Eclipse flights gleanings

The Daily News Jul 23, p. 10 has a picture from a Sichuan airlines eclipse flight: http://is.gd/1ReSK
Apparently there were 5 flights out of Chongqing - ironically it was clear there.
Did anyone know about this before?

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-china-eclipse22-2009jul22,0,6659536.story
"When the eclipse passed over Chengdu, in Sichuan province, passengers on five specially chartered Sichuan Airlines flights chased the moon's shadow on its trajectory across the country, enveloped in darkness for more than half an hour before landing in Shanghai. The price was $200, and few seats were empty."

http://sissixqy.blogbus.com/logs/42808705.html
"Rain, not the moon, casts a shadow over Shanghai - But even if it was not directly visible, the eclipse brought its fair ...said the pilots of her Sichuan Airlines flight from Chengdu to ...A group of true eclipse enthusiasts had decided not to leave it to chance. They boarded a specially chartered aircraft in Chongqing and chased the lunar shadow from above the clouds."

http://winewriter.wordpress.com/2009/07/22/chasing-the-total-eclipse-of-the-sun-july-22-2009
nice review about India and China
"Sichuan Airlines chartered five special flights for passengers to chase the moon’s shadow on its trajectory across China, starting in Chengdu... Planes were full, and the price of a seat was $200."

Details about the Japanese eclipse flight:
http://airlineroute.blogspot.com/2009/06/ana-solar-eclipse-sight-seeing-flight.html
20090609 ANA Solar Eclipse sight-seeing flight ANA on 22JUL09 will operate 1-time only Solar Eclipse observation flight. The Solar Eclipse is due 22JUL09 and can be seen in Japan for the first time in 46 years.ANA is operating a Boeing 777-200 aircraft operating to/from Kagoshima, which lasts approximately 2 hours circling around southern part of Kagoshima, but is subject to change. It will only sell a maximum of up to 193 seats only, mostly window seats for observation purposesKOJ0955 - 1155KOJ 772 (scheduled)