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-   -   The emptiest flight you've ever been on (https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/travelbuzz/1025197-emptiest-flight-youve-ever-been.html)

jofegan Dec 15, 2009 4:28 pm

WN OAK-RNO around 2000 when I still was living in the US.
One of the last evening flights up to RNO on a weekday.
Only around 4-5 people on the flight + staff, but they couldn't cancel it since they needed the aircraft in RNO for the following morning.

Everybody had a good time.

--jofegan

Majuki Dec 15, 2009 5:35 pm

In the early 1990's my dad and I were going to be traveling on a Midwest Express (as they were called in those days) flight MKE-GRR. We were scheduled for a later flight, but we arrived at the airport much earlier than anticipated. When we talked with the ticketing agent about switching to an earlier flight she said, "I think we can squeeze you on." Much to our surprise we boarded and were the only passengers on the plane besides the FA, pilot and co-pilot. I don't remember the aircraft though :confused: - propeller type with 2x2 seating where you would board from a rear door and it had a step in the aisle over the wing.

mre5765 Dec 29, 2009 7:48 am

In the 1970s, on YEG->YYC, on a late evening flight, my brother, mother, and me had the plane (a main liner, not sure what but likely a Boeing 7xx of some kind) to ourselves. This was after missing an earlier flight, which means that it would have flown empty otherwise. I think the airline was PWA, which became Canadian Airlines later, which was then acquired by AC.

alexxelahe Dec 29, 2009 10:31 am

Jan 2008, ICN-PVG morning flight on KE(only flight from ICN/NRT that arrives in the morning in PVG I believe). It was a 777 with 4 pax. I was waiting to be called to board as I was in Y. The GAs didn't even bother asking to board by class. When the other 3 pax boarded they started closing the gate. Then I realized that everyone except me had boarded. I had the whole back of the plane by myself. Interesting experience.

hobanma Dec 29, 2009 11:04 am

I was the only passenger on a late night flight from Dallas to Indianapolis on a 727 (early 80's). The FAs pretty much ignored me.

Mark

ShopAround Dec 29, 2009 11:56 am

I flew LHR-JFK a few weeks after 9/11. The flight was empty, no more than 20-30 people, IIRC.

tdml68 Dec 29, 2009 12:17 pm

If I was the only passenger I would feel like I am in an episode of a Twilight Zone.


Originally Posted by hobanma (Post 13074257)
I was the only passenger on a late night flight from Dallas to Indianapolis on a 727 (early 80's). The FAs pretty much ignored me.


Howie721 Dec 29, 2009 1:52 pm

On a EWR-FRA flight in F, we were a family of 5 on the upper deck of a 747. It was just the 5 of us out of the 16 seats. It was like a party the entire flight.

Exec_Plat Dec 29, 2009 3:05 pm

^^ As a teenager, my family was invited to the exclusive use the upper deck of an aer lingus 747 ... we were traveling with a family friend who was a US exec with the airline.

That was back in the day- full bar, funny seats up there, etc!

pogopossum Dec 29, 2009 3:24 pm

I was on the first flight out of IAH to MSP on NW following 9/11. Two of us in first and maybe a dozen, tops, in back. For some reason NW was not allowing anyone to board who was connecting in MSP, only those of us whose destination was MSP. I don't remember the aircraft, probably an A319 or 320.

Cheers,
Pogopossum

darthbimmer Dec 29, 2009 7:08 pm

My emptiest flight was a Wednesday night SJC-ONT trip on WN in late 2005. There were 4 of us passengers in a 737. We were slightly outnumbered by the 5 standard crew members. On this short, 50 minute flight my personal FA had time to serve me 3 rounds of drinks.

phlwookie Dec 29, 2009 8:55 pm

I was one of two passengers on a PHL-BOS evening run on a US 737-400, a few days before Y2K (12/30/1999 I think). US had hourly flights doing that route that night, and most who'd been booked on mine stood by for earlier flights. I didn't get to the airport in time for that, but would have done the same if I had.

infoworks Dec 30, 2009 1:02 am

Whilst I had some pretty empty flights during SARS (I was the only one in F and J) for example, my emptiest flight was Mauritius-Perth-Sydney on Christmas day in 1975 with just 11 pax on a 707. Johannesburg-Mauritius it was standing room only!

stilloutthere Dec 30, 2009 2:38 am

Way back in the late sixties, I had several puddle-jumper fllights on Mohawk where I was the only passenger.

And in the seventies, I was one of two passengers in coach from San Francisco to Cincinnati.

infoworks Dec 30, 2009 6:26 am

Actually that reminds me of a flight from Port Macquarie to Brisbane, I was only passenger and pilot let me sit in the right seat...about 91/2!


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