Being let into other countries via the proper documentation has been a massive conversation over the last few years. This is especially so when it comes to who can and can’t come into the United States. However, so long as you have everything accounted for before you arrive at your destination, it shouldn’t be a problem, right? Well, one group of flight passengers saw firsthand just how important it is to have the right documentation when their United Airlines flight to China needed to turn back because the pilot forgot his passport.
In the above X post, you get a more profound account of what happened on United Airlines Flight 198. The flight left the Los Angeles International Airport at about 2:00 pm towards Shanghai. However, about two hours in, the flight needed to divert for San Francisco after the pilot realized he didn’t have his passport. For context, a passport is a bit like a driver’s license for pilots in the context that it allows them into most countries they fly into if they happen to be international.
“they couldn’t send it with ANYONE on the next flight there?! come on!”
Personally, I would be livid if an already long flight was delayed any more than it needed to be. Fortunately, passengers felt the same, and they demanded compensation from the popular airline. The more than 250 people aboard the flight were provided with meal vouchers and compensation. When the flight was ready to take off again, an entirely new crew boarded the plane, with the former leaving. After a delay of about six hours, the plane finally landed in Shanghai.
This hasn’t been a very good year for airlines. We’ve already reported various plane crashes this year, and late last year, a software glitch caused all airlines to halt altogether. Hopefully, those aboard the flight will never have to deal with such a delay ever again.
