Couple Flies Solo on Empty Air France Plane from Morocco to Paris

Thomas and Julie* lived a unique experience on Wednesday, July 13, returning from Morocco, where they spent a week of vacation in Agadir, reports Le Progrès. "We were waiting in the boarding lounge when they came to get us and told us that we would be the only ones on the flight; we really had a hard time believing it," Julie still marvels. Before they boarded the plane, 138 seats were empty. "You are among the few in the world to whom this has happened," the captain estimated. The latter and the flight attendants were attentive to this couple from the Ain region.

"We really felt like privileged people, we were treated like VIPs," acknowledges Julie. Her husband Thomas testifies: "They made this moment unique, addressing their announcements over the microphone to ’our two charming passengers.’ They even offered us a champagne meal. We hesitated a bit, but the event deserved it well."

This first-class return to France is explained by the cancellation of a Transavia flight between Agadir and Lyon. "We had pre-checked in the day before without any problem; it was only when we arrived at the airport on Wednesday morning that we learned that the flight had been canceled," explains Julie. Transavia had forgotten to notify by email about a dozen travelers, including this couple, of the cancellation of this flight.

This is how an aircraft chartered urgently by Air France, which was supposed to exclusively allow passengers departing from Roissy to go to Agadir after the cancellation of their Transavia flight, due to the strike and which had not planned to accommodate passengers on its return to France, allowed Thomas and Julie to return to Paris. A trip whose fuel cost amounts to 8,000 euros while the couple boarded with two tickets at 190 euros each.

* Borrowed first name