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A United Airlines flight from Los Angeles to Shanghai was diverted to San Francisco on Saturday (March 22) after the pilot forgot his passport. United Flight 198, which took off from Los Angeles International Airport at around 2 p.m., had to turn back just two hours into the journey. The flight landed in San Francisco at approximately 5 p.m. with 257 passengers and 13 crew members onboard.
The airline provided meal vouchers and compensation to the passengers due to the inconvenience. A new crew was arranged, and the flight eventually departed for Shanghai at 9 p.m., resulting in a six-hour delay.
Passengers expressed frustration over the incident. One passenger, Yang Shuhan, recalled the pilot announcing over the intercom that he had forgotten his passport. The incident also affected the return flight from Shanghai to Los Angeles, causing a delay of around six hours.
“I’m feeling pretty frustrated,” a passenger told CNN. “Because of the delay, I have to reschedule all my plans for Monday, which is really inconvenient.”