Lowest Load You Have Been Part Of?

LDIkaros · Fri Jul 11, 2014 1:11 am

HA CTS-HNL on April 30, 2014. The aircraft was a B767 and there were about 30 or so people on board, crew included. Most passengers were either HA crew or family members. I estimate no more than about 15 people traveled on revenue or award tickets (I used miles for this flight).

Most passengers were in the front section of the economy cabin. The back section was basically empty save for a few souls.

flyzapper · Fri Jul 11, 2014 2:36 am

On St. Patrick's Day 2009 (I remember because WN offered free beer on the flight in honor of the holiday) I flew a 737-700 ONT-PHX with six passengers.

roadrunner165 · Fri Jul 11, 2014 3:54 am

Mesaba (Northwest Airlink) St. Cloud to Minneapolis Saab 340

I was the lone passenger.

I understand why the route was cut post merger with Delta.

vhqpa · Fri Jul 11, 2014 9:28 am

My lowest ever was 3 other pax on ZL Saab 340 from BNE-LSY. One of the other passengers was another aviation enthusiast going down and back for the day and a couple connecting from an EK flight. Interesting thing was it was weekly positioning flight that was cancelled after 3 weeks. I flew on the second and second last flight at the same time!

About 10 years ago I flew QF on a saturday evening SYD-BNE with around 20 other pax on a Airbus A330-300.

Also done quite a few flights on aircraft up to A320/737 size with loads in the 20's and 30's

fbgdavidson · Sat Jul 12, 2014 12:13 am

Private: only passenger on King Air 350 about a dozen times. Only passenger on a Lear 60XR twice

Commercial:
-6 passengers on US Express RIC-BOS on July 4
-a United 777 between LHR and IAD where there was probably 30 people onboard. Flight previous day had been cancelled and I had been moved from a 747 to it. Only a few people in the large business class cabin.

Been the only person in the particular first/business cabin many times. Sometimes the service has been amazing, other times you get forgotten.

UK_Dispatcher · Sat Jul 12, 2014 12:35 am

In terms of scheduled flights (i.e. not including positioning flights, etc.), it was yesterday. Myself and a fellow member, GVA-GYD on Azerbaijan Airlines' new twice-weekly First/Business Class-only B727-200 service, operated by Silk Way. Quite an experience.

penguins · Sat Jul 12, 2014 2:55 am

Quoting UK_Dispatcher (Reply 55):
In terms of scheduled flights (i.e. not including positioning flights, etc.), it was yesterday. Myself and a fellow member, GVA-GYD on Azerbaijan Airlines' new twice-weekly First/Business Class-only B727-200 service, operated by Silk Way. Quite an experience.

Oh no. At that load, they won't be flying for long... Will we see a TR? Please.

FrmrKSEngr · Sat Jul 12, 2014 5:04 am

747-2G4 - 12 including the three man flight crew and 1 FA. 6 hour flight from KOFF. FA put on a Great Meal service. Two Tankings and returned to KOFF. E-4B - Nice ride.

Also did a TWA 747 LHR - LAX with about 50, Christmas break 1983. Flew Non-rev, had a middle row to my self. Good thing too, IFE crapped out mid movie about 2 hours into the flight. Batteries in my walk man tape player died over Greenland/northern Canada. Stretched out and read for the last half or the 10 hour flight.

cedarjet · Sat Jul 12, 2014 12:46 pm

Yesterday - flew on the inaugural flight of Azerbaijan Airlines from Geneva to Baku using a Silkways VIP 727-251, just me and one other a.netter, UK_Dispatcher, onboard. Magical flying carpet ride to central Asia!

KGRB · Sat Jul 12, 2014 1:41 pm

Quoting DocLightning (Reply 30):
Was one of four passengers on a NW Airlink E-120

Are you sure it wasn't a Saab 340? None of the NW Airlink carriers had EMB-120s to my knowledge, though Simmons did fly the EMB-110 Bandeirante as a codeshare with NW back in the '80s.

mirrodie · Sat Jul 12, 2014 2:12 pm

2 weeks after 9-11-01 11 people on a NW 757 DET-LGA

fwyakcub · Sun Jul 13, 2014 3:40 am

I know this isn't nearly as light as most of the above, but my wife and I flew from Las Vegas to DFW on National a while back - flight departed LAS at around midnight on a Saturday. There were several people in the first part of the cabin, then there was another entry door or maybe an attendant station in the middle, dividing the cabin. We were the only 2 pax beyond the divide, and had our own FA for the entire flight - she kept us hydrated with water and OJ, and snacks as well. We had a very pleasant 2 hour+ conversation with her.

DocLightning · Sun Jul 13, 2014 7:32 am

Quoting KGRB (Reply 59):
Are you sure it wasn't a Saab 340?

I'm sorry, I did mean Saab 340. Of course NW Airlink did not have the Brazilia.

Apologies for my confusion.

A333MSPtoAMS · Sun Jul 27, 2014 1:42 am

I was going through some journals of mine this morning and remembered flying Northwest Airlines from LAX to MSP back in 2006. It was originally scheduled to be a B757-300, but at the last minute a DC-10-30 had been subbed in. So the plane was only about half full.

