Love Takes Flight on Tenerife Package Holiday
For Lisa and Jamie Hobbs, a standard £800 package holiday with TUI to Tenerife in 2019 transformed into the beginning of a lifelong love story. The couple, who met entirely by chance while waiting to board their flight, have since married and credit their serendipitous encounter to the magic of holiday getaways.
An Unconventional First Contact
Lisa Hobbs, a 58-year-old PA from Ferndown in Dorset, recalls noticing a handsome stranger repeatedly glancing her way in the departure lounge at Bournemouth Airport. "We kept catching each other's eye," she says. "But it was during the flight that Jamie made his move in the most memorable way possible."
Mid-flight, Jamie Hobbs, now 59 and owner of a maintenance company, handed Lisa his telephone number written on a TUI sick bag. "I thought it was wonderfully cheeky and original," Lisa remembers. "We started messaging immediately and arranged to meet the following evening at a bar in Tenerife."
Their first date involved Jamie attempting a magic trick with his glasses, promising Lisa a kiss if he succeeded. "Even if he doesn't manage it, I'm still going to kiss him," Lisa thought to herself at the time. That first kiss, she describes, felt like "fireworks" and confirmed their instant connection.
From Holiday Romance to Lasting Commitment
Upon returning to the UK, where they lived just ninety minutes apart, the couple became inseparable. Their relationship deepened during the Christmas period, and by September 2021, Jamie proposed in the exact spot at Bournemouth Airport where they had first locked eyes.
In a fitting tribute to their unusual beginning, Lisa wrote her wedding speech on another TUI sick bag when they married on a boat in Cyprus during September 2023. "It seemed only right," she explains. "Jamie is everything I ever wanted - he makes me laugh constantly, shows incredible kindness, and yes, he's a wonderful kisser too."
Remarkable Coincidences and Shared History
The couple discovered several astonishing coincidences that suggested their meeting was destined. Both had been previously married and discovered their divorce papers came through within two weeks of each other. They also missed meeting earlier on multiple occasions.
"Six months before Tenerife, we'd both stayed at the same hotel in Majorca," Lisa reveals. "A friend later found a video on her phone showing Jamie at that very hotel. We kept missing each other by the narrowest margins."
Jamie had also attended an Absolute 80s weekend at Butlins that Lisa had planned to attend but cancelled at the last minute. "Our paths crossed so many times before we finally met," Lisa reflects. "If ever there was a couple meant to be together, it's definitely us."
Inspiring Further Holiday Romance
The couple's love story has inspired others in their circle. Recently, while flying with TUI to Austria with Lisa's daughter Lauren and her partner, another holiday proposal occurred atop a mountain. "Package holidays really do seem to be the perfect setting for romance," Lisa observes.
Jamie recalls his friend whispering "You're going to marry that lady" as they first made eye contact in the departure lounge. "It was a true sliding doors moment," he says. "I'm grateful every day for that chance meeting. Thanks to our serendipitous package holiday, we have everything we ever wanted together."
The Hobbs' story serves as a charming reminder that romance can blossom in the most unexpected places, with their TUI sick bag beginning now a cherished part of their family history.
