Spending more than 3,000 USD to hunt for solar eclipse on plane

Do Trinh spent more than 3,300 USD to fly from the Netherlands for nearly 30 hours to the US, just to witness the total solar eclipse from an altitude of more than 9,000 meters for 5 minutes.

"The eclipse started like a golden sunset. The sky then darkened, the Moon appeared to cover the Sun, and a white halo was emitted around it. Passengers told each other to find the best angles to admire the scene," Do Trinh recounted the moment of welcoming the total solar eclipse from an altitude of more than 9,000 meters on Delta Airline flight 1218.

The total solar eclipse on April 8 in North America was one of the largest and most impressive solar eclipses in hundreds of years.

Trinh, a 47-year-old IT specialist from Amsterdam, Netherlands, caught the total solar eclipse as the plane crossed the Missouri-Arkansas state line. The pilot made maneuvers to turn the plane around so that passengers on both sides could get the best view of the eclipse. The experience lasted about two minutes, "long enough for a couple to propose on a plane," Trinh said.

Mr. Do Trinh and the photo of the solar eclipse seen from an airplane. Photo: Do Trinh — Mr. Do Trinh and the photo of the solar eclipse seen from an airplane. Photo: *BBC*

This is one of two special flights operated by Delta Airlines, USA, to allow passengers to admire the total solar eclipse above the clouds. The aircraft used for this special flight is an Airbus A220, with large windows, convenient for passengers to observe the scene outside.

Demand for eclipse viewing on these two flights was so high that all 130 seats on the flight from Austin were sold out within 24 hours of going on sale.

Mr. Trinh had traveled to France to see the total solar eclipse in 1999, but when he saw the photo of the eclipse taken from an airplane, he knew he would have to find an opportunity to experience it.

"Seeing the eclipse from 9,000 metres is a completely different experience," he said. "It's something you can only do once in your lifetime."

Trinh searched for flights along the path of the total eclipse before deciding to book a Delta flight from San Antonio, Texas, to Detroit, Michigan, for $500. But the flight was later rescheduled and the eclipse was not visible.

Trinh decided to try again and found Delta Flight 1218 from Austin, Texas, to Detroit. A few weeks later, Delta announced that it would be its official total eclipse flight, causing ticket prices to skyrocket.

Mr. Trinh spent a total of more than 3,300 USD, taking 4 flights from Amsterdam, to be able to go to Austin, board the Airbus A220 to watch the eclipse.

"Witnessing the eclipse with my own eyes was a unique experience. I got goosebumps, it was magical," Trinh said, adding that he had almost forgotten the wonderful feeling of watching the 1999 eclipse in northern France.

"It takes a poet to describe a solar eclipse, not an IT guy," Trinh said.

A total solar eclipse occurs when the Moon passes between the Earth and the Sun, causing the Sun to gradually become completely obscured as seen from Earth. When this happens, the sky becomes dark, similar to that of sunrise or sunset.

NASA estimates that 31.6 million people live within the path of this total solar eclipse, significantly more than the 12 million people who lived during the 2017 total eclipse.