In collaboration with Heathrow.
In today’s world of dating apps and websites, stories of chance meetings are becoming rarer. But for some couples love does still strike in the most unlikely of places. In a story that feels straight out of Love Actually, Chiara and Alex describe how they were struck by cupid’s arrow at Heathrow airport.
After months of looking forward to his trip to Barcelona, Alex was finally about to enjoy his mini-break abroad. He had an early morning flight, so after going through airport security, he decided to pop into Heathrow's Caffe Nero to grab a quick energy-boosting coffee. It was there that he first set eyes on his now-wife Chiara. "She was standing in-front of me in the queue, and she'd ordered a latte. She was having trouble paying on her card, and she didn't have any cash on her, so I offered to pay for her drink," said Alex.
"Then I guess we just got talking. We were both travelling from Heathrow alone so we ended up sitting together in Caffe Nero to drink our coffees. It was nice to have some company, especially from someone who I was attracted to!"
There was definitely a spark there from the beginning, as Chiara told us "I was really taken aback by how kind and thoughtful Alex was. He didn't have to pay for my coffee so it was a really nice gesture. Once we started chatting I realised that we had a lot in common. We both loved travelling and had even visited some of the same places. It was like our meeting in Heathrow was meant to be."
Both Alex and Chiara were heading to different departure gates in Heathrow to catch their flights, so they ended up saying goodbye outside of the coffee shop. "I don't know where I plucked up the courage to ask Chiara for her number, as I never normally do stuff like that. But I thought if I don't ask her now, I might never see her again!" said Alex.
So, the couple exchanged numbers and went their separate ways. But it didn't take long for Alex to text Chiara. "I sent her a message as soon as landed in Barcelona, and asked her if she wanted to meet up when we were both back in London." Chiara said yes, and the rest is history. Now, the couple are happily married, living with their dog Ruby. And to think that a chance meeting in Heathrow airport would result in this...
Heathrow Airport brings thousands of families, friends and loved ones together. Watch Heathrow's film 'It's A Wonderful Flight' below.