Two that I remember. The first one was long time ago as a kid, ITM-KMJ on NH was diverted to FUK due to storm. IIRC the pilot tried to land in KMJ a couple of times and it was pretty scary (for a kid anyway). We were eventually bused to KMJ.

Fast forward to last year, the second was a UX flight from ORD to PIT that diverted to CRW because some instrument stopped working midflight and the weather at PIT was not ideal. We were initially told that a replacement plane was to be sent, but they tested the instrument on the ground three times and it worked just fine, so we flew to PIT on the original plane and arrived about 3 hours later than scheduled.

JFK-ATL, a DL L-1011 with autoland, diverted to BHM due to fog in Dec 1974 after two missed approaches into ATL. Helped two folks with my high school French skills and we made it into ATL later that night on a DC-9.

LHR-JFK, medical diversion into Gander on Jan 1, 2001.

TWA flight STL-SNA diverted to LAX when the crew decided late on the final approach to SNA that the takeoff for their next leg, SNA-LAX (!!!!) would not beat the 10pm takeoff curfew. Stayed away from TWA for probably 10 years after that.

ATL-LAX diverted into LAS for fuel in late '70s due with extreme January jetstream headwinds.

One - which was before the 30 years of business travel, it was with my parents and sister. DFW-ORD became DFW-STL-ORD on that famous New Years Eve 1978 storm.

Up to about 4 years ago, I had only had one, in the 70s. It was on DL going from IAH To ORD in late December due to a snowstorm at ORD. We diverted to ATL, which seemed odd at the time. In retrospect, it was an L-1011; DL needed a destination with a big enough gate, enough hotels, and enough flights back the next day.

Three years ago, AA flight ORD-LHR was diverted to Shannon due to a sick pax.

The other three were all domestic AA flights, all for fuel when weather was worse than expected, none in winter. ORD-IAH to DFW, LGA-ORD to DTW, and ORD to LGA. What is noteworthy is that they all came after AA had publicized its new software for minimizing the amount of excess fuel being carried. It seems clear to me that they had concluded that the extra airport costs and customer ill will were cheaper than tankerage.

Something like this would cause me to avoid SNA rather than a particular airline.

For myself, four diversions that I can recall:

1. AZ flight LAX-MXP-FCO (B747-200), due fog in MXP, flight was routed LAX-GOA-FCO, fortunately FCO was my final destination. MXP passengers were deplaned in GOA and taken to Milan by bus.

2. CO flight HNL-IAH, rerouted HNL-SAT (due storms in IAH area), we waited on board the aircraft (B767-400) for about 1� hours before continuing to IAH.

3. CO flight PDX-IAH (B737-800), rerouted PDX-CRP-IAH (again due storms in IAH), wait this time was about 2� hours in CRP.

4. BR flight LAX-TPE (B747-400), rerouted LAX-KHH, due typhoon in TPE. We were taken to TPE by bus (6 hours) and by the time we arrived in the TPE airport area, the off-ramps were flooded so the bus driver dropped all of us at the downtown train station.

I once had three diversions / emergency landings in a week.

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/trip-...ings-week.html

And then went a couple of years before the next one.

I've had 3 in about 30-40 itineraries (no clue how many segments/flights that is)

2005: LAS-PHL on DL - diverted to some airstrip in Colorado for pax medical emergency
2009: UA 839 LAX-SYD - diverted to HNL for engine issues
last week: UA 987 SFO-PHL - diverted back to SFO 1 hr into flight for motor issues

I enjoyed the diversion to HNL and the day on the beach the most

How would you like to have been on this flight?! Diverted to Syria due to security concerns in Lebanon? Who's making the risk management decisions at Air France these days?!

I just remembered about a flight it took from ATL to DFW. After leaving ATL, we had to return for a mechanical issue. We got on a new plane there and then went to DFW. Is that a diversion? I suppose it is.

I had a winter of travel DTW-SLC that had the flight switched to a CRJ900 or ERJ for a peirod of a few months. In that time we diverted three times due to weather and fuel. I was quite happy when they switched back to a larger aircraft.

I have had four, so for me it is about 1 per 10 years of flying.

1) A snowstorm in NY diverted me to Boston.

2) A strike in Rome diverted me from Fiumicino to Ciampino - I know, not much of a diversion. But they really weren't prepared for the immigration/customs issue. The immigration/customs agent was an old man sitting on a stool, waving somewhat like the queen as the hoards of passengers walked by.

3) Unscheduled fuel stop in Alaska on a US --> Hong Kong flight, followed by a mechanical failure which prevented take-off with the result of an overnight in Anchorage.

4) A medical diversion to Dublin on a transatlantic flight.

I've had 2 in 992 tracked flights (and don't remember any in the ~50 or so I flew before I started keeping records).

- October, 2003: HP PHX-SAN (A-320). Flew to SAN, airport was below minimums due to fog and wild fire smoke so we circled, attempted landing, pulled up and diverted back to PHX so the plane could make its scheduled turn to TPA later that day.

- July, 2012: UA ORD-RDU (CRJ-700). Got halfway to RDU when the pilot came on to say we were diverting immediately to CVG. We were on the ground in six minutes and had dumped fuel. Turned out there had been a warning light about pressurization in the cargo hold but maintenance told us it was on a redundant circuit so a little over 90 minutes later on we went. This one was better because it netted me a $200 voucher

The average for all U.S. airlines is about 0.2% of flights get diverted.

My only diversion was due to a combination of fog at JFK plus the RVR (Runway Visual Range) measuring equipment at the airport was inop.

Flying NW MSY-MSP a few years ago, diverted to Fargo due to a blizzard. Refueled and took off after the storm cleared, about a 3 hour delay total.

If you start from the south, they apparently radio ahead and instead of diversions you have ground holds or, occasionally, the flight is off loaded or not boarded at all. In any case, you don't get in the air, hence, rarely or never would need to be diverted. I remember once DTW-MSY a Northwest pilot saying we might have to land in Little Rock and everybody booed, and then he came back and said nevermind we're cool, and everybody cheered...I don't think we even landed late with that one.

However, I have nonetheless had the unpleasant experience of a diversion, when our airplane AMS-ATL was struck by lightning and was not allowed to land at ATL and told we had to go back to CLT. There was no traffic at CLT so I assume it was a safety issue, however, once we were safely landed without crashing down on any other aircraft, we could not get off the plane for an additional 3 hours because no one was there, no customs officials, nothing. Awful experience, I don't recommend it. Based on the announcement she made, our pilot had no clue where we were, since she cheerfully announced that we had safely arrived in Charlottesville. All in all, an uninspiring experience.