DENVER — A United Airlines flight from Hawaii to Denver was diverted to San Francisco Monday morning to "address a malfunctioning door sensor," according to an airline spokesperson.
United Flight 1731 was carrying 360 customers and 10 crew members aboard a Boeing 777. One of those passengers was Sonia Stevens, who lives in Denver.
"It was absolutely beautiful. I loved seeing my family. I loved seeing the beaches. It was an amazing time," Stevens said about her trip to Hawaii.
Stevens, who was traveling with her 4-year-old son, said she was experiencing vacation blues as she packed her bags and prepared to head home. Once she was on the plane and traveling across the Pacific Ocean, she was ready for the trip to end — and it wasn't just her flying anxiety making her feel that way.
"My anxiety actually has stemmed from the recent flight problems," Stevens said. "This was actually one of my worst fears that came to life."
Denver
Flight made emergency landing at DIA after reported animal strike, engine fire
According to Stevens, an announcement over the loudspeaker came when they were roughly two hours from California. The voice told the passengers there may be a technical issue with the plane, Stevens said.
"I travel all the time, at least once a month. So I'm used to technical difficulties, mechanical difficulties, all the difficulties. So, I didn't really think much of it," Stevens said. "Ten minutes go by and they come back on. They're like, 'Hey, folks, we're going to be diverting through San Francisco. It looks like one of our cargo doors is reading as unlatched. We're not sure if it's actually unlatched, or we're not sure if it's the sensor.'"
That announcement frightened Stevens, who said the plane then began to descend.
"All of a sudden, you feel the plane just go lower, and you feel your ears pop, you feel the pressure change. And all of a sudden, the plane is just sinking at a more rapid speed than usual," said Stevens. "I'm terrified. I'm holding my son. My son is asleep. I'm holding him. I'm shaking. I'm not crying yet because I'm like, 'Okay, they're taking all the precautions.'"
Stevens said that throughout the remainder of the flight, flight attendants made announcements about different safety measures the crew was taking.
"The last two hours of the flight, from the middle of the ocean to San Francisco, I was sobbing and shaking," said Stevens. "I was texting my mom, I was texting my family, I was texting my friends, and I just told them, 'Hey, if something happens, I hope you know I love you.'"
The plane landed safely in California, and Stevens booked a different flight home to Denver. Instead of arriving home at 5:30 a.m. Monday, she was home by 11 a.m.
Stevens showed Denver7 an email from United in response to the flight disruption. According to Stevens, the airline provided her and her son with a $125 flight credit each. She said the cost of the round-trip tickets for the two was more than $1,400.
"It actually did cause me trauma. You know, not trying to just throw that word around, but it did. I don't think $125 is even close to enough," Stevens said.
Denver
American Airlines plane that was diverted to DIA catches fire
"The very fact that United was willing to offer in goodwill, some sort of form of compensation, was actually, I thought, a positive to hearing this scenario unfold," said Katy Nastro, a travel expert and spokesperson for the travel app, Going.
Nastro explained what rights to refunds passengers have on canceled or delayed flights, and what made Stevens' flight different.
The Department of Transportation (DOT) issued a rule last year that required automatic refunds to consumers when there is a cancellation or "significant change" to a scheduled flight.
"When you are delayed, significantly delayed by a few hours, three or more hours for domestic flights, or six or more hours for international flights, per the newest DOT regulations that went into effect last fall, you are entitled to request a refund, no questions asked, for the value of that unused ticket portion," Nastro said. "If your flight is significantly delayed by three or more hours for a domestic flight — regardless of where you're going in the continental US or even over to Hawaii or Alaska — you are entitled to a refund, as in, you get your money back. However, stipulation there, if you choose to get rebooked on a new flight, you are then forfeiting the right to a refund."
Nastro described the United flight as an "interesting scenario" since the flight took off without being delayed.
"Technically, their flight had taken off without a delay, so it sort of forfeits the right to that DOT regulation," Nastro said. "Even the fact that they were delayed upon landing afterwards still doesn't kick in that DOT regulation."
A United Airlines spokesperson said the company arranged for a different aircraft to take passengers to Denver on Monday morning.
Denver7 is committed to making a difference in our community by standing up for what's right, listening, lending a helping hand and following through on promises. See that work in action, in the videos above.