Check Your Flights - re:Boeing

[sippican]

Please be aware that your air reservations may be impacted by the Boeing 737 Max 8 troubles.

Some countries have grounded that specific aircraft, and some (Europe countries most notably) have banned it from their airspace.

 

I am not trying to ba an alarmist, and have no opinion either way regarding the bans. 

It just pays to be aware if you are shceduled to fly on one of these aircrafts.

Edited March 12, 2019 by sippican

[Nachosdelux]

It is the 737 max (not 747)

[drakes2]

3 minutes ago, Nachosdelux said:

It is the 737 max (not 747)

I'm ok. Just checked air canada 767

[jsf]

I think I heard the only airlines flying that plane in America are Southwest and American airlines

[Willow1213]

27 minutes ago, jsf said:

I think I heard the only airlines flying that plane in America are Southwest and American airlines

Yes, Southwest Air. You know, the one with Mechanic issues right now... I have a family member on one right now and I’m a nervous wreck!

[Silkroad]

I was just checking this earlier today. United also owns a few of the 737 Max planes. They’ve stated that their pilots are highly trained, and they’ve no intention of grounding the planes. I suspect that unless the FAA orders the planes grounded, US airlines will continue to fly them.

[bkbarrym]

Both Air Canada (24) and WestJet (13) have 737 Max 8s. So far they have not been grounded. However, Air Canada has had to cancel 737 Max 8 flights to London as the U.K. has banned the aircraft from their airspace. Customers have been moved to other flights. So there is some indirect impact.

 

Should the government decide to ground these planes there would likely be impact on their overall scheduling due to the loss of these planes from their fleet.

[jaapie]

We are booked on a United flight to Florida the day before our cruise. I checked and the flight info says 737 Max 9. 

Is 9 also a concern or only 8?

[K12Guy]

Imagine being an aeronautical engineer working for Boeing on the 737 Max 8 team right now. Not much time for sleep, I would think.

 

The following is, in part, a statement issued by Boeing on 11 March, 2019.

 

For the past several months and in the aftermath of Lion Air Flight 610, Boeing has been developing a flight control software enhancement for the 737 MAX, designed to make an already safe aircraft even safer. This includes updates to the Maneuvering Characteristics Augmentation System (MCAS) flight control law, pilot displays, operation manuals and crew training. The enhanced flight control law incorporates angle of attack (AOA) inputs, limits stabilizer trim commands in response to an erroneous angle of attack reading, and provides a limit to the stabilizer command in order to retain elevator authority.

 

Boeing has been working closely with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) on development, planning and certification of the software enhancement, and it will be deployed across the 737 MAX fleet in the coming weeks. The update also incorporates feedback received from our customers.  

 

The FAA says it anticipates mandating this software enhancement with an Airworthiness Directive (AD) no later than April. We have worked with the FAA in development of this software enhancement.

 

It is important to note that the FAA is not mandating any further action at this time, and the required actions in AD2018-23.51 continue to be appropriate.

 

I have the utmost confidence in Boeing and our pilot crews and would fly a 737 Max 8 tomorrow if need be. But, that's just me.

[WTXCRUISER]

58 minutes ago, jaapie said:

We are booked on a United flight to Florida the day before our cruise. I checked and the flight info says 737 Max 9. 

Is 9 also a concern or only 8?

737-9MAX is not the type of aircraft involved in the two fatal accidents.  Only the 737-8MAX is involved.

[Bo1953]

Please remember that the airline can switch out aircraft at any time and often does, which means that while there is no 737-8 Max today or tomorrow showing for one's flight, day of travel it could be. 

 

Bon voyage 

[WrittenOnYourHeart]

Is 737-800 and 737 8 MAX the same thing?

[Cruise Junky]

4 minutes ago, WrittenOnYourHeart said:

Is 737-800 and 737 8 MAX the same thing?

No. 

