UA 179 (EWR-HKG) 19 Jan 2019 diverted YYR , passengers stuck on board for 13 hours
Jan 22, 2019, 7:17 am
#166
Join Date: Jan 2019
Posts: 5
The kids were surprisingly well behaved even though they did get a little stir crazy towards the end. The situation was never dire and diapers/baby food were brought on at the same time the additional food was.
As as a parent of a two year old I sympathized with the families on the plane. I was frustrated and bored as an adult an uncomfortable situation, hard to imagine how my very active daughter would have handled it. To put it in perspective, by the time our original arrivial time came (approximately 7am est) we still had no definitive communication that a rescue plane had even been dispatched. By the time I stepped off the plane in EWR I had been in the same seat for over 28 hours. Almost double the expected length of the trip, which was already one of the longest in the world.
Last edited by WineCountryUA; Jan 22, 2019 at 7:31 am Reason: repaired quote
Jan 22, 2019, 7:44 am
#167
Join Date: Jul 2012
Posts: 1,115
FWIW, on a recent flight from TOS (69N) we had LH FlyNet coverage as soon as we cleared the valley. Not sure what provider they use though.
Jan 22, 2019, 7:50 am
#168
Join Date: Feb 2002
Location: BNA
Programs: HH Gold. (Former) UA PP, DL PM, PC Plat
Posts: 8,178
Correct, but if the UA published coverage maps bear any accuracy, Panasonic supposedly covers Canada all the way up to 80N. If that is true, then there could be a reasonable chance of reception on ground level at 53N, barring any obstacles or a poor satellite configuration for the particular longitude.
Jan 22, 2019, 8:00 am
#169
Join Date: Jul 2012
Posts: 1,115
The airplane's satellite receiver just isn't designed for a very low angle to the satellite as that's not what it normally encounters inflight. The pilots would have likely wanted access to the internet as well during the delay so they certainly would have had it on if they could.
UA's WiFi devices are configured using the US regulatory domain, making it possibly illegal to broadcast WiFi signals when the plane is subject to telecom laws of another country (i.e., when it is on the ground outside of the US). Canada wouldn't be a problem, but the software may just look at the altitude and not take the location into account.
Jan 22, 2019, 8:17 am
#170
Join Date: Oct 2009
Programs: All of them, UA-Plat, 1MM*G
Posts: 881
A aircraft on the ground in minus 30 temps would be considered a emergency by every flight ops department I know of. APU’s are finicky and burn oil. They often autoshutdown. Delta recently diverted a aircraft to Shemya where the temp was 32F at the time. They pulled a aircraft and crews from revenue flights and arrived in Shemya 6 hours after the aircraft landed. Shemya is 2300 miles from SEA. YYR is 950 miles from EWR.
Jan 22, 2019, 9:32 am
#171
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: Bellingham/Gainesville
Programs: UA-G MM, Priority Club Platinum, Avis First, Hertz 5*, Red Lion
Posts: 2,808
In all fairness, the DL divert to Shemya was because an engine had failed. From the moment that the failure occurred, it was clear that the DL plane was not going to be able to continue the flight from Shemya to SEA. Therefore, DL knew 2 hours before the plane landed at Shemya that a rescue flight was necessary. In contrast, the UA diversion to Goose was not due a mechanical failure, and UA probably had every expectation that the plane could continue on after offloading the sick PAX. It was only after the mechanical occurred as the plane prepared to takeoff (and on ground attempts to fix the door had failed) that the clock started ticking on getting out a rescue flight.
Last edited by WineCountryUA; Jan 22, 2019 at 12:00 pm Reason: Using symbols, spaces or other methods to mask vulgarities is not allowed.
