Southern California will get a nice, “partial” view of Monday’s epic solar eclipse passing through much of the U.S., but those looking for the full experience are flocking to Los Angeles International Airport on Monday morning.
According to the Federal Aviation Administration, higher than normal travel volumes were expected in the coming days due to the eclipse, especially those along the line of totality.
Many outside of that thin path are traveling in search of a prime view of the rare phenomenon that NASA says won’t be visible from the U.S. again until 2044.
KTLA 5’s Erin Myers went to LAX on Monday morning and spoke to travelers hoping to catch a glimpse of the eclipse when they land from their flight.
“I think we’re going to be a little bit north of the actual path,” said Michelle Santillan, who was flying from L.A. to Detroit on Monday. “[But] we’re excited … We’re supposed to be at 99.4% [totality] so we’re not at 100% but we’re close.”
While travel to locations on the path of totality was in high-demand, a flight to one of those cities wasn’t the only way to view the event. Delta Airlines was offering unique flights from Texas to Detroit that would enable a special in-air viewing experience.
Two of these special flights were available, one leaving from Austin and the other from Dallas. The Austin flight sold out in less than 24 hours, Delta said.
These flights were set to perform a series of turns to allow views from both sides of the plane. The airline was working with the FAA to clear the unique flight path.
A couple of flights departing from LAX to San Antonio and Dallas-Fort Worth are also considered “eclipse flights” and could offer some views.
The FAA said flights could be affected due to the eclipse through Wednesday. Rerouting is possible as a result.