Category Archives: United Airline News

Grounded United Airlines Flight Leaves 250 Passengers Stranded on Runway for 12 Hours

United Airlines passengers faced a travel disaster last weekend when an onboard medical emergency forced an abrupt landing before the Boeing 777 was left immobile for 12 hours on a Canadian runway.

United Flight 179, which was carrying 250 passengers from Newark, New Jersey to Hong Kong, made its unplanned stop in Newfoundland before suffering mechanical issues. Several of the plane’s necessary exits had frozen shut and, upon a mechanic’s investigation and attempts, were unable to be repaired.

A United spokesperson, as cited by the Wall Street Journal, explained that the flight crew wasn’t allowed to release the passengers as they were in a foreign country and had not been cleared through customs. This was the start of their overnight stay, which officially began around 9:30 p.m. at CFB Goose Bay airport on Saturday.

Since the mechanic couldn’t fix the door issue, those boarded on the plane were forced to wait for a backup aircraft to arrive. Given the Newfoundland facility’s relatively remote location, they faced an extended wait period which led to major frustration. Some passengers contacted United Chief Executive Oscar Munoz after the captain reportedly gave out his email address over the intercom and said, “Send him an email right now and tell him how mad you are.”

Some passengers that emailed Munoz claimed that they still hadn’t received a response come Monday.

United Airlines Will Review Flight That Left Passengers Stranded

United Airlines said that it will examine what went wrong on a flight over the weekend that left 250 passengers stranded in a cold Canadian airfield for half a day.

In a statement to The Wall Street Journal, a United spokesperson said that the company is planning to “look at every aspect of this diversion to understand what we could do better.” The response came just days after the passengers were forced to sit on the airfield for 12 hours before another airplane picked them up to return them to the Newark airport.

United Flight 179 was set to carry passengers from Newark to Hong Kong before it was forced to make a stop in Newfoundland, Canada following a passenger’s medical emergency. Prior to departure, the plane suffered a mechanical issue that didn’t allow one of the plane’s doors to work. And because the passengers were now in Canada, with no way to clear customs because the airport didn’t have border control working at night, United (ual) had no choice but to keep them on the plane until help arrived.

For about 12 hours, passengers sat on the plane in the cold waiting for help. Soon, passengers ate through much of the food on the flight, forcing United to have food delivered. Even the flight’s captain had enough and read aloud United CEO Oscar Munoz’s e-mail address. The captain told passengers to e-mail the chief executive and explain their frustration.

A replacement aircraft eventually landed and brought the passengers back to Newark, but the incident caused more than a little displeasure and criticism both from passengers and on social media.

The United spokesperson didn’t say what, if anything, the company would do after its review is complete.

“We apologized to our customers for this experience—our crew and operations did everything possible to assist customers during this delay,” a United spokesperson told Fortune in a statement.

6 Ways To Use United Airlines Miles For Flights To Europe

United MileagePlus members can use their United Airlines miles to travel across the world on more than two dozen airlines. If you’re planning a trip from the United States to Europe, try these six airlines with a variety of amenities. Flights to Europe on these airlines each offer a unique experience. 

Los Angeles, USA – March 29, 2018: A United Airlines Boeing 787 Dreamliner at Los Angeles Int. The airport is seen from a helicopter. photo credit: GettyGetty

Flights to Europe with Lufthansa

Fly first class to Europe with German airline Lufthansa. They are known for having one of the largest aircraft fleets and bringing luxury to air travel. Lufthansa is also the world’s largest purchaser of caviar, which is good news for first and business class travelers. Note that first class seating is limited to a smaller number of aircraft than may be expected. However, if you can get in, this experience is renowned for being consistently excellent.

You can expect delicious meals in addition to the caviar service. There’s a solid selection of complimentary liquor and turn down service on all long haul flights. The seats extend to pretty comfortable beds. Though, the older seat design means that they are less private than the first class seats on other airlines. Aircrafts with first class seating usually have eight seats. The signature rose on each seat is a lovely touch. Lufthansa also offers economy, premium economy, and business class seating.

