Kicker: A flight to nowhere

NICK EICHER, HOST: Groundhog Day was two weeks ago, but for a plane-full of travelers trying to make it from New Zealand to New York it was like the movie.

AUDIO: Groundhog Day!!! Get out and see that hog out there. Soooie, sooie! snort-snort-snort

Stop me if you’ve heard this before.

Last Friday, passengers boarded the plane—a non-stop flight from Auckland. The plane landed 16 hours later right back where it started.

After about 8 hours into the trip, the Air New Zealand flight got word of an electrical fire at JFK. So the airline chose to turn the plane around, which was judged the least worst option.

The airline did apologize—profusely—promising to book each passenger on the next available flight to New York.

AUDIO: Groundhog Day!!! Get out and see that hog out there. Soooie, sooie! snort-snort-snort

Oh, not that again!

I guess the only question that remains is whether they arrive in New York much-improved people.

REICHARD: Character building!

EICHER: It’s The World and Everything in It.

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