After flying 12 hours over the Pacific Ocean, American Airlines passengers bound for Tokyo found themselves stranded in Dallas with a $12 food voucher and a Super 8 motel room — adding insult to injury after their Boeing Dreamliner made a U-turn that would become one of the longest flight diversions of 2025.

At a Glance

• An American Airlines flight from NYC to Tokyo was forced to turn around 12 hours into its journey due to mechanical issues
• The Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner diverted to Dallas, Texas instead of landing at a closer airport on the West Coast
• Passengers received accommodations at a Super 8 motel and measly $12 food vouchers
• Some travelers reported receiving only dried snap peas as a snack during the 14-hour ordeal
• Passengers eventually reached Tokyo after another 13-hour flight the following day

12 Hours In, U-Turn Over the Pacific

When you pay premium prices for international airfare, the absolute last thing you want to hear is that you’re heading back where you started after wasting half a day of your life in an aluminum tube. Yet that’s exactly what happened to the unfortunate souls aboard American Airlines Flight 167, a Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner that departed JFK Airport bound for Tokyo’s Haneda Airport.

After nearly completing what should have been a 14-hour journey, the pilots performed a dramatic U-turn over the Pacific Ocean near Alaska, forcing passengers to endure yet another grueling flight—this time back to American soil.

Here’s where American Airlines’ decision-making gets truly perplexing. Rather than landing at the nearest suitable airport on the West Coast, which would have been the common-sense approach for passenger convenience, they chose to divert all the way to Dallas Fort Worth International Airport. The plane touched down around 10 p.m. CT, leaving exhausted travelers stranded deep in the heart of Texas, thousands of miles from both their origin and destination. The airline remained conspicuously silent when asked to explain this baffling routing decision.

Super 8 Accommodations and $12 Meals

If you think being diverted halfway around the world was bad enough, wait until you hear how American Airlines handled the aftermath. These weary international travelers—who likely paid thousands for their tickets—were shuttled off to a Super 8 motel for the night. Not a Marriott, not a Hilton, not even a Holiday Inn Express. A Super 8. Because nothing says “we value your business” quite like economy accommodations after a premium travel disaster. But the airline’s commitment to customer disappointment didn’t stop there.

The airline generously handed out $12 food vouchers—an amount that might cover half a sandwich at most airport establishments. To put this in perspective, that’s less than a dollar for each hour these passengers spent in the air before the diversion.

Travelers quickly took to social media to express their entirely justified outrage, noting the stark contrast between the high cost of international tickets and the insultingly inadequate compensation. This isn’t just bad customer service; it’s a masterclass in how to alienate your customer base.

Snap Peas and Starvation

The nutritional situation aboard Flight 167 bordered on negligent. According to multiple passenger reports, American Airlines failed to provide adequate food for everyone on what became a marathon journey.

This wasn’t a short domestic hop where you might reasonably expect to grab something before or after the flight—this was a long-haul international journey where meals are not just expected but necessary. The airline’s solution? Apparently, some passengers received nothing more than dried snap peas to sustain them during a 14-hour ordeal.

One frustrated traveler summed up the absurdity perfectly, stating: “Oh, and American didn’t have enough food for everyone.” This isn’t just poor planning—it’s a fundamental failure to meet basic human needs. How is it possible that a major international carrier can’t adequately stock a plane for its intended journey, plus a reasonable contingency?

The answer, of course, lies in the relentless cost-cutting that has defined the airline industry for decades, consistently prioritizing profit margins over passenger comfort and basic dignity.

Eventually Reaching Tokyo

After enduring what must have felt like aviation purgatory, the beleaguered passengers were finally put on another 13-hour flight to Tokyo the following day. All told, these travelers spent approximately 25 hours in the air, plus the overnight stay in Dallas, to complete what should have been a straightforward 14-hour journey.

While mechanical issues certainly happen and safety must always come first, the way American Airlines handled this situation reveals volumes about how the company views its customers—as inconvenient cargo rather than valued passengers who deserve respect and reasonable accommodations during disruptions.

This incident bears a striking resemblance to another recent travel fiasco where a United flight to Shanghai was diverted because the pilot forgot their passport. Between these kinds of operational failures and the increasingly stingy approach to customer service, it’s becoming clear why so many travelers are losing faith in America’s legacy carriers.

When your response to stranding international passengers is budget motels and meal vouchers that wouldn’t cover a fast food combo, perhaps it’s time to reconsider your approach to the hospitality side of air travel.