If it's Boeing, are you going? Why travelers are wary of the Max line, but airlines aren't

In the wake of the latest Boeing 737 Max fiasco – a weekslong grounding following the explosive decompression of an Alaska Airlines flight in January – a lot of passengers are inverting that old mantra “if it ain’t Boeing, I ain’t going.” Duc Vu, 41, was already wary of flying on the 737 Max 8 after its second crash in 2019, but the most recent incident confirmed his feelings about the aircraft family. Boeing has pledged to be transparent and strengthen safety. “But for me, it’s too little, too late,” the Philadelphia management consultant said. Vu has tried to avoid the 737 Max line when he flies, even switching his go-to carrier from Southwest Airlines to American due to the higher number in the former’s fleet (though neither fly the Max 9 variant involved in the January incident). “In light of everything that happened with the Alaska flight, I felt very validated in my decision-making,” he said. Vu is hardly alone. Social media is littered with posts from travelers who say they want to avoid Boeing 737 Max jets in their future travels. Travel booking company Kayak even included filters on its flight search page that allow passengers to exclude itineraries with certain aircraft types. But for most travelers, it may be tough to decode what kind of plane is operating their flight because, ultimately, airlines – not passengers – are Boeing’s customers. Travelers may not have much say over what kind of plane they’re boarding once they’ve decided to fly somewhere. Most experts suggest there’s no reason to worry, though. Many point to the excellent overall safety record of aviation in the U.S., and airlines that fly the Max say they’re sticking with Boeing, even as regulators increase oversight of the company’s production lines. Story has more.<br/>