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Man gets entire American Airlines flight to himself after 18-hour delay

Despite an 18-hour delay, Phil Stringer said it was one of his best flights yet.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Imagine having an entire flight to yourself. That dream became reality for a man who waited out an 18-hour delay for his flight to Charlotte over the weekend. 

Phil Stringer got extra special treatment from his American Airlines crew after the lengthy delay resulted in him being the only passenger on the flight out of Oklahoma City. Instead of being put up in a hotel until a better flight was available, Stringer decided to just stay at the airport. 

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What happened when he got on the plane was worth the wait as the crew helped make the most of a really bad situation. A video he posted to TikTok has been viewed more than 19 million times. 

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"But you can tell when they were walking up, they're like, 'Why did this not get canceled, why are we even here?'" Stringer told WCNC Charlotte. "So immediately we just started picking on each other." 

Despite the delay and a totally empty plane, Stringer said it was one of the best flights he's ever taken. 

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