Originally Posted by PremEx

Just a historical FYI:

Back when United first started flying "Royal Pacific Service" from SEA to several cities in Asia using DC10s and later some old ex-PanAm 747-100s and SP's...a fuel stop in Okinawa was pretty much to be expected on most "non-stops" to many cities that lied beyond Japan. Sometimes you made it all the way with whatever they had loaded, but most of the times you did not.

Pax were never allowed off the plane in Okinawa. You just pulled up to a spot out on the tarmac, they rolled some stairs up to the plane, refueled, the pilot signed the charge slip, and you were on your way again. The whole business added about an hour to your arrival time.