Passenger Who Waited Out 18 Hour Delay Gets Entire Plane to Himself and Parties

Most travelers dream of walking onto a flight and discovering that they are the only person in the entire row. However, one man recently was treated to the experience of a lifetime, when he learned that he was the only passenger on the whole plane. Instead of kicking back in first class, taking advantage of the peace and quiet, and spending the flight sleeping, he did the opposite: He hosted a "private party" and shared about the experience on TikTok. 

Phil Stringer's original flight from Oklahoma City to Charlotte, North Carolina, was scheduled for 6:20 a.m. However, after delay and delay, the flight was pushed back a whopping 18 hours. The other passengers got out on earlier flights, but he decided to wait it out. "I think it was seven delays and it ended up being eighteen hours," Stringer has said. "The flight was supposed to take off at 6 A.M. and it took off at midnight the next day." As he hung out at a Starbucks, "Someone from the airport came up to me and said 'Hey you don't have to be on the Charlotte flight right?" Stringer said. "I said I was, and then learned the plane finally came." Then: "I show up to the gate and nobody is there," Stringer said. "I asked the agent if they already boarded. She said no and that I was the only person there."

When he got to the gate shortly after midnight, he thought he missed the flight. "I went to the gate, and nobody was there. I was like, 'Did you guys already board everyone?'" he told Insider.

The flight attendant "was like, 'No, honey, you're the only passenger,'" he said. "I apologized like 400 times," he added, feeling bad that the flight crew had to show up late at night just for him. "They were kind of teasing me, like, 'Really, bro, you couldn't have left a few hours later?'" 

He decided to turn the flight into a "private party," sitting in first-class and taking advantage of  top-notch food and drink service."I believe that your attitude determines your destination," Stringer said. "Yeah, it was a sucky day. No one wants to stay in the airport for 18 hours, but if you have a positive view, you can turn something into a lot of fun." 

"When you buy every single ticket on the plane so you don't have to deal with people," Stringer wrote in his now-viral TikTok clip. "(Just kidding, it was delayed 18 hours and everyone else gave up)."

In the video, which has amassed over 15.4 million views, Stringer has fun with the flight attendants, who seem to be having the time of their lives hosting the party of one. After the announcements, one of them said, "And yeah, Phil, this message is just for you."

Now, he is finally home in North Carolina. "I am a firm believer that attitude determines direction," Stringer has said. Of his experience, he said: "It was eerie because you're not used to being the only person on the plane and there is no one behind you," Stringer said. "I am the only person here."