LOS ANGELES, USA – A United Airlines Boeing 787 flying from Los Angeles to Shanghai was forced to turn back last weekend after it was discovered that one of the pilots had forgotten their passport, leading to significant delays and frustration for passengers.
Flight UA 198 departed from Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) at around 2 p.m. on Saturday, March 22, 2025, with 257 passengers and 13 crew members onboard, headed for Shanghai, China’s largest city.
However, two hours into the flight, the plane turned around and was redirected to San Francisco, where it landed at approximately 5 p.m. local time, according to flight tracking data from FlightAware.
United Airlines confirmed in a statement that the pilot had not brought their passport onboard.
“We arranged for a new crew to take our customers to their destination that evening. Customers were provided with meal vouchers and compensation,” the airline said.
The flight resumed with a new crew at approximately 9 p.m., but the delay resulted in the plane arriving in Shanghai roughly six hours behind schedule.
Yang Shuhan, a Chinese passenger aboard the flight, shared her experience with CNN, describing the pilot’s announcement over the intercom. “I heard the pilot’s very frustrated voice saying he ‘forgot (his) passport.’”
After landing in San Francisco, Yang received two meal vouchers worth $30, which she used at an airport Japanese restaurant.
She also filed a compensation claim on United’s website and was informed to expect a response within 14 business days.
While the delay caused disruption to Yang’s work plans on Monday, March 24, 2025, she expressed understanding, saying she appreciated the pilot’s “honesty.”
However, many fellow passengers were less forgiving, with several taking to China’s RedNote platform to voice their frustration. One popular post, with more than 10,000 likes, questioned, “How could someone mess up this badly at work?”
The ripple effects of the incident were felt on the returning flight, UA 199, from Shanghai to Los Angeles.
A Shanghai-based business traveler, who wished to remain anonymous, told CNN that the flight was delayed by about six hours due to the late arrival of the inbound aircraft.
“I have to reschedule all my plans for Monday, which is really inconvenient,” the passenger said.
Aviation industry expert Shukor Yusof, founder of Endau Analytics, called the mistake “unacceptable” for a global airline like United, describing it as a “lack of discipline.”
He noted that the mistake could cost the airline significantly, factoring in the fuel dumped during the diversion and compensation for affected passengers.
