A United Airlines flight bound for Shanghai had to turn around mid-flight after a pilot realized they had forgotten their passport. The unexpected detour caused hours of delay for passengers, who were compensated with just a $15 meal voucher—an amount many found laughable given the circumstances.
The flight, UA198, a Boeing 787-9 carrying 257 passengers and 13 crew members, took off from Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) at 2:00 PM on March 22, 2025. Everything seemed normal as the aircraft climbed to cruising altitude and headed across the Pacific.
However, about two hours in, the crew realized that one of the four onboard pilots had forgotten their passports. This posed a significant problem—without proper documentation, the pilot wouldn’t be allowed into China, potentially disrupting the flight’s return trip. Instead of continuing the journey, United returned and landed at San Francisco International Airport (SFO) at around 5:00 PM.
For many passengers, the frustration began the moment they touched down. While the airline worked to arrange a new crew, travelers were left waiting in the terminal for hours. A replacement crew was finally secured, and the flight took off again at 8:28 PM, arriving in Shanghai at 12:48 AM on March 24—six hours later than planned.
A long delay is one thing. But what set off passengers was United’s attempt at compensation. As many pointed out, the airline handed out meal vouchers worth just $15—a sum that doesn’t go far at an airport.
One passenger took to social media to vent their frustration, posting on X (formerly Twitter):
“UA198 diverted to SFO because the pilot forgot his passport? Now stuck for over six hours. Completely unacceptable. United, what compensation are you offering for this total mishandling?”
Another traveler jokingly commented:
“$15 at an airport? That gets you a bottle of water and half a granola bar!”
United Airlines released a statement acknowledging the incident but downplaying the frustration.
“On Saturday, flight UA198 from Los Angeles to Shanghai landed at San Francisco International Airport because the pilot did not have their passport onboard. We arranged for a new crew to transport customers to their destination that evening. Customers were provided with meal vouchers and compensation.”
Interestingly, this wasn’t the first time United had a passport-related issue. A week earlier, on March 14, another United flight to Shanghai experienced a similar problem when a pilot’s missing passport was discovered before takeoff. That flight was delayed, but I managed to avoid a mid-air turnaround.
The repeated nature of these incidents has raised concerns about United’s pre-flight verification process. Many passengers and aviation enthusiasts question why pilot passport checks aren’t as strict as other pre-flight procedures.
One Reddit user sarcastically suggested:
“They have checklists for everything—fuel, maintenance, safety. Maybe add ‘Do you have your passport?’ to the list!”
Many passengers are still fuming over the meager compensation. In other countries, such as those under European Union regulations, passengers would have been entitled to up to $650 for a preventable delay of this magnitude. In the U.S., however, no such standardized compensation exists, leaving airlines to decide on a case-by-case basis.
