United Flight Turns Back After Pilot Forgets Passport

A United Airlines flight from Los Angeles to Shanghai had to make a U-turn and divert to San Francisco after one of the pilots realized he forgot his passport. The long-haul flight, UA198, had already been in the air for nearly two hours when the oversight came to light, forcing the plane to reroute back to the West Coast.

The incident happened on March 22 and affected 257 passengers and 13 crew members. United ultimately swapped in a new crew at San Francisco International Airport, allowing the flight to continue its journey later that evening.

While delays happen, this particular one felt especially painful—for both passengers and the airline.

Two Passport Mishaps in One Week

The snafu marks the second time in a week that a United Airlines flight to Shanghai hit turbulence before ever leaving the ground. Just days earlier, on March 14, a different United pilot also forgot their passport before takeoff, delaying Flight UA857 out of LAX for hours while a replacement was found.

Both incidents involved flights to China, where valid crew passports are obviously required.

Aviation analyst Shukor Yusof called the mix-ups “embarrassing” and pointed to a “lack of discipline” at play, saying such mistakes are “unacceptable” at this level of international flying.

The Compensation? A Voucher and $175 Credit

United attempted to smooth things over with passengers by offering $30 in meal vouchers during the unexpected stop in San Francisco. After arriving in Shanghai more than six hours behind schedule, passengers were later given $175 in future travel credit.

Some travelers weren’t impressed, given that they were already over the Pacific before having to turn around. Still, at least one traveler joked that forgetting a passport is a pretty “relatable” mistake—just not one you want from the flight deck.

What This Means for Airline Staff and Passriders

For those of us in the industry (and especially for passriders), this story is a good reminder: international flights don’t forgive missing documents, no matter who you are. If you’re commuting internationally for work or planning a personal trip on your flight benefits, double-check your passport the night before—even if you’re deadheading.

Also worth noting: these kinds of operational missteps don’t exactly inspire confidence in the reliability of premium long-haul travel, especially on routes with tight crew schedules. For passriders hoping to nonrev to Asia, it’s a cautionary tale: your backup plan should have a backup plan.

Long-Term Impact?

While unlikely to result in regulatory consequences, this double passport debacle is already a reputational headache for United. It’s also a wake-up call for airlines about basic but critical crew compliance procedures.

And for the flying public? Let’s just say the “did-I-pack-my-passport” panic will hit a little differently now.

What do you think—should $175 in travel credit be considered fair compensation for a six-hour delay caused by a pilot’s mistake?