Jan 22, 2019, 9:41 am
#172
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: SJC/YUL
Programs: DL PM, Marriott Gold
Posts: 3,877
Jan 22, 2019, 9:44 am
#173
Join Date: Jun 2014
Programs: UA MM
Posts: 4,107
As was stated, DL canx a revenue flight to expedite the rescue. At least they have their act together. UA's ops plan is to leave their revenue schedule intact and irrops passengers stranded. It is not irony it happened at goose bay not that long ago. Not that excited about taking a UA ETOPS flight to be dumped in some remote field at the mercy of ops not giving a care and the pilots hoping that Oscar responds to the desperate twitter pleas for help. feel bad for the pax.
Last edited by WineCountryUA; Jan 22, 2019 at 12:01 pm Reason: Quote updated to reflect Moderator edit
Jan 22, 2019, 9:47 am
#174
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 1999
Location: ORD/MDW
Programs: BA/AA/AS/B6/WN/ UA/HH/MR and more like 'em but most felicitously & importantly MUCCI
Posts: 19,718
Bit hyperbolic, don't you think? I am no defender of UA but even I do not think they wake up in the morning planning to torment their customers. It just turns out that way sometimes.
Jan 22, 2019, 10:05 am
#175
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: Houston
Programs: UA LT GS 4.2 MM, AA Gold 1MM, HH Lifetime Diamond, Marriott Lifetime Gold
Posts: 394
i think it would be beneficial for United's SOC team to have an off site retreat on say a 737 in goose bay with a door open next week. Then maybe that can stratagize on some more creative solutions for these situations in the future.
Jan 22, 2019, 10:08 am
#176
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: Bellingham/Gainesville
Programs: UA-G MM, Priority Club Platinum, Avis First, Hertz 5*, Red Lion
Posts: 2,808
the tree bears fruit. the EWR revenue bank went out unaffected. Change my mind. When the pilots beg the pax to both get on social media and email oscar for help? They don't have an irrops plan at that point. gimme a break.
but do they plan on contingencies and recovering from those contingencies? will they canx a revenue flight when its -30 at the diversion field when it goes mx overnight and the pax are stuck onboard? see its obvious they don't have a plan and the result is torment.
but do they plan on contingencies and recovering from those contingencies? will they canx a revenue flight when its -30 at the diversion field when it goes mx overnight and the pax are stuck onboard? see its obvious they don't have a plan and the result is torment.
Last edited by WineCountryUA; Jan 22, 2019 at 11:57 am Reason: merging consecutive posts by same member
Jan 22, 2019, 10:31 am
#177
Join Date: Mar 2012
Programs: Mileage Plus 1K; Marriott Platinum; Hilton Gold
Posts: 6,355
I wonder why UA didn't send two smaller aircraft (737s) for this YYR rescue? I would think it's easier to rejig flight schedules on multi-frequency per day shorter flights to free up two smaller aircraft to go to YYR, rather than face the choice of canceling a once daily (or perhaps twice daily) longhaul 777 flight, or just waiting until there is a gap in the 777 utilization. Heck, even one 737 could have made two trips YYR-EWR in the time it took to get the 777 in position.
Jan 22, 2019, 10:39 am
#178
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: Bellingham/Gainesville
Programs: UA-G MM, Priority Club Platinum, Avis First, Hertz 5*, Red Lion
Posts: 2,808
I wonder why UA didn't send two smaller aircraft (737s) for this YYR rescue? I would think it's easier to rejig flight schedules on multi-frequency per day shorter flights to free up two smaller aircraft to go to YYR, rather than face the choice of canceling a once daily (or perhaps twice daily) longhaul 777 flight, or just waiting until there is a gap in the 777 utilization. Heck, even one 737 could have made two trips YYR-EWR in the time it took to get the 777 in position.
Jan 22, 2019, 10:53 am
#179
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: May 2006
Location: DTW, but drive to/from YYZ/ORD
Programs: Chase Ultimate Rewards 2MM, Diner Club points
Posts: 31,895
Jan 22, 2019, 11:30 am
#180
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Aug 2003
Programs: UA 1K 1MM (finally!), IHG AMB-Spire, HH Diamond
Posts: 60,155