After having read this thread (was quite late to the party), especially the first hand account, a couple of things come to mind.
1) Obviously good on the flight crew for getting the plane on the ground. BUT...
2) That the entire crew separated themselves from all but two pax is inexcusable. It seems the biggest pax issue was the lack of communication. A forceful crew could have pushed for more communication, or, at least, provided updates through official channels. Whether this was a result of contractual issues or not, the impression it gives is awful. And I'm sorry, I find the notion that the pilot of an aircraft cannot suitably meet his rest requirements while billeted at an air force base, to be quite ironic.
3) This thread alone has provided dozens of suggestions on things UA could have done to help passengers. Of course it doesn't seem like UA knew what pax needed, because they had no representative with the pax. This is inexcusable. If it was not possible to have at least a few crew members stay with the pax, then someone should have been sent immediately (I suppose an airline knows how to rent an aircraft of some sort). By doing this, passengers would have at least felt as if someone was listening to them. Imagine the difference in outcomes if, after a few phone conversations with a crew member, an RJ/private jet/helicopter/anything was dispatched with blankets/toiletries/etc. No person at the scene meant UA didn't see what pax were seeing, which led to the avalanche of criticism through the media (most of it earned).
4) As for the operational issues, who knows why one aircraft was or was not sent. Had the communication with pax been better, this would have been much less of an issue than it became.
5) The response of the Canadians after 9/11 has been referenced a few times ITT. If you have some time, I strongly recommend watching this clip. It aired during the 2010 Olympics. It's quite long, but for anyone interested in commercial aviation (or who just appreciates human decency in the face of tragedy), it's absolutely remarkable (despite the poor quality).
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