UK_Dispatcher · Sun Jul 27, 2014 7:43 am

Quoting penguins (Reply 56):
Oh no. At that load, they won't be flying for long... Will we see a TR? Please.

Nope, I don't do those any more

kiwiandrew · Sun Jul 27, 2014 8:13 am

In 1988 I was one of 6 passengers on a CP Air 737 from SEA to YVR. In early 2009 I was one only two pax upstairs on a QF 744 from. AKL to MEL ( although, to be fair, I think the load downstairs was reasonably respectable).

aerorobnz · Sun Jul 27, 2014 11:48 am

My parents were on an LH 742 Combi FRA-ATH-KHI-BKK-HKG with 12 passengers on all bar one of the sectors

CPDC10-30 · Sun Jul 27, 2014 6:29 pm

LHR-BLR on a 777-200ER. 35 pax total. Normally that flight is full however.

einsteinboricua · Sun Jul 27, 2014 6:54 pm

SJU-MAZ, 9K Cessna 402. Only two passengers and the pilot.

As far as mainline goes, DTW-ATL, DL 763. Seeing as how it was an upgauge at the last minute, the entire rear cabin was empty. Most of the passengers opted to remain in the forward economy cabin and even then the 757 that should have flown us to ATL wasn't entirely full.

initious · Mon Jul 28, 2014 2:50 pm

KUL-SIN 3K 690 on an Airbus A320 with 180 seats, but less than 30 pax. It helps that there was another flight departing just 30 mins before ours also from Jetstar. Most people opted for that flight (11pm dept) instead of ours (11.30pm). The previous flight was darn full!

jumpjets · Mon Jul 28, 2014 4:05 pm

Some years ago I flew AUH-LHR on a Gulf Air A340 on the first day of Ramadam when very few local people seemed to be travelling - and whilst I didn't count the number of passengers I would be surprised if there were on average more than one person per row in Y which amounts to about 30 people [can't comment on how many in J] and was a very spacious journey with lots of attention from the FAs.

vlad1971 · Mon Jul 28, 2014 7:12 pm

Last year I flew on Rotana Jet from Dubai to Abu Dhabi . ERJ145 with only 2 pax . Including me

.

CdnCactus · Mon Jul 28, 2014 7:40 pm

5 pax in total in an American Eagle CRJ200 LAX - SAN. The cabin still felt claustrophobic.

Tugger · Mon Jul 28, 2014 8:13 pm

Don't know the numbers but when I was a child we flew Freddie Laker Skytrain DC-10 LAX-LGW, and there was no one in the center section of the aircraft. Everyone moved to window side row (though a few people lay across the center row to sleep there). I was with my mom and sister and I was able to pick many window rows to lay down on and look out the window or sleep. I ran across several center rows before being told to stop. I spent most of my time going around the plane looking out various rows windows and just enjoying myself.

It is part of what made me fall in love with planes and airliners.

Tugg

aloha73g · Mon Jul 28, 2014 11:03 pm

Summer of 1998 my family (mom, dad, 2 sisters and myself) flew on a USAir 737 from SFO to LAS with no other passengers. My grandma and about 100 others were on a delayed UA flight from HNL to SFO and missed the connection to Vegas.

As an F/A for HA I was called in to work a round-trip from HNL to Maui at about 3am. The passengers were a family connecting from a VERY delayed Seattle flight (mom, dad, 2 kids). On Maui we picked up 3 people who had shown up early for the 1st flight to HNL. That was my whole work-day that day....2 pilots, 3 F/As, 1 HNL-OGG round-trip and a total of 7 passengers.

Aloha!

Osubuckeyes · Mon Jul 28, 2014 11:10 pm

Back in 2009 DEN-EUG in February had 4 people on a CR7. FA's were joking around and chatting with all of us.

Sometime in the early 2000s me and my family of 4 flew PHX-CMH and there were maybe 20 people on a 757-200 and they upgraded us 4 to first class.

BWI-SLC 2010 10 people on a 737-800. We were all medallion so coach was empty, but first was full.

EWR-PHX on CO with 17 people just before the UA merger. Me and my mom took the exit row and all but one other person were in F

PHX-SLC on an MD90 with about 10 people. Landed with a huge bounce in SLC.

PHX-TEX on HP on a Dash8 and me and my sister were 2 of 4. TEX-PHX we were 2 of 10.

DexSwart · Mon Jul 28, 2014 11:37 pm

I was with three other passengers (my family) on a Jetstar A321, MEL - SYD with my family. 9/11/12

I was also the only passenger in Y+ to JNB on QF that same day.

Back when I was a 8 months old, my father was working in Ita, Brazil, and we flew over to see him. Mum was taking photos like crazy.
It was my first ever trip. My brother kept a little diary as well. We flew a normal SA CPT-SAO (I believe?) and then Rio Sul on a milk run to Ita.

We were the only people on board for all five legs of that flight.

