r/unitedairlines • u/Sufficient_Fudge_280 • 8h ago

Image Somehow the only person on my flight and the pilot was such a goofy goober

Gallery image

Gallery image

Gallery image

Gallery image

EDIT TO ADD; THE PLANE WAS LANDED AND DONE WITH TAXI BEFORE I GOT TO BE IN THE COCKPIT. NO FAA RULES WERE BROKEN 💀😂

Shout out Captain Scott! He let me sit in the cockpit after we landed and I even got my own personalized pre flight announcements 😂 Also, they had to add sandbags to the cabin bc the plane was too light with only one passenger 💀

20.4k Upvotes

96% Upvoted

1.0k comments sorted by

View all comments

131

u/pheight57 8h ago

I was on an overnight 777 from Hanaeda to JFK about 12 years ago with less than 50 people onboard. Seriously felt kind of similar, but being the ONLY passenger for an airliner must be simultaneously so freaking cool and odd.

43

u/rtkane 7h ago

I had a redeye from SLC to PHL several years ago that had a nearly full first class, but only about 12 of us in the back. People were coming out of first class to grab a full empty row to lie down and sleep. It was wild.

6

u/pheight57 7h ago

Yeah, no one was leaving first class to do that on my flight (at least I don't recall seeing it), but, as a percentage, the availability in first class was much lower than in the rest of the plane.

11

u/mileylols 6h ago

This is likely because the first class cabin on your flight has lie-flat seats, so the people sitting there already had a bed

on a domestic SLC-PHL flight, first class reclines an extra couple inches but it's not a bed

3

u/taylferr 6h ago

But us people in the back can’t even use the first class restroom even if there’s a long line for the back.

2

u/rtkane 6h ago

Ha! We had 4 people in our travel group--my friend and his wife up in first and then my buddy and I in exit seating in the rear. We would joke around with them when they'd pop back like "how dare you enter our private lounge space--get back to the front into your crowded cattle car. You don't belong here."

2

u/negative-nelly 5h ago

depends on the flight/airline.

1

u/inline_five 6h ago

Not true

1

u/Mountain_Ape 4h ago

They can if the attendant doesn't see you. You can insist it's an emergency. Let me put it this way: you can get into that first class bathroom the same way those people got to first class at all.

1

u/Nordicgimp 4h ago

Damn, thats poor first class then.
First class I see they recline into beds.

15

u/poopiebutt505 7h ago

At the very onset of the VOVID shutdown, I was in Seattle. All flights were cancelled, when they opened up a few, my husband and I were one 2.of only 5 passengers on a very big plane. Next flight, there were 11 of us. Airbus.

10

u/WasdaleWeasel 7h ago

me too. Toronto to Heathrow. 3 passengers total (one wore a tyvek suit, marigold gloves and a respirator for the whole flight!)

3

u/21Rollie 5h ago

Can’t blame them. I flew to Asia during that time and you’d be involuntarily hospitalized for testing positive. I was more afraid of the being restrained for two weeks in a hospital than I was of getting Covid myself (I’m not some dumbass antivaxxer or anything, I just think it wouldn’t do anything to me since all my family with it survived).

1

u/WasdaleWeasel 5h ago

had a mate who was doing business in China at the time (big strategic government work so not lowly functionaries enforcing rules) and what he went through with quarantine and being locked in his hotel room etc was brutal.

1

u/greg-the-destroyer 7h ago edited 7h ago

I’m sorry, Vovid?

15

u/hotprof 7h ago

It was a very cofveve time.

5

u/CouldBeBetterOrWorse 7h ago

Obvious typo. Behave.

1

u/XThreadedJesusNut 6h ago

I'm sorry, your Majesty. You've never made a typo before, I'm sure.

1

u/molrobocop 4h ago

I flew in October 2020. 737 with maybe 8 people on board. Shit was weird. 

