CHICAGO— A United Airlines (UA) flight from Des Moines International Airport (DSM) to Chicago O’Hare International Airport (ORD) was delayed for more than four hours after an onboard dispute broke out between two flight attendants before departure.
The heated exchange forced United Airlines management to deplane passengers, replace the entire cabin crew, and reassign the flight before it could finally take off later that afternoon.
United Airlines Attendants Delay Flight
The incident occurred on October 27, 2025, aboard United Airlines Flight UA2138, an Airbus A320 preparing to depart Des Moines for Chicago. Scheduled to leave at 11:26 a.m., the aircraft remained on the ground after two flight attendants reportedly engaged in a serious argument that disrupted operations.
According to an exclusive post by PYOK, an internal flight record identified the delay cause as “Crew availability,” further noting a “disagreement on two of the FAs.”
United’s Inflight Duty Manager then removed the entire cabin crew and initiated a re-crewing process to ensure operational safety and compliance.
Passengers were deplaned around 12:10 p.m. while United scrambled to locate replacement flight attendants. Data from United’s website shows Flight UA2138 eventually departed DSM at 3:24 p.m. and arrived at ORD at 5:09 p.m., marking a delay of over four hours.
Notably, United Airlines, which typically provides explanations for delays on its public flight status page, did not include any reason for the disruption in this case. The airline has yet to issue an official comment.
Similar Incident
While rare, disputes among flight attendants have occasionally led to significant flight delays across different airlines. In 2023, two American Airlines (AA) subsidiary American Eagle crew members had a similar altercation over a passenger seat swap, delaying departure by more than two hours.
The disagreement began after one attendant approved a seat change for a first-class passenger, while the other objected, resulting in a standoff that grounded the aircraft until replacements were found.
Such incidents highlight the unique challenges of airline crew dynamics. Flight attendants often work with new colleagues on nearly every trip, forming quick professional bonds while managing the high-pressure environment of air travel.
Internal Dynamics and ‘No-Fly’ Pairings
Flight attendants are known to form tight-knit teams within hours of meeting, creating a sense of familiarity that surprises many passengers.
However, not every pairing works smoothly. Some crew members maintain informal “no-fly lists” — colleagues they prefer not to be rostered with due to personality clashes or past disputes.
In cases where a crew member is assigned to fly with someone on their no-fly list, they often request reassignment before departure to prevent onboard tension that could compromise service or safety.
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