Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
The Independent UK
The Independent UK
Natalie Wilson

Passenger accidentally gets ‘private jet’ experience with Delta after monster 14-hour delay

Flight DL 2080 reportedly flew with just one passenger on Friday - (Getty Images)

A delayed Delta Air Lines passenger landed a “private” flight experience after all other ticket holders rearranged their travel plans.

The Reddit user wrote about their unique journey on flight DL 2080 from San Francisco to Minneapolis in a post on Saturday.

Accompanied by a video of the empty cabin, they wrote: “Accidentally flew private on Delta. Flight ended up being delayed 14 (!!!) hours, so when I showed up to the new flight time, the gate area was completely empty. Apparently every single person on my original flight switched, rather than waiting. So I was the only non-crew member on the flight.”

According to the post, the passenger had free rein of the cabin to sample snacks, visit the cockpit and trade cards with the pilot on landing.

A personalised intercom message as the flight began its descent was also “such a cool experience” for the flyer whose fellow passengers opted to rebook their flights.

The sole Delta passenger praised the “amazing” cabin crew onboard for going “above and beyond to give me a special experience”, however, criticised the airline for their “disappointing” and “inadequate” response to the lengthy delay.

They added that their “only (accidentally) private flight” was ultimately a result of a “really unfortunate and inconvenient delay”.

“Delta couldn’t be bothered to try to make up for this absurd delay that forced me to try to find a Lyft to drive me 30 minutes outside the city at 3am so I could try to sleep before the new flight. So I stood outside in the cold for an hour at 3am while Lyft after Lyft kept cancelling on me. Delta only offered 10k miles and to reimburse the Lyft cost,” the passenger said in the post.

Tracking data shows that flight DL 2080 departed at 2.20pm – 13 hours and 40 minutes after its 12.40am scheduled take-off time.

The Independent has contacted Delta for comment.

For more travel news and advice, listen to Simon Calder’s podcast

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.