A United Airlines flight from Houston to San José, Costa Rica, encountered significant delays, leading to frustration among passengers. The Boeing 737 MAX 8 was scheduled to depart at 14:33 but pushed back at 16:46 due to a two-hour delay. However, the aircraft remained on the tarmac for more than four hours before returning to the gate.
Passenger Misty Mousa-Lanza and her daughter Chloe were among those affected. Mousa-Lanza shared their experience in a TikTok video that went viral, criticizing United for having "absolutely no plan B and absolutely no communication." She described the lack of food and water onboard and mentioned issues with the toilets. "It’s now officially past the four-hour mark," she said in the video.
The aircraft eventually returned to gate E1 at 20:23 after sitting on the tarmac for several hours. Passengers faced additional challenges once back inside the terminal, including insufficient assistance for those with disabilities.