United customers took a two-hour flight to nowhere after a pilot forgot their passport and had to turn the China-bound plane back to San Francisco
United Airlines flight 198 with service from Los Angeles to Shanghai, carrying 257 passengers and 13 crew members, was forced to turn around when one of the pilots realized they forgot their passport. United told Fortune "customers were provided with meal vouchers and compensation."
On Saturday, March 22, over 250 passengers flying from Los Angeles to Shanghai had to turn around roughly two hours into their flight because one of the pilots operating the plane forgot their passport.
'The pilot did not have their passport onboard,' United told Fortune in a statement. 'We arranged for a new crew to take our customers to their destination that evening. Customers were provided with meal vouchers and compensation.'
United did not respond to Fortune's question about the specifics of the compensation, but one passenger told CNN they received two meal vouchers totaling $30 after the plane landed in San Francisco.
There have been innumerable instances of passengers criticizing United Airlines over service issues—even within the last few days. This past weekend, Mad Men star January Jones called out United for offering $15 food vouchers to compensate passengers for a 16-hour flight delay. Also, over the weekend, a woman took to TikTok to share how her 21-month-old son with complex needs was treated by staff. Crew members and even the plane's captain allegedly demanded she take her son off his ventilator for takeoff, not understanding the equipment was responsible for keeping her son alive, and not accepting the medical documents she offered as proof of his condition.
United Airlines ranked No. 8 out of the top 11 U.S. airlines in the latest American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI) survey. It was the only airline among the list where its customer satisfaction ranking in 2024 actually fell from 2023; all other airlines saw increases.
This story was originally featured on Fortune.com
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