Flights to Europe with Swiss

Swiss Airlines is known for having some of the best first and business class experiences, but what about economy? Even on longer flights crossing the Atlantic, Swiss Airlines delivers with more comfort and amenities compared to basic services often offered in economy class. The seats are fairly comfortable. The personal entertainment system is quite basic, but has a good selection of new releases.

As you might expect, Swiss Airlines delivers when it comes to in-flight meals. They especially tout their reputation for having some of the best vegetarian options. So even if you aren’t vegetarian, this might be worth trying. You can also expect to sample some Swiss gruyere cheese. You will receive a complimentary Swiss chocolate before departing the plane.

Swiss Airlines also lives up to its reputation for impeccable punctuality. Delays are minimal and it’s even more essential to arrive in time for boarding.

Be aware that some of the older aircraft have bulky boxes that power the entertainment system under the seat, which takes away from some of the leg room. It may also restrict some passengers from storing their personal items under their seat.

Flights to Europe with Air Canada

You can find some amazing deals on flights to Europe by flying out of Montreal or Toronto, but Air Canada also offers transatlantic flights departing from several major cities in the United States. The seats are fairly standard and not as comfortable as found on other airlines, and taller passengers will likely find that it’s a tight squeeze.

When flying economy, keep in mind that wifi is usually not available on these flights. However, the in-house entertainment system is top notch. They offer music, podcasts, travel video guides, and audiobooks. Food in economy class is, unfortunately, typical airplane food. But it will likely be enough to not leave you hungry during the trip.

Flights to Europe with LOT Polish Airlines

LOT Polish Airlines offers a choice of economy, premium economy, and business class seats on its international flights. There are usually 18 lie-flat seats in business class, 21 in premium economy, and more than 200 in economy. When flying premium economy, the seats are roomier. Every seat has individual power plugs and USB ports for passengers to charge their devices. However, the cabin does look a little outdated, despite these flights being on fairly new aircraft.

LOT Polish Airlines is a great choice for premium economy for passengers prioritizing decent meals and being able to sleep on the flight. If you’re relying on wifi to work or a good entertainment system to occupy you through the flight, other airlines outshine this carrier.

Flights to Europe with Scandinavian Airlines

Scandinavian Airlines offers a number of flights going to and from Europe. These connect to several cities in the U.S. including San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Washington, D.C. The seats are very nice for economy, with six inches of reclining space and power parts to charge devices.

Economy service on these flights is very basic. They only offer one choice of meal and other amenities are limiting. Especially for vegetarians or passengers that need to avoid allergens, only having one option is discouraging. The entertainment system is very modern and has many selections. There is wifi service available for an additional fee.

Flights to Europe with United

United Airlines offers flights to more than two dozen cities in Europe. Using your United miles to book business class trips to Europe will help you take those miles a little further. You can look forward to comfy seats that extend to lay flat, luxury Philosophy toiletries, and quality entertainment.

The flight itself will be very comfortable. But, United doesn’t quite stack up to its competitors when it comes to the food and beverage service. United also offers economy and first class seating. If you plan on using United, don’t forget to use your United℠ Explorer Card to take your trip a step further. 

No matter what flights to Europe you choose, you’ll have an even better time once you get there!

Chicago-bound United flight from Phoenix rolls off O’Hare runway

A flight from Phoenix to Chicago faced a harrowing landing when the plane rolled off the snowy runway.

United Airlines flight 656 slid off the runway at O’Hare International Airport late Saturday morning after departing from Sky Harbor International Airport. 

Natalie Noonan, a spokeswoman with United Airlines, said the plane rolled off the concrete runway because of weather conditions. There were no reported injuries and passengers were taken off the plane and bused to a terminal.

The Chicago Tribune reported that firefighters helped the plane’s 129 passengers off the aircraft and that the runway had been inspected 30 minutes before the incident.

