- American Airlines and United Airlines were the first airlines in the United States to resume passenger flights on the Boeing 737 Max.
- I flew Max aircraft from both airlines to see how each was handling the return to service.
- American did the bare minimum to inform the pilots that they were booked in a Max while United was proactive.
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The Boeing 737 Max is back and here to stay.
Boeing reported that thousands of passenger flights have already been carried out with the aircraft and more airlines are resuming service each month.
Leaving aside its troubled past, the Max is still an innovative aircraft and offers attractive amenities for airlines and passengers. Airlines love the aircraft’s cost savings, while passengers will enjoy ultra-modern amenities on board, such as Boeing’s “Sky Interior”, complete with lightweight lights and larger overhead compartments.
American Airlines and United Airlines were the first two airlines in the United States to resume flights after a 20-month shutdown imposed by the Federal Aviation Administration. In February, I took flights on each of the airlines’ Max aircraft to see how each was handling the delicate return to service, especially as passenger confidence in the aircraft plummeted after the Ethiopian Airlines flight 302 crashed.
At American, I flew from New York to Miami, the same route on which the aircraft made its second debut after landing. And on United, I flew from Denver to Houston, Texas, on the airline’s first Max flight since stranding.
Both airlines had a similar offer on board, but the difference was largely down to how they both informed passengers that they would be flying on the infamous aircraft.
Read More: Boeing may have to shell out billions to airlines after regulators erased one of the 737 Max’s top selling points
See how the two compare.