United Airlines Flight UA 198 from Los Angeles to Shanghai had to turn around two hours into its journey because the pilot forgot his passport.
The aircraft, which had taken off from LAX just before 2:00 p.m. local time on Saturday, March 22, was diverted to San Francisco, according to CNN and ABC 7 Eyewitness News. This unexpected development caused significant delays, frustrating passengers who were eager to reach their destination.
United Airlines issued a statement to CNN explaining that the pilot did not have his passport onboard. The airline arranged for a new crew to take the passengers to Shanghai later that evening. To compensate for the delay, United provided meal vouchers and additional compensation to those affected. Despite these measures, many passengers expressed frustration over the incident, feeling that the disruption was preventable.
The flight carried 257 passengers and 13 crew members when the diversion occurred.
According to the flight tracking website Flight Aware, the plane landed at San Francisco International Airport at 5:05 p.m. local time. Passengers had to wait several hours as United worked to assemble a replacement crew. The airline assured customers that they would depart for Shanghai as soon as possible.
Eventually, the flight took off from San Francisco at 8:28 p.m. and reached Shanghai at 12:48 a.m. local time on March 24, arriving six hours behind schedule. Although the airline attempted to accommodate passengers with food and compensation, many voiced their dissatisfaction. Some passengers took to social media to criticize United Airlines for the unexpected setback.
A message sent to passengers during the flight described the diversion as a “crew-related issue” that required a new team to take over. The airline apologized for the disruption and assured travelers they were working on a solution. However, the vague explanation left many passengers frustrated, as they felt they deserved a more detailed response regarding the nature of the delay.
Yang Shuhan, a Chinese passenger on the flight, told CNN that the pilot announced in a “very frustrated voice” over the intercom that he had forgotten his passport. She reported receiving two meal vouchers worth $30 but was still waiting for a direct response to her compensation claim. Her experience reflected the frustrations of many travelers who felt inconvenienced by the unexpected turn of events.
Another passenger took to social media platform X, formerly Twitter, to express outrage. He directly addressed United Airlines, stating that being stuck for over six hours due to the pilot’s mistake was “completely unacceptable.” He demanded to know what compensation the airline would offer for what he described as a “total mishandling” of the situation. His post quickly gained attention from others who shared similar grievances.
United Airlines responded to the complaint on X, apologizing for the disruption and directing the passenger to their Agent On Demand team for further assistance.
However, the traveler remained unsatisfied, arguing that the airline should take full responsibility for allowing such an error to occur. He emphasized that every affected passenger deserved proper compensation.
Other travelers expressed their outrage on the Chinese social media platform RedNote, where they described the incident as “speechless” and “outrageous.” The backlash highlighted widespread dissatisfaction among passengers, many of whom felt that such a mistake should never have happened. The delay affected schedules, business plans, and personal commitments, intensifying frustration among those aboard.
As criticism continued to mount, media outlets reached out to United Airlines for further comment. A spokesperson for the airline did not immediately respond to requests for clarification. The incident raised concerns about airline protocol and how such an oversight could have occurred. Many passengers hoped that United would address the issue more thoroughly in the coming days.
While United Airlines worked to mitigate the fallout by offering meal vouchers and compensation, the incident left a lasting impression on those affected.
Travelers questioned how an airline of United’s stature could allow such an oversight to happen. Moving forward, passengers expected the airline to implement stricter policies to prevent similar issues from disrupting future flights.
This unexpected turn of events demonstrated the importance of thorough pre-flight checks, especially for long-haul international journeys. Although the flight eventually reached its destination, the delay underscored the consequences of a seemingly simple mistake. The situation served as a lesson for airlines to reinforce procedural protocols and ensure that flight crews are fully prepared before departure.