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Passengers were stuck on a United Airlines flight for 14 hours as the temperature fell 20 below zero

Passengers aboard a United Airlines flight from Newark, New Jersey, to Hong Kong were left stuck on the ground for more than 14 hours in frigid weather with a dwindling supply of food.

The nightmarish incident began when the 3:05 p.m. flight was diverted to the Goose Bay Airport in the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador due to a medical emergency. The plane

landed there at 9:31 p.m. AST

, and medical personnel met the aircraft and a passenger was taken to a local hospital.

But as the flight was set to take off again, it experienced a mechanical issue.

That’s when the waiting began.

Passengers were not allowed to leave the airplane because the Goose Bay Airport did not have a customs officer on duty during the overnight hours. Saturday bled into Sunday, and still the flight remained grounded.

Sonjay Dutt, a passenger on the plane, said on Twitter that the plane’s door had broken and that they were stuck on board as the weather dipped to negative-20 degrees outside. Unable to leave for hours upon hours, he began tweeting at United for help, saying that they were running low on food.

On Sunday morning, Goose Bay officials brought on donuts and coffee from Tim Hortons, the classic Canadian fast food restaurant.

United had food delivered to the passengers and “the crew is doing everything possible to assist customers,” a United spokesperson said.

Finally, after more than 14 hours, Dutt was able to get off the plane with the rest of the passengers.

“Its been a long long long long day,” he tweeted.

Lloyd Slade, another passenger on the plane, said he was “just very tired, at this point” on Sunday. “Cabin/flight crew have been excellent and very helpful (United HQ/dispatch, not so much.)”

An alternative aircraft containing meals for the passengers was flown to Goose Bay to transport customers back to Newark.

“We apologize to our customers and our crew is doing everything possible to assist them during the delay,” the company said.

Passenger Steven Lau thanked those who brought Tim Hortons on board.

“(I) feel partly relieved to be on a new plane, but the crew is still loading bags and preparing the aircraft, so not certain when we’ll actually take off,” he said. “It’s nearing 24 hours since we originally took off from Newark, so we’re all feeling restless and frustrated. I’m just ready to be off the plane and finished with this experience.”

Lau said some passengers on the flight had decided to scrap their trips entirely in the wake of the overnight stay on the tarmac. He is planning to wait to see how United can get him there ASAP, he said.

United Airlines Plane Skids Off Runway at Chicago O’Hare Airport

A United Airlines plane skidded off a runway at Chicago O’Hare International Airport just before noon on Saturday, Chicago fire officials said.

No injuries were reported of the 129 people aboard Flight 656 from Phoenix when it rolled off the concrete.

Chicago Fire Department Officials said the incident was most likely due to the weather. Chicago has seen continuous snowfall since Friday night and more than 900 flights have been canceled.

Department of Aviation spokeswoman Karen Pride said officials immediately responded to the incident. “No injuries have been reported, and passengers have been deplaned safely,” Pride said. “We are in the process of working with United Airlines and our city partners to recover the aircraft.”

Passengers were escorted off the plane and then transported to the terminal.

United passengers to be flown to Newark after being stranded 13 hours at airport in Canada – WABC

Hundreds of United Airlines passengers will be flown to Newark Liberty International Airport after being stranded for over 13 hours at an airport in Canada.

United Flight 179 traveling from Newark to Hong Kong was diverted to Goose Bay Airport in Newfoundland, Canada due to a medical emergency onboard.

The airline says medical personnel met the aircraft at the gate and the customer was transported to a local hospital.

But the plane was unable to take off again, because of a mechanical problem with one of the doors.

United Airlines released a statement that read in part: “The airport did not have customs officers overnight so we were not able to let customers depart the aircraft. An alternative aircraft is being flown in to transport customers back to Newark. We apologize to our customers and our crew is doing everything possible to assist them during the delay.”

The flight was carrying 250 passengers and 15 crew members.

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