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27 June - United SFO-HKG Flight Returning to SFO Due to Ill Passenger

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27 June - United SFO-HKG Flight Returning to SFO Due to Ill Passenger

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Old Jun 27, 2012, 11:08 pm
  #16  
uwr
 
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Originally Posted by SkySide
Appreciate the helpful potential options.

Latest .. informed that due to no hotel options in Anchorage, therefore we are heading back to SFO now, overnight there, and they will try and turnaround at some point during the day tomorrow for HKG
That's unfortunate that they have to turn around. I think they are trying to avoid a repeat of this scenario:
http://www.adn.com/2012/03/20/238194...262-plane.html

SEA is at least one hour closer than SFO to both ANC and HKG. I wonder why they don't land here and fly up a crew from SFO in the meantime.
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Old Jun 27, 2012, 11:14 pm
  #17  
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Make sure to get the extra 4036 miles for the redundant SFO-ANC-SFO trip credited to your account.....
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Old Jun 27, 2012, 11:16 pm
  #18  
 
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The UA.com reports:

DEPARTS ARRIVES
City: San Francisco, CA (SFO) City: Hong Kong (HKG)
Gate:
Check-in Terminal:
Scheduled Time: 2:13 a.m. Scheduled Time: 6:15 p.m.
Scheduled Date: Thu., Jun. 28, 2012 Scheduled Date: Thu., Jun. 28, 2012
Estimated Time: 2:13 a.m. Estimated Time: 5:43 p.m
Estimated Date: Thu., Jun. 28, 2012 Estimated Date: Thu., Jun. 28, 2012

Now I think we have a couple of typos here since normally the flight leaves
just after 1:00 pm and arrives 6:15 pm the next day.

It appears that they will either refuel 869 and recrew it, and send it on
its way circa 2:13 am. Thursday morning; Arriving 5:43 pm on Thursday
evening would be quite impressive. Perhaps they mean some time on Friday morning early??

Inquiring minds would like to know.

Flyer 420
in Seattle
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Old Jun 27, 2012, 11:17 pm
  #19  
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Originally Posted by uwr
That's unfortunate that they have to turn around. I think they are trying to avoid a repeat of this scenario:
http://www.adn.com/2012/03/20/238194...262-plane.html

SEA is at least one hour closer than SFO to both ANC and HKG. I wonder why they don't land here and fly up a crew from SFO in the meantime.
At this point, some of the passengers probably have a "trip in vain" (such as for a business meeting) and they just want to get back home, and not to HKG. 300 clean mid-range or better hotel rooms the last week in June are just not going to happen. If the plane needs any real servicing, SFO is the place to be. Any crew issues? SFO is the place to be. Years ago, SEA would have been fine as UA had a large operation there.
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Old Jun 27, 2012, 11:25 pm
  #20  
 
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Originally Posted by QBK
If only the crew weren't going to time out...

I really can't decide how to feel about "no hotel in ANC, so we're going to SFO". On the one hand, I can't believe that there literally aren't 300 hotel rooms available in Anchorage right now. More likely, UA can't find one hotel with that many rooms and isn't prepared to strew pax all over the city. On the other hand... if there really aren't rooms, going to SFO beats the heck out of "Okay, everybody find a bench to sleep on in the airport."

Actually, I know how I feel. Glad I'm not in the OP's shoes.
Just did a search on hotels.com and only 27 of the 70 hotels in Anchorage showed availability. How accurate that is I have no idea.
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Old Jun 27, 2012, 11:25 pm
  #21  
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Originally Posted by Eastbay1K
At this point, some of the passengers probably have a "trip in vain" (such as for a business meeting) and they just want to get back home, and not to HKG. 300 clean mid-range or better hotel rooms the last week in June are just not going to happen. If the plane needs any real servicing, SFO is the place to be. Any crew issues? SFO is the place to be. Years ago, SEA would have been fine as UA had a large operation there.
There will likely be more options for rerouting pax whose final destination is not HKG as well if back at SFO.
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Old Jun 27, 2012, 11:30 pm
  #22  
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Originally Posted by apodo77
Just did a search on hotels.com and only 27 of the 70 hotels in Anchorage showed availability. How accurate that is I have no idea.
Well, take that list of 70 hotels and go one-by-one to the actual hotels's websites to verify availability. That would be a start.
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Old Jun 27, 2012, 11:31 pm
  #23  
 
