Worst Experience in Years

I work in Hawaii several times a year and typically take a redeye home on Friday from HNL to either SFO or LAX, then a regional jet to a smaller California airport to get home. I was please to be done early with work so I rebooked to a 1pm departure from HNL to LAX, connection around 10pm PST and I could be home by midnight. Seemed great.

Our 777-200 landed nearly on time to LAX and I had a 90 minute layover. We were informed that the another plane was sitting at our gate and to remain seated. We later are sent to an annex waiting area West of the terminal where we waited a full hour, only to be told that the plane in our gate had a maintenance issue and would lot be moving. Because we were a 777-200, few gates could accommodate the aircraft. We ended up waiting a full 2 hours on the tarmac before grabbing a gate vacated by another wide body, having left for Australia. By this time I missed my connection as had many others.

In the terminal I asked for customers service only to be shown a QR code. No compensation was given, no hotel was offered or given, and I had to beg for a meal voucher around midnight. It is not 3:30am and I am waiting at LAX for an 8am flight to my hometown, having been up all night and very upset with United. I have never arrived on time, only to miss a connection because we could NOT deplane.