Checking if anyone else here was on United UA 131 from Newark to Tokyo Haneda on 01/04. What a mess.
We boarded and deplaned three separate times.
First boarding around 9am. Everything seemed normal, pushed back, then we went back to the gate because the captain’s cockpit seat needed fixing.
Second boarding around 2pm. After hours of waiting, we boarded again, then had to deplane because the crew timed out and couldn’t legally fly anymore.
Third boarding around 6pm. New crew, boarded again, pushed back again, then back to the gate again due to an engine issue. Deplaned for the third time.
At that point it had been about 9 hours of delays, vague announcements, and total confusion. We even sat on the runway until around 7:30pm waiting for another pilot to arrive, and that’s when we finally learned about the engine problem. After all that, the flight was fully canceled.
People were clearly stressed. Missed connections, hotels, tours. Saw one girl completely breaking down at baggage claim. Communication at the gate was really poor and rebooking info was all over the place.
If you were on that flight:
How did you end up getting to Tokyo, if you still went?
Did United actually help with hotel, meals, or transport?
Did you get anything beyond the basic vouchers?
We managed to grab an AA flight out of JFK the next day, but still lost a full day in Tokyo. Brutal, but could’ve been worse I guess. Curious how everyone else handled it.
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