ELSE being annoying? Ha. That's what a typical flight looks like. But what if you had the

whole plane just for yourself? Before you say that it's possible only for rich people

who fly private jets, just listen to this…

Sometimes airlines have to operate commercial flights with only one (in some cases 2 or

3) passenger. As you can guess, these lucky guys get a first-class experience for the

price of an economy ticket. But why would airlines do so? Don’t such flights just

make them lose money and it would be more logical to cancel them? Well, when they make

a decision to fly an nearly empty plane, they have to take into consideration much more

than headcount.

The first and most important thing is logistics. Airlines schedule their flights months (or

even a year!) in advance. These complicated timetables need every plane to be at a specific

place at specified times. Most planes don’t just fly back and forth between two airports.

They have to fly to a number of different locations along a specified route. That’s

how it can look on any given day: an empty plane rushes from airport A to airport B where

a full house of passengers is waiting to get to airport C by dinner.

Besides, airline crews use empty planes to reposition crew workers to the places where

they’re needed. Also, each plane has to go through maintenance which often happens

overnight. And since maintenance is performed at pre-planned intervals, a plane has to be

at the right place and time. So canceling a flight just because it’s lightly booked

can disrupt this intricate web of different timetables, turning the perfect system into

chaos. What’s more, all airlines are required by law to fly on schedule. Otherwise, they

can face government sanctions. The exceptions to this rule mostly include unavoidable delays,

such as mechanical errors or bad weather.

Now let’s remember that planes usually carry not only passengers but freight as well. So,

even if the flight is under-booked, the cargo holds can be full. And revenue from the cargo

can cover most of the expenses for this particular flight.

But why wouldn’t airlines have a fire sale of seats on such empty planes close to flight

time? If you’ve ever traveled by plane, you know that planning your trip many months

in advance will save you money spent on tickets. Airlines offer lower prices only for early

bird seats. Those passengers who buy tickets at short notice will have to pay much more.

And this is how airlines get extra income. So, if they suddenly started selling cheaper

tickets right before the departure just to fill an empty plane, it would compromise the

proven pricing model. People would stop booking flights beforehand, waiting for a discount,

and airlines would lose money they usually get from passengers who make last-minute decisions

about their trips.

And if you're wondering now whether there's some smart scheme that can let you catch the

plane that will be only for you, I'll have to disappoint you – predicting this is next

to impossible. Your chances to win this transportation lottery are slim. You have to fly 95 times

and somewhere between your flight #96 and #100 you might hit the jackpot. But there're

still some tips that can help you get a more comfortable trip by having an empty seat next

to yours that will allow you to get better sleep and stretch your legs.

Keep checking the seat map of your plane on an airline website. If you see that the row

you chose during booking looks full right before online check-in opens, make a switch

to one that looks like it may be empty. You’re not 100% guaranteed to get extra room, but

your chances will be higher.

If you travel with a companion and your plane has 3 seats in a row, don't book seats next

to each other. Pick aisle and window seats leaving the middle one vacant and hope that

no one will choose it. Everybody knows that middle seats are the worst since you’re

awkwardly stuck between two strangers. However, if the plane is densely booked and the middle

seat gets occupied, in most cases it won’t be a problem to swap seats with your neighbor.

Another way to get an empty seat is to fly a new airline or route. Often you’ll get

the best service since the airline tries to build up reputation on a new market. And on

a freshly introduced route or a new airline having a lighter passenger load is highly

likely since it usually takes some time for customers to grab those seats.

And the last one – choose connecting airports wisely. Packed planes are a typical thing

for mega-hubs while smaller airports don't get sold-outs.

And while you're trying to put up with the fact that an empty seat is your only bet and

the dream about an empty flight is hard to reach, take a look at other unusual flights…

The snake flight. In 2016, passengers on a Mexican flight noticed

a green snake hanging from the overhead compartment. One of the passengers decided to capture the

moment on his phone camera but then the snake started making its way to the floor. The person

jumped from their seat unbuckling the belt in a blink of an eye. Luckily, no one got

bitten since everyone onboard kept their distance from the snake. The pilots still made an emergency

landing in Mexico City, though. The employees tried to figure out how the animal got on

the plane but failed. Have any idea how this could happen? Let me know in the comments!

The longest non-stop passenger flight In October 2019, Australian carrier Qantas

decided to test the long-haul route from New York to Sydney and see how such a journey

would affect both passengers and the crew. 49 people on board spent 19 hours and 16 minutes

in the air traveling a 10,000-mile route. To have enough fuel without re-fueling, the

plane took off with restricted baggage load and no cargo. During the flight, they examined

how crossing so many time zones affects people's bodies by monitoring brain waves and alertness

of the pilots and the levels of melatonin of passengers. However, it was only a test,

and Qantas plans to make this flight regular in 2022.

The falling gold flight. In 2018, a plane was taking off from Yakutsk

in Russia. The cargo was probably too heavy for the latch of the plane’s door and it

started falling out right on the runway. Now imagine a typical runway littered with gold

bars, gems, and precious metals. Because this is what the cargo was. All those valuables

belonged to a Canadian mining company that planned to transport the goods. The loss of

the company because of this incident was valued at staggering $368 million. Since the plane

flew a few miles from the airport before landing, some gems or gold might have fallen into someone's

yard. If this happened to my yard, I'd buy a new car! What about you?

The shortest scheduled passenger flight. We’re so used to long and exhausting trips

by plane. But this flight will take you… just 2 minutes! In the Orkney Islands in Scotland,

there are two airports, Westray and Papa Westray, that are located in spitting distance from

each other. The air journey between them covers a distance of 16 mi. You’re gonna be up

in the sky for about 47 seconds and then about a minute the pilots need for taxiing, takeoff,

and landing. This route connects two nearby inhabited pieces of land in the North Sea.

They carry kids to school, bring some cargo, and as an amusing experience for tourists

who come to see the huge amount of historical and archaeological sites on the islands.

The shortest international passenger flight. It takes only 8 minutes to get from St. Gallen-Altenrhein

in Switzerland to Friedrichshafen in Germany. The plane flies over a big, long Constance

Lake that separates these two countries. The flights are frequent but not overcrowded;

they usually carry up to 50 people at a time. There are other ways to travel between the

two cities – by car and by ferry, but it's 10 times longer than by air.

Hey, if you learned something new today, then give the video a like and share it with a

friend! And here are some other cool videos I think you'll enjoy. Just click to the left

or right, and stay on the Bright Side of life!