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Originally Posted by Flyer420
The UA.com reports:

DEPARTS ARRIVES
City: San Francisco, CA (SFO) City: Hong Kong (HKG)
Gate:
Check-in Terminal:
Scheduled Time: 2:13 a.m. Scheduled Time: 6:15 p.m.
Scheduled Date: Thu., Jun. 28, 2012 Scheduled Date: Thu., Jun. 28, 2012
Estimated Time: 2:13 a.m. Estimated Time: 5:43 p.m
Estimated Date: Thu., Jun. 28, 2012 Estimated Date: Thu., Jun. 28, 2012

Now I think we have a couple of typos here since normally the flight leaves
just after 1:00 pm and arrives 6:15 pm the next day.

It appears that they will either refuel 869 and recrew it, and send it on
its way circa 2:13 am. Thursday morning; Arriving 5:43 pm on Thursday
evening would be quite impressive. Perhaps they mean some time on Friday morning early??

Inquiring minds would like to know.

Flyer 420
in Seattle
Already en route to SFO per flightware. Due in 2:06am.
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Old Jun 27, 2012, 11:36 pm
  #24  
 
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Originally Posted by RealFan
I agree with the posters above me. I've been diverted twice on international flights for what were life threatening situations. Though I was inconvenienced greatly, I was thankful that I was not the reason for the diversion.

I don't think it is wise to blame the airline in this situation. Someday someone you know may be a situation where a plane he/she is on needs to be diverted. How would you feel if other passengers' first thoughts were about themselves in that situation?
Side note - Recent flight from SFO to OGG, PAX was involuntarily removed from flight before takeoff because crew believed she was unfit to fly due to recent operation. Good for all involved that they were proactive.
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Old Jun 27, 2012, 11:36 pm
  #25  
 
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Originally Posted by JFKSFOLAX_friend
Well, take that list of 70 hotels and go one-by-one to the actual hotels's websites to verify availability. That would be a start.
Getting right on that.
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Old Jun 27, 2012, 11:48 pm
  #26  
 
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So what would have been diffficult in flying onward to NRT a significant UA Base with perhaps enough hotels rooms for an overnight or maybe even a relief crew who were not out of hours. There might even have been available connection flights on CX/JL/NH/MH/DL
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Old Jun 27, 2012, 11:51 pm
  #27  
 
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Originally Posted by UncleDude
So what would have been diffficult in flying onward to NRT a significant UA Base with perhaps enough hotels rooms for an overnight or maybe even a relief crew who were not out of hours. There might even have been available connection flights on CX/JL/NH/MH/DL
I imagine UA tries to avoid that type of diversion given there could be pax who do not have fee-free visa entry into Japan.
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Old Jun 28, 2012, 12:27 am
  #28  
 
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Originally Posted by uwr
That's unfortunate that they have to turn around. I think they are trying to avoid a repeat of this scenario:
http://www.adn.com/2012/03/20/238194...262-plane.html

SEA is at least one hour closer than SFO to both ANC and HKG. I wonder why they don't land here and fly up a crew from SFO in the meantime.
NO, it's high season for tourists. A full plane is simply not going to find rooms at this time of year. Especially a twin aisle.

Last edited by l etoile; Jun 28, 2012 at 7:03 am Reason: Comment removed per tos
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Old Jun 28, 2012, 2:17 am
  #29  
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It's likely they were trying to avoid a scenario like the one you (uwr) pointed out. At least in SFO some people would be home.

Last edited by l etoile; Jun 28, 2012 at 7:06 am Reason: Removed now-deleted quote
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Old Jun 28, 2012, 2:54 am
  #30  
 
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Originally Posted by apodo77
Already en route to SFO per flightware. Due in 2:06am.
Did everyone on the flight have to go thru customs and immigration in ANC? The flight is showing as planned arrival into gate 84.

The flight is now showing as a 11:00am departure from SFO on 6/28/12 with a scheduled arrival of 4:00pm into HKG. UA896 HKG-ORD on 6/29 is now showing a 6hr 20min delay estimated departure of 5:30pm instead of 11:10am, arrival into ORD at 6:45pm instead of 12:50pm.

Last edited by USFdonWill; Jun 28, 2012 at 3:00 am Reason: additional info added
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