A party of daring travelers trying to greet the new year twice ended up landing in the incorrect year in a strange turn of events. In late December, United Airlines offered travelers who were eager to celebrate New Year’s Eve twice a special chance: a flight from Guam to Honolulu, Hawaii. Passengers could lose a day on this normally seven-hour journey since it crosses the International Date Line. They were able to participate in the countdown to 2024 twice thanks to this temporal loophole.
The airline enthusiastically embraced the concept, tweeting, “You only live once, but you can celebrate New Year’s Eve twice.” Passengers were set to touch down in Honolulu at 6:50 pm on December 31 local time, ready to relive the festivities. However, an unexpected twist unfolded as the flight experienced a lengthy six-hour delay due to issues with the inbound flight. Consequently, the plane landed 30 minutes into the new year, shattering the double celebration dreams of those on board.
Despite the unforeseen delay, the uniqueness of this flight was underscored by its typically high punctuality. According to travel blog One Mile at a Time, the specific flight, UA200, was known for being on time 95 percent of the time, with the last post-midnight landing occurring on April 20.
Interestingly, UA200 wasn’t the only flight attempting to manipulate time zones. Cathay Pacific’s CX872, flying from Hong Kong to San Francisco, and All Nippon Airway’s Tokyo to LA flight also tried the stunt. Fortunately for their passengers, both flights managed to arrive well before midnight on December 31, allowing them to successfully celebrate New Year’s Eve twice.
While some passengers might have missed the opportunity for a double celebration, the escapade adds a humorous twist to the concept of time travel, reminding us that even the most well-planned endeavors can sometimes go awry.
