be open to new friendships,' Culpepper said. 'You never know who could be there to make an impact on your life, if you don't just, like, open your eyes.'