CairnterriAIR · Thu Aug 07, 2014 12:14 am

Back in July of 1991...from ZRH to PRG aboard a CSA TU-154M. Myself, my parents, three other passengers, the flight crew, and a whole bunch of empty seats. Not much runway was used on takeoff.

Back in 1985 from BDL to PIT on a USAir BAC-111....myself, my father and three other passengers.

Oct of 1988.....PIT to CKB with a stop in MGW on a USair express Shorts 360. Took off from PIT with myself and 5 other passengers...they all got off in MGW....I flew by myself with the crew on the final leg to CKB.

Viscount724 · Thu Aug 07, 2014 3:48 am

Quoting kiwiandrew (Reply 65):
In 1988 I was one of 6 passengers on a CP Air 737 from SEA to YVR.

CP Air never operated SEA-YVR. It was Pacific Western Airlines prior to their acquisition of CP Air in 1987 which created Canadian Airlines. They kept the CP code however and the ex-Pacific Western flights like SEA-YVR then switched from the PW code to CP, but the airline itself was Canadian Airlines.

777ER · Thu Aug 07, 2014 6:08 am

June last year MIA-EWR on a UA B739, 48 passengers. First flight of the day to EWR.

TheCommodore · Fri Aug 08, 2014 1:34 am

There were only 15 pax LAX to AKL on Air NZ about 17 years ago now. It was 747 400.

Had the best service ever as you can imagine. We had a row for eating, a row for viewing and a row for sleeping !
And the entire back cabin section was empty and lights out.

If flying was like that all the time, it would be great.

Taity · Sat Aug 09, 2014 3:12 pm

EDI - LHR with BMI March/April 2012. Just as BMI was being merged into BA, last month or two and I wanted my last BMI flight.

A320 with only 20 people on it. Great to get a row to yourself!

fxramper · Sat Aug 09, 2014 6:44 pm

MEM-DXB, FX 77F, 4 pilots and myself.

zckls04 · Tue Aug 12, 2014 3:20 am

I was one of eight pax on a Vietnam Airlines widebody (possibly 767?) around 2004. We didn't even see the FAs- no safety demonstration, no drinks service; nothing.

jeffh747 · Sun Aug 17, 2014 11:37 pm

Me and my mate were the only pax last month on a Winair Twin Otter to SBH. They didn't even have our flight on the screen. We actually asked when we would board and as soon as they found out we were actually booked for the flight, they let us on 40 minutes ahead!

SJOtoLIR · Mon Aug 18, 2014 2:58 am

February 05, 2012
Win Air 680
De Havilland DHC-6-300 Twin Otter
PJ-WIS
St. Barthelemy - St. Maarten

I was the only passenger.

Regards.

mwh787 · Mon Aug 18, 2014 4:30 am

Christmas night 1978 HNL-SFO United red eye. about 15-17 pax plus crew. It was a great way to fly crew and passengers all had a great time!!!

kenanc · Mon Aug 18, 2014 7:03 am

Two occasions:

IAH-CRP: I was flying alone on the last flight of the day with only six other people aboard a E145

DFW-CRP: Our flight was heavily delayed, which was an E145. There happened to be an M80 leaving before us that had seats left, so a bunch of people got rebooked to that flight.

We decided to just go with the delay and enjoy the terminal. There were only 12 people aboard.

mtnwest1979 · Thu Aug 21, 2014 6:31 am

3 on QX SWM BOI-TWF
13 WN 737-500 LBB-ABQ
9 TriStar BAe 146 LAS-LAX. Only 2 were rev pax.
5 OO EM2 LAX-MCE
5 OO EM2 MCE-LAX two days later.
5 XE 145 ONT-BOI
7 RV Electra BET-DLG-ANC, best one of the group. Very relaxing trip!

Dano1977 · Mon Aug 25, 2014 9:58 pm

Dan Air London Flight.

Faro - London Gatwick Airbus A300

3 Passengers

Mum, Dad and Myself.

Got to sit in the flightdeck for the entire cruise.

Somebody didn't tell the catering either... Enough meals for a full compliment of passengers.

British Caledonian DC10

London Gatwick - Faro

20 Passengers.

Kendall Airways

Saab 340

Melbourne - Davenport

5 pax

Sat in the flightdeck for the entire flight. (Before 9/11 I think they sold the jump seat as an extra revenue seat)

fanofjets · Mon Sep 01, 2014 11:00 pm

For me, it was also my first flight on a Boeing 747. There could not have been more than 30 people aboard the flight, from JFK to AMS, January 1971. Combination of being way off season and bad publicity from the teething troubles of the early P&W JT-9Ds. The emptiness of such a huge plane certainly added to the awe of my first widebody, having grown up flying DC-8s and 707s.

StlHsvSfoSan · Tue Sep 02, 2014 1:07 am

A few years ago, I was on a WN flight BWI-SDF-STL. The BWI-SDF leg was mostly full, but most people got off in Louisville. Five people got on in Louisville, plus 5 people that stayed on the plane from BWI, for a total of 10 people on the SDF-STL leg. It is always having the row in front, your row, and the row behind empty !

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