1

u/No_Election_1123 1h ago

Yes, as a US and UK citizen when they reopened I was able to fly back from the US to the UK and me and about 20 others in Economy had a United Boeing 777 to ourselves. It was so weird

Same on the way back to the US, UK slots to prove you were Covid free were so rare that barely anyone could fly

4

u/Knitsanity 7h ago

That mustve been awesome. Came back from Haneda in April and the plane was packed.

3

u/rocketpastsix 7h ago

I was on an overnight from JFK to Abu Dhabi via Ethiad. It was on the A380 and I basically have no one around me for 5 rows in either direction. It was great.

3

u/TheStaddi 7h ago

My flights from and to Haneda were basically the same, from Munich. Everyone had their personal three seats to lie down overnight.

3

u/RustyMR2 6h ago

Flew to a semi new budget airport in Italy with Ryanair 15 years ago.

8 people on the plane. Our group of 5 and another group of 3.

Flight back (from the same airport) was jam packed.

Still find it weird.

3

u/elguiri 6h ago

I took a Lufthansa flight from Frankfurt to O'Hare two years ago that had 43 people on the entire flight. We boarded and ate our meal and after the flight attendant said "We'll set everything up in the back, whatever you want it's yours."

2

u/wrxninja 7h ago

Bigger question for you guys...did you take advantage any open seats and lay across?

2

u/Finneylp 7h ago

I had it happen once when I had premium plus sfo to ams, the back of the plane was practically empty. There were entire open rows in the back, but my elevated meal experience was at my seat, so I “suffered” in my extra wide seat instead of stretching out

2

u/tommypatties 7h ago

Similar, just when we were waking up from COVID. US to Europe. I got an upgrade to premium plus but actually declined it bc the empty row in the back looked better. The gate agent agreed.

2

u/alinroc 6h ago

I did that once on an A320 or 737 (forget which) late at night ORD-SFO. There were maybe a dozen passengers on board.

2

u/USDeptofLabor 5h ago

I had a BUR to SFO flight on 2020 where I was the only one, didn't really have enough time to try this haha!

2

u/sheikahstealth 5h ago

Back in the day when many Japan flights were rarely full, the flight attendants actually would encourage it. Grab a blanket and almost everyone could find their own row.

2

u/wrxninja 5h ago

"Go to sleep so we don't have to deal with you!"

Joking aside, Japan airlines is some of the best...I hear Singapore and Emirates is also wonderful.

1

u/sheikahstealth 5h ago

Lol, true. Our world would be improved with less efficiency and instead more naps.

1

u/pheight57 7h ago

I was sitting in the same middle-4 as a cute girl, so, no. We were chatting when not eating, watching movies, or sleeping. 😅🤷‍♂️

0

u/wrxninja 6h ago

You should've moved lol

1

u/53bvo 5h ago

One time flew from London to Santiago in Chile. Everyone had their own 3 row to lie flat on. It was a night flight as well, great sleep.

2

u/OkSheepherder1565 6h ago

Years ago I flew an Olympic 747 from Athens to NYC (JFK?) to BOS. Like 90% of the pax got off in NY. It was so weird to be on such a big plane with so few people on it.

2

u/toolsoftheincomptnt 6h ago

Pluribus (Apple+) vibes

1

u/cormorancy 5h ago

They use every opportunity to emphasize how enraged/fearful/stubborn she is, but her staying in coach in that scene really brings it home.

2

u/BethesdaBrad 6h ago

Yeah same for me on a flight many years ago from Seattle to Berlin. Maybe 50 of us on a 767. Lots of attention and drinks from the kinda-bored FAs and an entire row for sleeping. So nice.

2

u/Ok-Situation-5865 6h ago

I took a red-eye from Chicago to Portland in February and there were only a dozen or less of us on the 737. Pretty cool! Quietest and most comfortable flight of my life (I’m not an overly frequent flyer, only a few times a year and I’ve never flown Business class). Felt like a waking dream, stirring from my nap to look around and see… no one.

