A business-class passenger flying from Houston to Amsterdam on United Airlines became so unhappy about his dinner options, the flight diverted to Chicago two hours after takeoff so the flight crew could kick him off the plane — and into the hands of law enforcement.
According to Twitter user XJonNYC (via The Guardian), the "disruptive" gentleman on board became "enraged over his meal choice," causing a threat great enough to make the unexpected landing. But with the airline's business-class three-course meal choices that include dishes such as seared beef short rib with Borderlaise sauce, seared lemon grass salmon with red curry sauce, and Ricotta Salata and wild honey manicotti, it's hard to imagine what the privileged traveler — sitting in a seat that folds all the way down into a sheet-lined bed — could have possibly been so angry about.
From The Guardian:
The flight took off at 4.20pm local time in Houston on Sunday, and was in Chicago airspace two hours into the flight. Flight tracking website Flightradar24 showed that the plane circled Chicago's O'Hare airport as it had to use up fuel, known as dumping fuel, or it would have been too heavy to land.
Aviation insider XJonNYC posted internal United communications on Twitter that reported a "disruptive [passenger] on board" and a threat level of one, the lowest level of threat. In another tweet, he reported that the passenger seemed to be enraged over meal choice.
In a statement to the Guardian, United said: "United flight 20 from George Bush Intercontinental Airport to Amsterdam diverted to O'Hare International Airport and landed safely following a passenger disturbance. Law enforcement met the aircraft at the gate and escorted the passenger off the plane. The aircraft then continued to Amsterdam."
