Unruly Business Class Passenger Throws Tantrum Over Meal Choices

United Airlines flight, UA 20 on July 9, 2023, scheduled for Amsterdam’s Schiphol Airport (AMS), had an unexpected diversion to Chicago’s O’Hare Airport (ORD) due to a disruptive business class passenger. Departing from Houston’s George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH) at 16:20 local time, the flight encountered a concerning situation when a passenger in seat 11G became agitated over the available meal choices.

According to a report by View from the Wing, the passenger’s disruptive behavior prompted the Boeing 777 aircraft to circle and dump fuel before safely landing at ORD airport. Another business class traveler managed to capture a two-minute video of the incident, where the passenger’s temper was evident.

The uploaded video showed the passenger venting frustration towards flight attendants and fellow travelers, though the exact content of his rants remained unclear. Despite the disruption, the crew handled the situation calmly, and a fellow passenger described the man as “super nice” before the outburst.

The disruptive passenger was later classified as a “Threat Level 1” according to United Airlines’ internal communication, which refers to the lowest level of threat on a flight, involving “disruptive behavior” deemed “suspicious or threatening” by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). This designation includes passengers exhibiting suspicious or threatening behavior.

United Airlines confirmed the incident to The Guardian, stating that flight 20 safely landed at O’Hare International Airport, where law enforcement met the aircraft at the gate and escorted the disruptive passenger off the plane before the flight continued to Amsterdam.