Not one but two United Airlines pilots have forgotten their passports this month, triggering diversions and lengthy delays for passengers.
Saturday’s United flight 198 from Los Angeles to Shanghai was diverted to San Francisco International Airport “as the pilot did not have their passport on board,” an airline spokesperson told Business Insider.
“We arranged for a new crew to take our customers to their destination that evening. Customers were provided with meal vouchers and compensation.”
The Boeing 787-9 was carrying 257 passengers and 13 crew.
The diversion was a hot topic in the subreddit r/unitedairlines over the weekend. Some shared the message United had sent passengers, apologizing for the disruption, and describing the situation as “an unexpected crew-related issue requiring a new crew.”
“Once they arrive, we’ll get you back on your way to Shanghai as soon as possible,” the message read. “We sincerely apologize for this disruption and appreciate your patience.”
Some Redditors noticed another United flight had been delayed on March 14 — also heading to Shanghai from LAX.
“Is this the same guy who forgot his passport on March 14?!” wrote a user named simplegrocery3. Commenters concluded that it was unlikely to be the same pilot.
United said in a statement that flight UA857, a Boeing 777 heading for Shanghai with 348 passengers and 16 crew, was delayed on March 14 “prior to departure due to one of the pilots not having their passport.”
“A new pilot was brought in, and the flight subsequently departed for Shanghai,” the spokesperson said.
Diverting a plane is costly, due to the expense of replacement crew, compensation for passengers — and possibly dumping fuel as well.
It’s far from the first time that pilots have forgotten their passports. In 2019, a T’way Air flight from Vietnam to Seoul was delayed by 11 hours when the pilot lost his passport and couldn’t enter the airport, The Korea Times reported.
