Delta Flight 486 from Atlanta to New York on March 8th had two very special guests flying in First Class. Pete and Penny, penguins from Sea World, surprised their fellow passengers as they waddled up and down the aisles.
Before giving these little guys the opportunity to move freely about at an altitude of 30,000 feet, the captain asked if anyone was allergic to them.
The passengers thought it was a joke and commented to each other:
“How would we even know if we were?”
“He can’t be serious.”
Passengers were allowed to take pictures of Pete and Penny as they walked past, but the captain prohibited any petting.
These 18 inch seabirds were on their way to the premiere of “Frozen Planet,” a new Discovery Channel documentary series narrated by Alec Baldwin. The screening, held Thursday at the Lincoln Center, was followed by a “polar-themed” party, hosted by Baldwin, Dustin Hoffman and Glenn Close, among others.
This is not the first time that penguins have gained flight; last month, three penguins on Southwest’s Orlando-to-La Guardia trek were released from their kennels mid-flight to surprise passengers.
Another two penguins from Sea World made an appearance last March on a Southwest flight to San Diego from San Francisco where they attended a science convention.