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Passengers on a United Airlines flight spent hours trapped in sweltering heat without consistent access to water, as outside temperatures climbed above 110 degrees Fahrenheit.

The original poster (OP), user PipeZestyclose2288, took to Reddit to recount the incident, which took place on United Airlines Flight UA1989 from Las Vegas to Denver.

According to their post, they had boarded at 8:20 a.m., only to sit on the tarmac for more than six hours.

“Requests for water went unanswered for long stretches, and I saw multiple passengers expressing discomfort and distress,” the OP wrote.

“They didn’t hand water out until 5+ hours on the plane. Seventeen ended up deplaning, clearly overwhelmed by the situation.

“The reason we were given that we couldn’t take off was that it was too hot outside and LAS would not give the plane a long runway.

“Eventually, after more than six hours, we returned to the gate [and were] told that although we had a long runway, it was now even hotter and the plane could not fly.”

After passengers were let off after 6.5 hours, they were told to reboard the same plane hours later, before new standby passengers were added, causing a further 30-minute delay.

“Crew seemed overwhelmed, and despite [Department of Transportation] guidelines, basic needs like water were not consistently provided,” the OP wrote.

“Many people were openly discussing never flying United again, or reaching out to the media due to how this was handled.”

Reddit Reacts

Reddit users flocked to the comments to weigh in, with one remarking, “Eventually one of these hot tarmac delays is going to kill someone. None of these aircraft were designed to keep the cabin cool in 110-115 degree days while sitting hours on end on the ground.

“If they can’t take off in two hours, it’s time to deplane and figure out plan B.

“Keeping people locked in a metal tube in the desert without effective cooling is just asking for a vulnerable person to have heat stroke.”

“File a complaint with the DOT, that’s really all you can do,” another advised. “I’m surprised they didn’t have a gate available to disembark after 2-3 hours.”

‘Horrendous’

In a message to Newsweek, the OP shared the email from United citing “crew schedule issues” as the reason for the delay.

“The lack of communication [at the time] was horrendous,” the OP explained.

“I get it, the crew doesn’t have any more information than we do, but we were constantly told we were doing one thing and then a different thing.

“The story shifted every 30 minutes, ranging from ‘We have no idea what’s happening’ to ‘We are about to take off’ and everything in between, for hours.”

“[United’s] lack of accountability or acknowledgement of the situation has turned me off for good,” they added.

Tarmac Delay Rule

The incident appears to exceed limits set by the Department of Transportation’s Tarmac Delay Rule, which states that airlines cannot keep passengers on a domestic flight on the tarmac for more than three hours without offering the option to deplane, except for safety or security reasons.

According to TripCast360, carriers must also provide working lavatories, proper cooling or heating, and “food and drink in reasonable quantities” during delays.

Delays and Fines

DOT data shows long delays are becoming more common.

As per Newsweek, in 2024, U.S. airlines reported 437 tarmac delays of more than three hours on domestic flights, the highest since the rule took effect in 2010.

Teresa Murray, who leads the consumer watchdog program for the U.S. PIRG Education Fund, told the publication that airlines can be fined “up to $27,500 per passenger if a domestic flight remains on the tarmac for more than three hours without allowing deplaning”.

Tested Loyalty

In an update, the OP revealed that United later issued $100 flight credits to passengers, with no direct apology or assurance of policy changes.

Several travelers have filed DOT complaints, disputing the airline’s explanation that the delay was due to “crew scheduling”.

“They lost at least one loyal United customer today,” the OP declared.

Newsweek has contacted PipeZestyclose2288 for comment via Reddit and United Airlines via email.

To read how Newsweek uses AI as a newsroom tool, click here.

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