Would you accept an all-inclusive invitation to travel the world in the company of some of the wealthiest men in society? That’s what was offered to Grace Louise, a 30-year-old Instagram model, when she was approached by an “exclusive” Tinder knockoff, FlyMeOut, which promised a dream vacation filled with luxury, fun, and exotic vistas.
The Perth native shared her experience on social media, reassuring her fans that there was “nothing sexual or sleazy” about it, but many remained skeptical.
“It’s just escorting with extra steps,” said one user on TikTok, while others mocked the app by misnaming it “iTraffic” or “TrafficMe.”
An Instagram model shares her experience with a controversial new matchmaking app that takes models on luxury trips with groups of wealthy men they’ve never met before
Upon receiving the invitation and accepting it, Louise was flown to Miami for a luxury holiday with all of her expenses covered by her hosts, four men she had never met before.
The service operates like a reverse version of Tinder. In FlyMeOut, it is men who are in charge of filtering and selecting the women who get to accompany them. There are no one-on-one dates, and there’s no equality in terms of status.
Men come together to organize and pay for a trip, with everything from locations, hotels, accommodations, and daily activities offered up-front. Women then apply to be selected and are placed on a waiting list.
“We had our own accommodation and everything was looked after. The concept is that you just party with the rich guys and you make them look good,” the model said in an interview with news.com.au.
Facing criticism online, the owner of FlyMeOut pointed out that it is not a dating app but simply a way for people to organize their travels with “like-minded” individuals
Former lawyer Zachary Latos says he didn’t create the app with dating in mind.
“Our platform is designed to connect members with like-minded individuals for group trips and exclusive experiences, not for dating purposes,” he assured his clients, aiming to separate his product as much as possible from what many perceive to be its logical competition: Tinder, Bumble, and other matchmaking services.
The service describes itself as a “travel matchmaker” and is relatively new, having launched in June 2023. The company puts the trip experience front and center, with its mission statement being “Find your tribe. See the globe.”
For its critics, the app is just yet another way for wealthy men to pay for the company of women, with some comparing it to an “escort” app. Grace Louise herself is seen in many of the images of her trip accompanied by two other Instagram models.
“They just took us around to the different restaurants, we partied on a yacht, and we went to the clubs at night,” she said.
The criteria users need to meet in order to be accepted into this “exclusive invite-only app” has not been publicly divulged, but a quick scroll through its official website and marketing campaigns makes it easy to deduce. Men need to be rich, and women need to be gorgeous.
For Louise, the backlash she received online was disappointing. “I find it so interesting that these narrow-minded people just go straight to a dark place,” she said.
“This is just a group of young guys who want to have fun with a hot group of chicks. It’s all very professional.”
For Latos, the app offers a transparent and open way to organize experiences that people would otherwise do anyway behind closed doors.
“The fact is that this type of travel and connection has been happening for decades, but in closed, private messaging groups, online forums, message boards, and so on,” he stated.
@madisonrolley Have you heard of this new travel dating app? @flymeout.io in this video, I look at a new app on the market… is it for Travel or is it for dating or a little bit of both? in this video I show you what their marketing and I’m curious to hear what you thought are. #flymeout #travelgirl #traveltok #datingapps ♬ original sound – Madison | Cheap Travel Tips
The model responded to the criticism of the app being “escorting with extra steps” head-on.
“Escorting and the sex industry gets so much negative attention, but I am changing the sex industry. You can be sexy, and not have to be sexual,” she stated, noting that at no point was she under any obligation to perform any favors.
After news of the app spread on social media, netizens reacted with caution and skepticism. Many compared the app to “escorting services”
Despite the efforts of its CEO and the marketing team behind the app, comments remain mixed. Many commenters still consider the transactional and group aspects of the service to be dangerous.
“Sounds like human trafficking,” said one user.
“There will be a Netflix documentary in 20 years,” predicted another.
“Human traffickers are going to be playing on easy mode,” joked a commenter.
@jackmacbarstoolBest of luck to anyone using this app! May the odds be in your favor.♬ original sound – Jack Mac
@marrdna2x FlyMeOut app might be the new social traveling wave… what yall think🌊‼️#greenscreen #traveltiktok #trips #vacation #hotsummer #summerbreak #trending #foryou #viral #fypシ゚viral ♬ KEHLANI – Jordan Adetunji
On the flip side, some users do not agree with the concerns of their peers, seeing FlyMeOut as yet another dating app and a fun way to meet new people.
“Listen. If a dude wants to fly me out I’m not saying no,” added one.
“A good company is hard to come by. We all like to travel, I don’t see the problem,” argued another.
As for Grace Louise, she confessed that her experience with FlyMeOut changed her career and that she’ll be consistently using it moving forward. Her recent trips include Dubai and Bali, the photos of which can be found on her Instagram page.
“That’s escorting with extra steps,” netizens remained skeptical of the exclusive matchmaking travel app
