Yesterday, I had the pleasure of being individually asked for at the gate to board my plane. I was a little surprised because there were about 10 of us there but when I got to the gate I was told you are the only one and the rest are going to LGA. I got to my Dash 8 and proceeded to have a nice conversation with the FA for my DCA trip. We chatted about the WO merger; US cutbacks; running from WN at BWI and soon PHL; abusive biz pax who should know better on weather delays; and incompetent management. She was very knowledgable of what was going on and the futility of shrinking to profitability. (She could have been a FT cockroach!) We also chatted about her kids and mine and vacations to TPA and the short trip to DCA seemed even shorter. I kidded about here not giving me the raise and lock trays and stop using electronic devices upon descending spiel.

I always said they should name one of these Dash 8s after me but I was happy to get my own. Anyone else the only passenger on a flight?

I have had my own plane 2 times from PVD-ALB and both were on CO. Both have been on Friday nights after PHL weather issues. Continental Connection houses thier planes in ALB for the weekend and this is a "repositioning" flight. It isn't even on the board at PVD.
One night they weren't even going to come in since they didn't think they had any passengers. The other time, I had to walk under a Airbus 330 (charter to Portugal) to get to the plane. They are big planes. Not sure what the aircraft was but it was only a pilot and co-pilot - no FA. It is a weird but nice feeling being the only one.

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by biggs:
Anyone else the only passenger on a flight? </font>

I had a B1900 to myself (almost) on 1/1/03. Flight was from PIT back to BLF via BKW, 4 PM departure. I was at the gate in E concourse at PIT. About 3:45, another pilot comes down and looks at the computer with the gate agent. He then starts looking for "me". When we both figure out we are going on this flight, he says to me, "get your stuff, let's go". We get on board the aircraft, pilot and co-pilot already there. Door gets shut, this other pilot goes to the back row and passes out. They give me my seatbelt extender (I'm a big boy) and play the required safety announcement. We get in the air about the time we were supposed to board.

We landed in Beckley (BKW) about 20 minutes early. The other pilot gets off immediately. I assumed I'd wait on the plane... the co-pilot tells me to take my boarding pass and go ahead into the terminal. I ended up using the facilities, and then had to reclear security (3 TSA plus sheriff deputy) for 3 boarding passengers plus me, as I was outside security. We boarded 10 minutes later for the 15 minutes flight to Bluefield, where I got off and 3 others got on.

It was nice having the plane to myself. The flight crew did leave the door open so I could see the instruments and the beautiful late afternoon view. When I got home, my wife was shocked that they didn't just cancel the flight and put me on the later one. I guess Colgan just decided they had to get the people in BLF and BKW into PIT.


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A "Mileage Run"... is that what they're called? I've been doing them for years and didn't know they had a name.

Just the crew and me several times on B1900 intra-state.

1. JAX-TLH at 6 AM on the way to PNS. We picked up 18 more people in Tally.

2. APF-TPA. Wind was 15 gusting to 35 on the ground at the periphery of a tropical storm. I talked with the crew during the flight (pre-9/11) and realized that I had more pilot-in-command time than the two of them combined.

3. MCO-JAX on a Saturday night coming home from a meeting in MIA.

On one occasion, the only passengers on the 6 AM JAX-TPA Dash 8 were me and a drop-dead gorgeous American Eagle FA. The usual USX FA was former EA in her 50's who was great. Well, this sweet young thang was telling us about this hot AA Captain she was sleeping with and how he was going to leave his wife and kids. The USX FA and I looked at each other and just sighed.

&gt;"Anyone else the only passenger on a flight?"
I was the only First Class passenger in BA from LHR to PHL in August. Had the cabin all to myself. Great service, obviously.

Jane in PHL

At least two or three times a year, I have a domestic FC cabin to myself. They usually just drop the whole snack basket in the seat next to me for the duration of the flight!

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--Wishing for you safe travels and for me Row 1 on the A330.

OK guys, I once had a mainline jet to myself. IIRC, it was a direct (not a nonstop) US Airways flight in 1986 going ABE-PIT-STL on a Sunday morning. There were maybe 20 people ABE-PIT, then everyone got off except me and they boarded new crew. For PIT-STL it was just me and the new crew. I was the only person who flew the entire "direct" flight including the crew.

Three or four times I have been the only pass. on a small plane.

In Aug of 2001 I was the only one on an AC Dash 8 from CLE to YYZ. The pilot invited me up to the jump seat after take off, and then I returned to my seat on the decent. It was a clear night and a gfreat night to fly.

I will never have the opportunity again, with all of the additional security theses days.

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by EnvoyBoy:
They usually just drop the whole snack basket in the seat next to me for the duration of the flight!
</font>

I could put US out of business myself if they did that for me! http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/biggrin.gif

I actually had a jet (737?) to myself...

About four years ago, I was flying RIC-PIT-MCI on US. The flight out of RIC was delayed due to a huge storm around PIT and we landed after not only my flight to MCI, but the one after it, were scheduled to have taken off.

When I got to the gate I was very surprised to find out that "my" flight was still on the ground in PIT, but I was the only pax on it because it had been delayed past the departure time of the (apparently half-full) later flight, and all the pax that could make it to the airport were put on that flight. I didn't get into PIT until about 10 PM so there were no more connectors expected - I wonder if they thought my flight wouldn't make it? - and apparently they had expected "my" flight to be cancelled, but the weather has suddenly lifted, so we took off for MCI with me in FC...it was nice.

Back when TYS-DCA still ran RJs, I was waiting for a flight when I heard over the PA, "Mr. kreeft, you may board now. Please have your ID ready." When I asked if I was late to the boarding area, she replied, "No, you're the only one on the flight." The FA and I just chatted the whole time, and she was stunned that there was a US3 (at the time) that was so young (19).