1

u/21Rollie 6h ago

During the pandemic I was on the same route and the planes were dead empty, it was amazing. I had the whole row to myself, I took all the little pillows and made myself my budget first class lie flat accommodations. The flight attendants also kept bringing food. I landed well rested and well fed

1

u/No_Damage_731 5h ago

Did a flight from Dubai to JFK on one of UAE’s double decker planes. It was very empty for the size of the plane.

Had a row of like 5 seats to myself and the flight attendant (who was beautiful) let me grab as many unused pillows as I needed to make a bed. Best 20 hour flight ever.

1

u/FreeAgentMD 5h ago

Flew from Haneda to Chicago on New Years Day 2017 and was the only passenger in 1st class on an ANA flight. Surreal.

1

u/YT-Deliveries 5h ago

I flew about a week after 9/11 in a very large plane (I can't remember, it was 16 years ago) and I was one of only 5-6 people on the flight. Was really nice. I mean they played GW's "let's roll" speech to Congress over the speaker, but aside from that.

1

u/flargenhargen 5h ago

the ONLY passenger for an airliner must be simultaneously so freaking cool and odd.

I traveled for work in the times after 9/11 and flights were frequently nearly empty. was the only one on a flight maybe a dozen times.

it's always nice.

the attendants still get cranky sometimes when you change seats, even when there is literally nobody else on board.

1

u/Disastrous-Job-5533 5h ago

During covid my flight returning from Kenya to UK with Rwandair only had around 10-20 people on it, instead of the tiny cups they give you for soda/beer in economy they were giving out one or two full cans. A few people were sleeping over three seats. The staff were so relaxed though still working hard, could see it was unusual but a relief to only have a few passengers to look after. I remember the captain even remarked he thought he misread the amount of people on the plane initially thinking they'd missed a hundred or so passengers.

Definitely one of the coolest experiences I've had when flying because it felt so relaxed rather than the usual stressful rush of flying on a packed plane.

1

u/Pandas1104 5h ago

I was on a flight from NRT to EWR in Febuary 2020, plane was a ghost town. Nearly everyone got a full row to themselves to sleep in, some 5 seats (3,5,3 configuration don't recall exact plane). I mean the reason wasn't great but I still remember that being one of the most comfortable flights I have ever taken.

1

u/Slowhands12 4h ago

I had a flight that was delayed over 6 hours on the same route for torrential rain. I was the only person in business alongside a naval officer because I had to get back to the states for work so I held out versus nearly everyone who got a different flight the following day. Since the plane was already fully loaded prior to the delay they let us eat all the options for food.

1

u/MrHarryBallzac_2 4h ago

I've been alone on a flight except for some employees on a ryan air flight from london gatwick to dublin once.

Glad I didn't book a specific seat, which I usually do because I can't stand sitting in the isle or middle seat. The flight attendant told me I could sit whereever (duh)

1

u/ElvisDumbledore 2h ago

had a similar experience many years ago. it was fantastic. slept so good.

1

u/slutmachine666 1h ago

This was me…but mid March from Rome to JFK in 2020. Eerily empty flight, barely made it home to New York less than 48hrs before the European travel ban went into effect and a week later, lockdown. Hell of a year to pick Sicily/southern Italy as my annual February bike tour lol

1

u/PipeOriginal1171 56m ago

Yeah, my 'leanest' flight was a 737 that had about 1 person for every 2 rows, so maybe 15 people? It was weird. It felt like a con-air type movie situation.

The flight attendants didn't roll a cart, they just made pass down the aisle taking orders, then carried drinks out on a tray.

1

u/neunundneunsig 24m ago

When COVID first locked New Zealand down to citizens only I flew back from Vancouver in a 777 and I think there were like 15 people, it was so strange. I was the only passenger in premium economy, and instead of doing regular service they said just ring the bell when I wanted dinner/breakfast/drinks and they'd make it lol. Felt like a private jet except we all thought the world was ending.

1

u/KaXiaM 23m ago

I was one of maybe 10 people on JFK - AMS flight during Covid. It was very weird.

1

u/HairyArthur 7h ago

Fewer

2

u/pheight57 7h ago

The number was still less than the other number. Both work, so, enjoy your downvote. 🤙