Back when DL Shuttle ran from BOS to DCA, I used to take it fairly often and there was rarely more than about 20 people on board. This was on a fairly new B738, so it was very quiet and comfortable.

TWA MD-80 SGF-STL

Around 16 pax for the entire flight. I had rows 10-20 :D

New Years Day, 2002. Flew a Colgan B1900 PIT-BKW-BLF. A deadheading pilot came into the boarding area in the (now mothballed) PIT Terminal E and asked who's going to BKW/BLF. I was the only other pax, so he said, let's go. We got on board, the flight crew was there, and we left early. It was a beautiful day, and got wonderful views through the open cockpit. We got to BKW so early that we had to wait before going to BLF. The deadheading pilot got off... I went into the terminal to use the facilities (and get re-felt up by TSA). Then we left with a few more folks to BLF, and I think they were headed to IAD. I'm sure I can think of others with a few pax, as the loads out of BLF/BKW were always low.

I also had an interesting low-pax count flight in the mid 90s. Was supposed to fly back to CRW on a summer Sunday evening, last flight out, PIT-CRW on a US 737. We get to CRW, and it's fogged in. We make 3 attempts to land and they pilots abort due to low fuel, so we return to PIT. Everyone gets re-accomodated on the first flight out Monday AM. However, I just hung around... nothing to do except find a cheap room to hang out... and find out they are going to have to run the aircraft in early to get the pax for the 7AM CRW-PIT. So, I ask if I can be put on that... SURE, no problem! So, myself and about 7 others who are still there get listed on it. We show up at 5:30AM, get on board, and they tell us to all sit in F. (I had already been cleared into F, as I had been upgraded on the aborted flight the night before.) The FAs made coffee and we had a great up and down into CRW. It was also nice that even with the 90 minute drive home to BLF, I was still back before 8:30AM.

Thanksgiving of 2008 I was on a Southwest flight from MCO-MHT. There were approximately 15 passengers on board. The service was pretty great, and I took a whole row to myself, something I haven't done since I was a little boy. I was also on a United Express CRJ-200 (operated by Atlantic Coast Airlines, I believe) from MHT-IAD a few years back that had my parents, about five others, and I aboard. It felt like a private jet (with thin seats and small bags of Fiesta Snack Mix-god how I love that stuff)!!

My first post!!

2004, HNL-LAX. Each person had a row to themselves, so a full 5 seats to sleep on. Best sleep I've ever had on a plane.

September 2008, flew DUS-LCY on Contact Air (ATR 42), I was the only passenger in J and there were 2 in Y. It was a Sunday afternoon mind!

LHR - BAH ... 5 pax onboard including me. The LHR-AUH was full, so took the empty BAH and got a conx :) ... Needless to say seat assisgnments were not necessary, and no fighting over overheads ;) ... Great flight.

Did a couple of SYD-NRT trips and a SYD-ICN run back at the height of the SARS thing back in '03. I seem to remember the northbound legs were very empty - I had three rows of a (?) 747 to myself on one trip.

I also remember being one of three on a SYD-PQQ day trip, although the plane itself would have been lucky to fit 8 ...

A whole bunch of years ago I was the only passenger on a pair of USair coded flights, the first from Kansas City (MCI) to Topeka (TOP), and the second from Topeka to Salina, KS (SLN).

But wait, there's more!

These flights were on the same 19-seat aircraft with the same crew. Now, the first flight was scheduled to go MCI-TOP-SLN-MCI, But I was unable to take that flight all the way to SLN because my helpful and informative travel agent told me that the flight was full from TOP-SLN. So, I got off the airplane at TOP, at which point one of the pilots closed the door and the airplane left TOP for SLN with no passengers on board.

About an hour into the several hour connection I inquired about renting a car and driving to Salina, but unfortunately that particular Hertz location had already rented out both of their cars at that time.

When the flight that was to take me from TOP-SLN came, it was the same airplane with the same crew. In fact, the pilot said he was confused as to why I had gotten off the flight in TOP while my checked luggage was going to SLN. This flight, which was also scheduled as MCI-TOP-SLN-MCI, was said to be full on the MCI-TOP leg by my helpful and informative travel agent.

At the other end of the extreme, I was once on a flight from Beijing to somewhere in China whose name escapes me at the moment that was standing room only for both humans and chickens. Luckily, I had a seat for that one.


I still can't figure out which one of these two events is more screwed up.

March 1998 - I was toward the end of my Star Alliance round the world trip - it was a Varig 737 (as I recall) that was repositioning from Sao Paolo to Rio on a weekday evening - there were two passengers - me and a crew member on pass. Very funny. We had a nice visit though.

Best line I've ever read on FT!!! :D

Back in the mid-90s, a few days after Christmas, I was on a Sabena flight (a 737?) from Brussels to Hamburg with 3 other passengers. We had to sit in our assigned seats, but the FAs gave us the business class breakfast. There wasn't a wait for my luggage, either.

10 Days ago DXB-KRT (Khartoum) 737-800 with < 30 pax was quite empty. Everyone got 3 seats.

Two memorable ones were
Toronto > JFK on BA which then picked up more pax to go on to London. That was quiet.
AA transatlantic on a day flight about 4 years ago. Had about 6 rows to ourselves. Meant a crawling baby didn't disturb anyone.

DCA to YYZ three years ago. 12 people total on an Embraer so nothing significant.
Others, where I didn't specifically take note and count: a morning UA flight from DCA to ORD with 20 or so ppl, and also an AirTran flight from DCA to FLL with 20 or so ppl within past year.