How to Know If You Have a 737 Max Booked and What to Do If You Have One [updated]

After two fatal Boeing 737 Max 8 plane crashes in the past six months, many passengers and airlines have begun to wonder if these planes are safe to fly.

Many pilots raised concerns about the aircraft at both the FAA and Boeing, one of whom called the flight manual “inadequate and almost criminally inadequate,” The Dallas News reported . While a number of airlines have chosen to ground their aircraft , some others have not, especially in the United States and Canada . However , President Trump announced the flight ban on Wednesday .

The FAA still allows aircraft to fly , as it did after the Lion Air crash in November , and instead said it would require “design changes” for the Max 8 as well as for the Max 9 “no later than April 2019. Reported by CNN . However, the announcement also indicated that the cause of the latest crash of Ethiopian Airlines has not yet been established.

Boeing, on the other hand, claims aircraft are safe to fly and says it is working to improve the aircraft’s flight control software to “make an already safe aircraft safer,” and is currently working on planning. and certification of this software by the FAA. It is expected to roll out in the coming weeks. On Wednesday, he issued a statement saying he supports the temporary suspension of flights.

Which airlines currently fly the Boeing 737 Max 8?

As of 3:00 pm Wednesday, no. In total, there are only 350 Boeing Max aircraft in operation in the world, owned by 54 operators. The vast majority of these planes were stopped either by the airline or by their country’s government following the crash of Ethiopian Airlines.

Prior to President Trump’s ban, the United States was the only country with a significant number of aircraft in operation. In terms of US carriers, Southwest Airlines has 34 Max 8s and American Airlines 24. In Canada, the planes were serviced by Air Canada and Westjet, but Canada announced it would land the planes on Wednesday .

How do I know if I am flying a 737 Max 8?

In many cases, the type of aircraft you are flying will be listed right where you book your ticket.

If you have already booked a plane ticket, the type of plane you are flying on must be indicated on the ticket itself. For example, on this Alaska Airlines ticket, I saw that the plane would be part of the Airbus series.

If you don’t see it or want more information, SeatGuru can make it easier to find that information. This is where you enter your airline, date or flight and flight number, and you get information about the plane as well as on-board amenities and a seat map showing where is the best place to sit.

For example, SeatGuru’s search for this flight to Alaska went a little further than my flight ticket will be on an Airbus A320.

What if you don’t want to fly it?

If you’ve already booked your 737 Max 8, the bad answer is “a little”. Both American and Southwest will allow you to rebook most fares or tickets, but this rebooking can be expensive.

In the Southwest, you usually need to pay the difference in cost between your current ticket and the ticket you are changing for; however, the airline reportedly decided not to allow customers to switch between flights 737 Max and regular 737 . With American, you will have to pay the difference in fare as well as a $ 200 change fee. If you have a Basic Economy ticket, you won’t be allowed to change flights at all, which is the only solution if you don’t want to fly the 737 Max by simply purchasing a new plane ticket.

Astoundingly, United is the only airline to offer free flight changes to customers and doesn’t even own any of the Max 8. It has 14 Max 9s in its fleet, and has stated that it will “do whatever it takes to find alternative travel options.” for any passengers who are uncomfortable flying one of them.

Updated March 13, 2019 1:00 PM ET: Updated to reflect Canada has opted to ground the 737 Max 8.

Updated March 13, 2019, 3:00 PM ET: Updated to reflect President Trump has stopped planes in the United States and that Boeing says it supports this decision.

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