[wingnut2005]

If your booked on Southwest and your flight will be on a 737 Max 8 Southwest is allowing you to change flights to a non 737 Max 8  flight for no charge just finished changing ours had to wait on phone 90 min to get through to an agent but feel it was worth it

[WrittenOnYourHeart]

4 hours ago, Cruise Junky said:

No. 

 

Thank you!

[drakes2]

Sun wing airlines which is Canadian has now been added to the list 737 Max  8 as of today. 

[hcat]

Very helpful thread!

 We checked our SW Air  flights for next week on flight tracker..So far so good for both legs of the trip..Flying Ft Myers to Balto to Islip....non cruise this time! Hope they do not make any last minute switch outs.

 

Hope the protocol outlined is initiated  before we have to fly again in June.

[Want2Cruise 701]

We switched our flight on Southwest for no charge.  I called two nights ago to check, and we were on a 737 Max8 to PR for our Summit cruise.  I also feel more comfortable doing so since we fly in two weeks, and if they do decide to ground the planes here in the US, I won't have to worry about a last minute change.

[Silkroad]

10 hours ago, K12Guy said:

I have the utmost confidence in Boeing and our pilot crews and would fly a 737 Max 8 tomorrow if need be. But, that's just me.

That’s all very well, and I had already read the Boeing statement you referenced, but those of us who have flights scheduled in the near term - as I do - have valid concerns about our travels being disrupted if the FAA should ultimately ground the Max 8 planes. IMO changing to another flight to avoid a Max 8 is a waste of my time and money. As Bo said in an earlier post, airlines swap planes all the time, right up to takeoff.  I don’t care which plane we have for our flight to FLL. As long as it’s mechanically sound, piloted by an excellent, experienced crew, guided by well staffed, excellent FAA controllers, and gets us (and our luggage) there the day before our transatlantic cruise, I’m satisfied. That said, I want to remain aware of potential disruptions, so that we have time to react. It’s no fun to begin a long anticipated vacation with travel woes.

Edited March 13, 2019 by Silkroad

[mfs2k]

13 hours ago, jsf said:

I think I heard the only airlines flying that plane in America are Southwest and American airlines

 

Those are the US Carriers but non US Carriers are flying those planes in the US.. 

My friend was due to fly today from Stewart Airport in NY to Edinburgh, Scotland on Norwegian Air but her flight was cancelled because they were on a Max8.

[mfs2k]

8 hours ago, WrittenOnYourHeart said:

Is 737-800 and 737 8 MAX the same thing?

 

SeatGuru showed my friend on a 737-800 however it turned out her plane was, in fact, a Max8.  So while they may not be the same aircraft, some software may not reflect the difference. 

[Cruise Junky]

30 minutes ago, mfs2k said:

 

SeatGuru showed my friend on a 737-800 however it turned out her plane was, in fact, a Max8.  So while they may not be the same aircraft, some software may not reflect the difference. 

Unfortunately lots of aircraft switches happen at the last minute.

[WrittenOnYourHeart]

2 hours ago, mfs2k said:

 

SeatGuru showed my friend on a 737-800 however it turned out her plane was, in fact, a Max8.  So while they may not be the same aircraft, some software may not reflect the difference. 

 

I'm going directly by the airline. Not by a random site that is not the airline's.

 

Actually I kind of wish they were because then I might be able to get American to change my September flight so I can go home rather than to what will now be a chaotic Disney thanks to them opening Star Wars early. 

[wpgcycler]

14 hours ago, bkbarrym said:

Both Air Canada (24) and WestJet (13) have 737 Max 8s. So far they have not been grounded. However, Air Canada has had to cancel 737 Max 8 flights to London as the U.K. has banned the aircraft from their airspace. Customers have been moved to other flights. So there is some indirect impact.

 

Should the government decide to ground these planes there would likely be impact on their overall scheduling due to the loss of these planes from their fleet.

Gov't of Canada just banned 737 Max from Canadian airspace.

[ghstudio]

Be aware that as of this morning,  Boeing 737 max's have been banned from flying to/from or over Canada until further notice.

Edited March 13, 2019 by ghstudio