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Watch Video From Inside Delta's Flight That Escaped Hurricane Irma

Sept. 08, 2017
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2 min read
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Watch Video From Inside Delta's Flight That Escaped Hurricane Irma
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Passengers aboard Delta flight 302 had quite the experience on Wednesday. Their 737-900 took off at 12:52PM local from San Juan, Puerto Rico, to New York JFK packed full with 173 travelers — the last flight out of SJU before Hurricane Irma's full force hit the island. It had landed just 40 minutes earlier, weaving its way through the hurricane's outer bands, after many other flights had diverted to other airports rather than try and land in San Juan.

When the story broke on Wednesday, there were only images from flight tracking site FlightRadar24 and a short video of the jet taking off:

This video was taken showing the 737 after it had touched down, turned around in a rapid 35 minutes and then took off again, fighting Irma's winds and rain:


Inside Edition gained access to some footage taken inside of the flight when the aircraft was taking off. The passengers can be heard saying "Goodbye Puerto Rico" and later "We are in the air."

Although the video is short, it still displays tons of rain streaming across the windows with incredibly gray and cloudy skies in the background — all generated by the category 5 hurricane. Sheila Sellers, who was aboard the aircraft, told Inside Edition that "I put my head in my lap and just covered my ears." Later in the interview Sellers added, "On a scale of one to ten on that flight I would say I was an 11."

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“Flight 431 from New York-JFK arrived at 12:01 p.m. to nine miles of visibility and light rain. Winds were around 24 knots with gusts up to 31 knots,” Delta said in a statement. Those numbers are “all well below operating limits for the 737-900ER to safely operate,” the airline added. Flight 302 arrived at JFK on Wednesday at 4:22pm.

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  • Packed with credits foodies will enjoy
  • Solid welcome bonus

Cons

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  • Some may have trouble using Uber and other dining credits
  • You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
  • Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
  • Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
  • Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
  • Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com.
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  • $84 Dunkin' Credit: With the $84 Dunkin' Credit, you can earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you enroll and pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin' locations. Enrollment is required to receive this benefit.
  • $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card to dine at U.S. Resy restaurants or make other eligible Resy purchases. That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
  • $120 Dining Credit: Satisfy your cravings, sweet or savory, with the $120 Dining Credit. Earn up to $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, and Five Guys. Enrollment required.
  • Explore over 1,000 upscale hotels worldwide with The Hotel Collection and receive a $100 credit towards eligible charges* with every booking of two nights or more through AmexTravel.com. *Eligible charges vary by property.
  • No Foreign Transaction Fees.
  • Annual Fee is $325.
  • Terms Apply.