"I like to sit next to a good-looking girl, but instead I'm stuck next to a nerd!": polite introduction?

You never know how to respond to a jerk like that. If you said'' Yeah, and I am stuck next to a moron or whatever , this might have been an even longer flight." He was probably drunk already . A lot of people get loaded before a flight because they are secretly terrified to fly. You could have asked to sit somewhere else because he called you a nerd for no reason . That might have helped but you just never know . Chalk it up to he was an oaf and your weren't .

Ask to change seats next time.

You can't call a person rude just for trying to make conversation. Some people have no problem keeping to themselves and other people need to talk. Just take the comment light heartedly you don't want to say anything to make the flight more tense than it has to be. Hes a stranger that you will never see again anyway

I actually think he might have been trying to be funny. And, judging from your reaction he stopped talking with you because you didn't react in a way that made it seem like you wanted more to do with him.

If someone said that to me, I would laugh, "me too bro", and we would keep talking. Not everything that's actually impolite is meant to be mean, and even if it is, just deflect it and turn it around. Why didn't you take it light heartedly or in good nature?

No, he sounds like an ***. Unfortunately, I cant really think of a response, I would just keep wishing the air hostess/host would spill coffee on him

i think that was rude for him to say that, i would tell him to change his seat if he felt that way

i would respond, "tough toenails buddy" !

He was annoying and obnoxious.

I would say "Ditto".

The guy is an idiot

Yep, I feel the same way...........