Before booking a flight, passengers can use search engines like Google Flights or travel booking site Kayak to check the type of aircraft scheduled for their desired route. This tool saw an increase in demand after the incidents on the construction company’s planes.
These platforms often display detailed information about the aircraft model, allowing travelers to make informed choices.
Kayak, for example, offers a specific airplane filter on its flight search results page, where travelers can include or exclude certain aircraft models in their search.
Since the Alaska Airlines incident, 737 Max filter usage has tripled in the days since, according to a Kayak spokesperson. Additionally, the company has introduced an even more detailed feature, allowing users to distinguish between the Max 8 and Max 9 models, previously grouped together.
Even if passengers have booked a flight on a different plane, airlines may make last-minute changes due to operational, mechanical or weather-related issues.
As Boeing 737 Max 9 models return to U.S. skies, passengers have the tools at their disposal to make informed decisions about their travel, ensuring their preferences and concerns are addressed during the booking process.
It is recalled that the United States Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) ordered on January 6th the immobilization of all Boeing 737s, which twenty days later were progressively released from “quarantine” and returned to the air.
The FAA had already committed five years ago to increasing supervision over Boeing after the two deadly accidents in 2018 and 2019, in which 737 Max planes were also involved, and which gave rise to the biggest crisis in the company’s history.
