I watched a man rush onto our plane at the last minute before takeoff. He spotted one of the few empty seats on board and silently sat down, just before I started the safety announcement.

Later that night, though, he seemed bothered as the woman next to him fidgeted and got up frequently to use the bathroom.

Still, the man never uttered a word. Feeling sorry for him, I quietly asked if he would like to move to another seat.

"My wife's been annoying me for 20 years," he said with a chortle. "There's no sense in separating us now."