An anonymous reader says her U.S. Airways flight 798 from Philadelphia to Amsterdam gave her a shorter round trip than she bargained for. The pilot turned the plane around over the Atlantic because a stewardess felt under the weather. She writes:

Apparently, a stewardess on our flight wasn’t “feeling well” and 2 hours into the flight across the Atlantic from Philadelphia to Amsterdam, the pilot decided to turn the plane around and head back to Philadelphia so that she could receive medical attention.

By all accounts, this woman was totally mobile, conscious, and asymptomatic. Needless to say, we were all very upset and disappointed with the pilot’s judgment and course of action. I suspect he was afraid of litigation had he not returned the plane. It was absurd. Has it come to this?

Presumably the pilot was only following procedure, but the experience must have been frustrating for the passengers.

I asked U.S. Airways to explain, but got this stonewalling from spokeswoman Rica Lyons:

Dear Mr. Villarreal;

This letter is to acknowledge receipt of your recent correspondence to Customer Relations at US Airways.

Our records indicate that you were not a listed passenger on Flight #798 on November 29th, 2009. Regretfully, we are not able to provide information in regards to your inquiries, as they are considered confidential.

Thank you for allowing me to explain our position and to clarify this matter. Thank you for contacting Customer Relations at US Airways.

The anonymous tipster said she and her flying mates received no compensation for what turned out to be a 5-hour delay — two hours to fly back, then an hour on the tarmac.

Have you ever been on a plane that’s had to turn around in mid-flight?

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