He had a plane to himself after an 18-hour delay. What happened next was a wild ride

Phil Stringer bonded with the crew members on his recent flight from Oklahoma City to Charlotte, N.C. He even plans to visit them in Dallas later this month. (Phil Stringer)

Phil Stringer lived both a traveler's nightmare and dream come true all in one day recently when he waited out an 18-hour flight delay to find himself the only passenger on the plane.

Stringer, 34, is the chief operating officer of a real estate brokerage and also consults with businesses about using AI. He travels frequently for work and, despite the many woes plaguing the airline industry, says his trips have generally gone smoothly — until one Sunday late last month.