robbeck1

Try "aircraft repair."

I'd taken my seat in 13B on the upper deck. Totally booked 744, now fully loaded. Then the cockpit announces the nose gear had been damaged earlier when the airplane was being towed, so it appears not to be UA's fault. But certainly an odd sequence of events, and a gap between knowledge of the issue and loading 370 people onto an airplane, only to ultimately unload them.

Cockpit says there's going to be a conference call between UA Chicago, Boeing Seattle and the PEK experts, expect 1.5 hour min. delay. Near deadline we're informed that pictures have been taken and sent to the conferees who are still conferring. The FA begins returning jackets and coats from the closet and we all know what that means...

Overall UA handled the situation OK - could have been better/worse. New hotel about 1/2 way back to Beijing chosen for those who didn't return home. Special catered dinner in special area that was not to my taste at all. Buses were a bit of a cluster but it worked out and everybody was cooperating. PEK customs was OK as they had 370 people now requiring a reverse from sterile areas (think salmon swimming upstream). The departure stamp in my passport was stamped-over with another stamp that I assume negated the first stamp...ah, bureaucracy!

Mustered at 8.20am for buses back to PEK, aiming for a noon departure as Rescue Flight 8022. Check-in was another cluster as 2-744 passengers were now checking-in and all check-in desks not open until 10.30, the usual opening time.

Departed around 12.30 so not too bad. Aircraft appeared to be swapped from previous day's 888 (same seat so the differences were noticed). But it was already posted that 889 (assume the damaged ship) would depart 3+ hours late.

worldtrav

UA98 LAX-MEL Nov 17 (and UA99 return) canceled.

5khours

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weero

I hope this wasn't an intl. longhaul flight .

Must be a Japanese quality cage item, otherwise I am sure you could just have deformed it a tad to make it fit ....

mahasamatman

When we moved up to Vancouver a few years ago, we went to the airport to pick up our cat. Her flight was delayed, and they told us that it was because the crew apparently spent quite a bit of time trying to identify some strange noises. They thought it was an engine problem, but eventually found the noises were coming from the cargo hold. It was Natasha howling up a storm.

5khours

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eigenvector

That must have been a VIF - Very Important Feline - to delay a flight for it rather than just offloading the cat-carrying pax to a later flight.

B747SP

Good move by UA. Without the cat, landing at NRT will be challenging as CAT II will be required.

1353513636

Today's UA87 PVG-EWR cancelled.

JOSECONLSCREW28

Wasn't canceled. Its not operating because of the holiday.

TomMM

Here's one I haven't seen before:

11/22: UA907 ORD-FRA Delayed 5 minutes due to security screening disruptions.

NH_Clark

maybe large number of pax stuck in screening or crew stuck in screening?

cfischer

UA179 EWR-HKG 772 3hrs late due to aircraft maintenance

robbeck1

11.25.16 UA 896 HKG-ORD diverted to NRT, then diverted to SFO, arriving ORD 6+ hours late

flightaware says it diverted to SFO 11.20.16

yyz_atc_qq

Ouch. And to think I was jealous as they started boarding before our aircraft even got to the gate (UA180/25).