Stay up to date with notifications from The Independent

Notifications can be managed in browser preferences.

Passenger enjoys entire plane to himself on Philippines Airlines flight

'You can sit anywhere, because you’re the only passenger', the man was told on his flight from Manila to Boracay

Charlotte Beale
Thursday 28 January 2016 20:12 GMT
Comments
Alex Simon was the only passenger on a Philippines Airlines flight from Manila to Boracay
Alex Simon was the only passenger on a Philippines Airlines flight from Manila to Boracay (Youtube/Diary of Alex )

Your support helps us to tell the story

From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.

At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.

The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.

Your support makes all the difference.

Most people hold their breath for an empty seat next to them on the aeroplane.

One man had only empty seats however, when he was the sole passenger on a domestic Philippines Airlines flight from Manila to beach island Boracay.

Austrian travel blogger Alex Simon, 28, had a private jet for the price of one ticket, with the aircraft’s two flight attendants and two pilots the only other people on board.

One flight attendant said to Mr Simon “you can sit anywhere, because you’re the only passenger”, he told MailOnline.

The cabin crew took turns filming Mr Simon for a video of his journey, which he posted online in February 2015.

“It was an unforgettable feeling to take a flight to one of the most beautiful islands of the world, but to be alone and to feel like a superstar made it more special," he said.

“I just had luck, I think, that no one else was interested on this day to fly to paradise.”

Two flight attendants and two pilots accompanied Alex Simon, the only passenger on the flight
Two flight attendants and two pilots accompanied Alex Simon, the only passenger on the flight (Youtube/Diary of Alex)

When he was told he was to be the sole passenger onboard, Mr Simon said he was “surprised” and thought he was dreaming.

“Later while boarding I just realised that it’s gonna be a special flight because this time I didn´t even need to line up," he said.

Boracay is a small island almost 200 miles south of the Filipino capital Manila. Its four kilometre White Beach is frequently ranked as one of the world’s best beaches.

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Comments

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in