On Wednesday afternoon, following Canada’s decision to ground the Boeing 737 Max 8, President Trump announced that the US would also be temporarily ceasing operation of the controversial aircraft (and its sister craft the 737 Max 9) until further investigation.
If you’ve already been booked on a flight on the 737 Max 8, here is how the airlines are handling the cancellation process.
Southwest Airlines
Southwest Airlines issued a statement regarding the 34 Max 8 aircraft in their fleet ensuring that they’d still meet their customers’ expectations and will be offering “flexible rebooking policies.”
If your flight has now been canceled due to the grounding, you’ll be able to rebook on an alternate flight without any additional fees or fare differences, so long as it is within 14 days of the original date and between the original arrival and destination.
American Airlines
American Airlines announced that it would comply with the order issued by President Trump and the FAA to ground its 24 Boeing 737 Max 8s. In a statement to CNN, American Airlines said “Our teams will make every effort to rebook customers as quickly as possible, and we apologize for any inconvenience”
USA Today reports that American Airlines will be automatically rebooked on another flight at no additional cost. If your flight was canceled completely, you’re eligible for a full refund.
AeroMexico and Norwegian
AeroMexico and Norwegian fly a small number of Max 8s out of the United States but they’ve grounded those planes per their home countries orders. All fights via these airlines aboard the Boeing 737 Max 8 have been automatically reassigned aboard other aircraft within their fleet.
How To Know What Type Of Plane You’ve Booked For Future Reference
In the event that you want to err on the side of caution for future bookings or if you’re ever just curious about an aircraft’s particular safety record, knowing what type of plane you’re about to board is incredibly easy to figure out. Most flight tickets list the model of the aircraft your flight will be flown in.
On this flight through American Airlines the aircraft model is listed just below the arrival time — a Boeing 737 Max 8, please note that this was BEFORE the FAA’s announced grounding. In the event the information isn’t listed on your ticket, SeatGuru is a great resource to help you find detailed info on any flight. Simply enter the name of the airline, your flight number, and the flight date to receive detailed information about your flight — from plane models to seat maps and amenities.
While plane crashes are rare in terms of how many flights takeoff per day, it never hurts to be informed about your travel arrangements.