for reference, the captain was female. so many comments that "he" took after the pax and children... just an interesting observation.
she was soft spoken and you could barely hear her emergency announcement. but, she did a hell of a job getting us there safely and indeed took care of those unaccompanied minors.

UAL processed my refund. Shame it was only that leg, as it was 1/3 the cost of the inbound to ORD.

The whole experience does make me question my loyalty to United. Granted, I have home bases in Chicago and London, so it makes it super convenient. Plus, lifetime Platinum is a nice perk. But seeing the ridiculous Mx experience (our plane diverted, backup plane grounded, more maintenance in Goose Bay, another emergency landing while there) makes me really question their maintenance strategy and/or fleet age.