One anxious passenger touches the plane's outside while boarding and prays before takeoff. Another brings anti-anxiety drugs. A third watches pilot-narrated YouTube videos to comprehend flights.
These practices have helped worried flyers conquer their dread. In recent months, news of Boeing plane troubles has made these methods ineffective and compromised their ability to proceed down the jetway, numerous tourists stated. They've decided to shun Boeing planes, even if it means rebooking tickets.
After a series of quality control mishaps, including the January door panel blowout on a Boeing 737 Max midair during an Alaska Airlines flight, Amineddoleh favors non-Boeing planes. Even though her new Europe schedule included a layover, she requested a refund for her Miami and Europe flights and bought Airbus tickets.
It's a nuisance, she noted, especially because she and her husband are traveling with their small daughter. “I'm not going to feel guilty because her safety is more important than fatigue.”
A United Airlines Boeing 737-900 engine caught fire earlier this month, a Latam Airlines Boeing 787 Dreamliner dropped and injured several, and a United Boeing 777 tire fell off. Boeing Max wiring defect vulnerabilities this week, following two catastrophic crashes in 2018 and 2019. Federal examination of Boeing's safety culture and the apparent suicide of a whistleblower have fueled criticism.
Boeing did not respond to consumer reluctance to fly aboard its aircraft. The firm has stated that it is “squarely focused on taking significant, demonstrated action with transparency at every turn.”
Airlines also pledge safety: United's CEO wrote to customers earlier this week saying the recent occurrences, while unrelated, “have our attention and have sharpened our focus.” Alaska Airlines' CEO “sincerely apologized” following the January debacle. Still, aviation industry watchdog groups say passengers are worried enough to ask how to choose non-Boeing flights.
“The good side is consumers are becoming more informed,” said Ed Pierson, executive director of the nonprofit Foundation for Aviation Safety and former Boeing 737 plant senior manager. “But here's the sad part: You shouldn't be dealing with this.” Since the door-plug blowout, Kayak, which lets users add or exclude plane models from flight searches, has seen a rise in aircraft research.
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