United passengers abandoned in remote Canada barracks for 20 hours - Crew spend night in comfy hotel

Daily Mail ^ | June 13, 2015 | Sophie Jane Evans, James Gordon, Mia De Graff

[rickmichaels]

Hundreds of men, women and children have been abandoned at remote barracks in Canada for 20 hours so far after their United Airlines flight from Chicago to London made an emergency landing.

The passengers were apparently forced to sleep in uncomfortable beds with only two blankets and no heating at Goose Bay barracks on Friday night after landing due to a 'fault' with the aircraft.

They have reportedly been given only two meals, have had 'no word at all' from United Airlines - and two elderly passengers were even 'dumped' at the wrong part of the barracks and left overnight.

But while the passengers remain hungry, cold and 'confused', the crew spent the night at a hotel in Newfoundland and Labrador, passenger Simon Millward told DailyMail.com from the barracks.

[riri]

Flying domestically is a miserable experience these days. (with Southwest being somewhat of an exception but still by no means up to the standards that flying used to be).

Flying any foreign airline is a dream compared to our carriers.

I just flew Norwegian to Europe. Granted, it is a discounted airline and they do nickle and dime you but even so it was light years above our airlines. Brand new Boeing Dreamliners, full service entertainment systems, wifi, phone chargers on your seat, clean and well groomed attendants, self tinting large windows, etc.

[rabidralph]

LOL!

[The_Media_never_lie]

I’d just as soon have the pilot and co-pilot alert and relaxed before resuming the flight.

[Flick Lives]

Bingo. The plane made an emergency landing. No one hurt. Are the passengers grateful? Oh hell no. They’re whining about having to sleep in a barracks. Beats having your body pulverized into hamburger In a 200 mph plane crash. Ingrates.

[hsmomx3]

Practicing for Jade Helm???

[acad1228]

Reason 72 why I’ve not flown since 1996. I want to control my own destiny. Might fly again if I decide to leave the US permanently.

I'm 53 years old. I've never flown. Stories like this only steel my resolve to remain on the ground.

[Ruy Dias de Bivar]

Hey, I was stationed at Goose Bay for a short time back in 1969! Remote is the word! But we had plenty of food, if you like powered eggs!

[ThomasThomas]

How many people here have a story to tell about flights that is half this cool! It should make people grateful to the military personnel. This is where they are expected to live. It might be inconvenient at the time but would make a great story to tell when sitting around with friends. This is much more exciting than being stuck in a domestic terminal like I did. I spent the night in the Las Vegas airport. If I remember the largest 767 only seats around 245 so I am not sure where the other 45 people came from. The story said a passenger claimed about 300 people. Goose Bay sounds cool but I find Moose Jaw a better fit for freepers.

[martin_fierro]

[Cen-Tejas]

Your forgetting jihadi co pilots flying everybody into a mountain behind locked doors.

As airline incidents go, were I a passenger on this flight, I would be on my knees thanking God for the two sheets and I’m still breathing.

That said, I’m buying from Austin to Anchorage tomorrow so for sure Uniteds arrogance will cost them at least $1,700.00. Maybe tens of thousands like me will do the same.

[Dallas59]

Quite a few Canadians and English don’t even have two meals a day let alone two blankets.

[headstamp 2]

“I’m 53 years old. I’ve never flown. Stories like this only steel my resolve to remain on the ground.”

LOL I’m 52 and the only planes I’ve been in were a 1950 Cessna 140 and a 1946 Piper Cub J3 that I accidently put my foot through the side of. (Tough for a 6’ 4” passenger in the front seat.) I was chief navigator in charge of watching the fuel level rod through the windscreen. (grin)

[chimera]

They did the right thing from a safety perspective. If it was truly a rudder problem, then it is a serious malfunction. Any kind of flight control issue generally means get on the ground safely ASAP. Unfortunate that it happened in such a location that required landing in a remote area without a lot of extra hotel rooms available (we're talking Goose Bay here, not Las Vegas). For an unexpected group of 300 people, there may not have been much choice. But warm beds, hot food, and some consideration for communicating with and updating the passengers would likely have soothed a lot of hard feelings.

[upchuck]

With all the BS you’ve got to go though today, you’ve not missed anything.

Take a hot air balloon ride instead. Much more stimulating.

[twister881]

“United — we’re really just Continental, with even less customer service”

[JohnnyP]

As a young sailor flying home on leave at Christmas, I remember the meals they served in the mid sixties.

[cardinal4]

“Goin’ to Hell in a Bucket..”

[MeshugeMikey]

I havent flown since 1989. I’ve had no pressing need to...and hence have avoided all the unpleasantness of modern air travel!

[livius]

I fly Delta all the time. It’s a little more expensive, but not a whole lot, and they’re very competent and pleasant. They lost my luggage only once, probably because of security (I had arrived with not a lot of lead time) but they delivered it that evening.

Sometimes the lowest price is not everything. Spend another few bucks and get a decent flight with nice people.

[Peter ODonnell]

Two blankets? That’s luxury, eh?

And inside too. Beauty.