Flight or fight: Terrified flyers are changing flights from Boeing airplanes, ... trends now
Flyers are changing flights to avoid Boeing airplanes, reports and social media posts show - following a rash of recent incidents involving the embattled manufacturer.
Amid the mishaps, some have taken to traveling with anti-anxiety medication, NBC News reported Saturday - while interviewing travelers about their shifting strategies.
Others posted to TikTok to outline their new game plans - with one showing how to specifically exclude Boeing craft from prospective flights when booking them online.
Praying has surfaced as another popular course of action to combat the missteps, which most recently saw a United Airlines plane grounded on March 15.
The plane, a Boeing 737-824, was found to have lost a panel midflight, days after a Boeing 787 Dreamliner experienced a drop that injured dozens of passengers.
Both came after an Alaska Airlines Boeing 737-MAX 9 lost a door mid-flight in January, spurring a federal investigation. With several incidents since, the FAA is mulling measures to curb United's growth, like preventing it from adding new routes.
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Flyers are changing flights to avoid Boeing airplanes, posts to social media show - following a rash of recent incidents involving the embattled manufacturer.
A United Airlines plane built by Boeing was grounded on March 15 after it was found to be missing a panel when it touched down following a flight. Pictured: The missing part on the 25-year-old Boeing 737-824, which is older then the Max models
'Are you nervous about flying Boeing after all of the news recently?' TikToker Christian Grossi tells his more than 1.4million followers in one such clip, posted on March 14.
'Well this is something you're gonna wanna listen to.'
'After doing some research - because I don't want to fly on the Boeing Maxes either - I found out when you're booking you're flights, you can actually select to exclude that aircraft,' he says, walking his followers through the process.
'Normally when I'm booking flights, I check all of the sites - so Google Flights, or I go directly to like United or American Airlines,' he continues, as the incidents involving Boeing continue to weigh on the collective US consciousness.
'But, this website - and I never use it - this is Kayak, lets you exclude the Boeing 737 Max 9 from your search,' he states, showing travelers how to avoid Maxes - a model grounded for two years in 2019 after two crashes that collectively killed 346.
'Let's figure out how to do that,' he says in the clip, which, like others like it, has since garnered tens of thousands of views.
'We're gonna go from New York, let just put Los Angeles...and we're gonna hit search,' he continues.
'Right off the bat, I'm not seeing the option yet to switch off the aircraft.'
But after further perusal of filters including 'airlines' and flight duration', the TikToker comes across the categories in question - listed simply as 'plane' and 'model.'
'Are you nervous about flying Boeing after all of the news recently?' TikToker Christian Grossi tells his more than 1.4million followers in one such clip, posted on March 14, before showing how to specifically avoid certain plane models
A list of Boeing-made planes was produced as proof, where travelers have the option to uncheck them if desired
Since garnering more than 150,000 views, he concludes: 'And there you go. Now you never have to fly on one of those planes ever again'
'So we're just gonna click plane,' he states at this point, showing viewers his screen for easier understanding.
'Once you click plane, this drop down arrow comes... and look. All of the planes are selected. And we can actually unselect the Max-9 and the Max-8,' he says.
Showing a list of Boeing Max-less flights as proof, he concludes: 'And there you go. Now you never have to fly on one of those planes ever again.'
Others, like TikToker culturework, aired more of the same, issuing instructional videos on 'how to avoid a 737-MAX, if you can.'
The instructions come two weeks after an ex-quality manager at a Boeing was found dead in an apparent suicide, while doing depositions in a whistleblower lawsuit over production practices surrounding the aviation giant's 787 Dreamliner and 737 Max models - models he warned about in an interview just weeks before his demise.
It also comes two years after crashes in 2018 and 2019 in Ethiopia and Indonesia, both of which involved Max planes.
The incidents, which occurred within months of each other, spurred an investigation by the FAA, who went on to clear Max planes for flight in 2021.
However, scrutiny into the planes - since joined by the craft's flagship 787-Dreamliner - was reignited this past January, when the door flew off the Alaska Airlines plane mid-flight in January, spurring a new FAA investigation.
At least seven other incidents, several involving United flights, have occurred since - leading the FAA to discuss temporary actions it may take with the airline’s leadership, insiders familiar with the matter told Bloomberg.
The instructions come two years after crashes in 2018 and 2019 in Ethiopia (pictured) and Indonesia, both of which involved Max planes. Teams collect personal effects and other materials from the crash site of Ethiopian Airlines Flight in March 2019
That crash came less than a year after another flight on a Boeing 737 MAX jet, which left 189 people dead in Indonesia. Pictured are inspectors at the site of the Lion Air Flight crash in November 2018
Jackson County Airport Director Amber Judd reiterated the plane was not a new aircraft, unlike the slew of incidents seen in recent months. An Alaska Airlines Boeing 737-MAX 9 lost a door mid-flight in January, with several incident involving Boeing-made planes occurring since
In addition to route restrictions, United may be barred from flying paying customers on newly delivered aircraft, the sources reportedly said - asking to not to be identified as the disclosed the discussions.
Others who spoke to NBC News cited the recent headlines surrounding Boeing craft, which started when the supposedly state of the art, brand-new 737 Max lost plane shortly after take-off from Portland International in January.
Then, a few weeks later, another incident involving a Boeing 737, occurred March 4 shortly after takeoff from Florida's Fort Meyers, and saw one of the United plane's engines catch fire.
Footage from the cabin showed passengers screaming and crying as they witnessed flames billowing up over one of the plane's wings, after one of the turbines on the United flight somehow ingested bubble wrap before the departure, the airline said.
No one was injured during the incident.
A few days later, on another United flight, a wheel fell off a Boeing 777-200 shortly after takeoff in San Francisco.
As was the case with the other mishaps, the malfunctions occurred shortly after take-off, and saw the 256lb wheel crush several cars parked below after plummeting to the ground.
The United Airlines flight on its way to Osaka was barely off the runway when the Boeing 777-200's wheel detached, with footage showing it laying on the runway following the frightening fall.
The plane with 235 passengers and 14 crew diverted to Los Angeles Airport after it was alerted to the landing gear failure at 11:35am March 8, before eventually landing safely at LAX at around 1.20pm with no further incident.
No injuries were reported on the ground.
Roughly 50 people were treated by first responders and at least five remain hospitalized - after a LATAM airlines plane dipped violently on March 12
Another, involving a Boeing 737, occurred March 4 shortly after takeoff from Florida's Fort Meyers, and saw one of the plane's engines catch fire. Footage from the cabin showed passengers screaming as they witnessed flames billowing over one of the plane's wings
As was the case with the other mishaps, it occurred shortly after take-off, and saw the 256lb wheel crush several cars parked below after plummeting to the ground
Then, four days later, a United Airlines aircraft skidded off a runway into a grassy area after a rough landing in Houston
The aircraft, which arrived from Memphis, suffered some form of gear collapse as it exited the runway at George Bush Airport. The 160 passengers and six crew were not injured
Footage showed the plane stopped with its wing touching the ground by the side of the runway, while passengers were hurried off from an emergency gate ladder. The plane, in that case, was also a Boeing 737 Max
A few hours later, a flight from San Francisco to Mexico City was diverted to LA after an issue with the plane’s hydraulic system, United Airlines said - this time referring to a Boeing 777-300, the same model seen spewing hydraulic fluid on March 11
United, at the time, issued a statement that seemingly attempted to quell riders' concerns: 'The 777-200 has six tires on each of its two main landing gear struts.
