What it’s really like to board a ‘ghost flight’: Passenger startled to realize he was the only one on plane – and some very strange things happened on board
- Robbie Allen was the only passenger on a Virgin flight
- The flight was from Sydney to Fiji in January 2022
- A largely empty aircraft is referred to as a “ghost flight”.
A man traveling from Sydney to Fiji was shocked to discover he was the only passenger boarding a “ghost flight”.
On Tuesday, passenger Robbie Allen shared details of his empty flight to Fiji in January last year.
He said he was the only person on board the plane in a so-called “ghost flight,” which is flying a normal route with less than 10 percent passenger capacity.
“I was literally the only person on the whole plane,” he said in a video that has been viewed almost 500,000 times.
“The captain came and sat next to me and talked to me. The staff gave me everything I wanted.’
Virgin passenger Robbie Allen was the only passenger on board a flight from Sydney to Fiji in January 2022 (empty flight pictured).
Mr Allen joked he was put on a “private jet” as a treat for his upcoming birthday.
“I literally have the whole plane to myself. I’m the only passenger,’ he said.
“It’s for my birthday. I’m the VIP.”
He then showed a bowl of snacks that the flight attendant had prepared for him, accompanied by a glass of sparkling wine.
“I had already booked business class, but otherwise I would have gotten it for free,” he said.
“It was such a weird and strange experience, something I will never forget.”
Mr Allen (above) joked that he received the VIP treatment for his upcoming birthday in the viral clip shared on Monday
Hundreds of commentators said the flight was a “dream” and laughed at Mr. Allen’s lonely luggage (above).
He also showed his suitcase, which stood alone in the baggage claim area.
“I was the only person on the plane, so it’s just there,” he said.
Mr Allen wrote in the comments below the video that only 27 passengers were expected for the return flight.
Hundreds of Australians wrote that empty flight would become their dream.
Mr. Allen received his personal bowl of snacks on board the flight
He also enjoyed a beautiful three course meal on board
“As an introvert, I absolutely want this,” one person wrote.
“I would freak out at the empty gate and think I had the wrong gate,” said another.
“For those who say they canceled the flight, no they wouldn’t. There would be a whole flight from Fiji so the plane must be there,” added a third.
WHAT IS A GHOST FLIGHT?
A “ghost flight” means a plan is operating a regular scheduled flight that is using less than 10 percent of its customer capacity.
Airlines often operate ghost flights to meet contract obligations and maintain airport slots.
However, ghost flights are often criticized for wasting fuel and contributing unnecessarily to CO2 emissions.