“While the overall fraction of users filtering the 737 remains small, usage increased following the Alaska Airlines incident in January,” Kayak CEO Steve Hafner said. In January, utilization was 15 times greater than in December, but it has since dropped to 10 times higher.
Kayak and aviation experts warned that airlines routinely substitute planes at the last minute, so non-Boeing clients may get a Boeing. There are few alternatives: Airbus and Embraer are other popular planes for large carriers. Spirit and JetBlue don't fly Boeings. Southwest has a Boeing 737-only fleet.
Houston-based IT project manager Stephanie Walls, an apprehensive passenger, changed her Philadelphia ticket to an Airbus. Despite praying, picking a window seat, and following the flight tracker to calm her nerves, she is not satisfied that Boeing has done enough to improve jet safety.
Chicago labor union communications specialist Adrian Rojas has had therapy to overcome his phobia of flying and takes anti-anxiety medication. Rojas altered his return journey from Austin, Texas, to an Airbus next month to avoid Boeing's Max series, unlike the other passengers who said they avoided all Boeing planes.
He stated, “I just know that it's something I would be thinking about a lot right as I get on the plane, so I'm just trying to limit that for my mental health.”
Even calm flyers are changing planes. Richmond consultant Leonyce Moses loves to travel and flew one to two times a month last year. She paid $70 more to fly on an Airbus instead of a Boeing to Phoenix, but “it was worth it for my safety,” she said.
Aerophobia—a clinically diagnosed strong fear of flying—is rare, estimated at 2.5% of the population. Up to 40% of people have flight phobia. The disease is treatable, says UMass Chan Medical School assistant professor of psychiatry Elizabeth Austin. She suggested virtual reality plane-boarding programs for cognitive behavioral therapy and exposure therapy.
She supported flying phobics swapping tickets if they were honest about how few hazards they face on any plane. “It’s still an extraordinarily low-risk situation,” she said. Amineddoleh needs more for Boeing flights. She hopes to consider it again. "I really do hope things change at Boeing, in part because it makes my life easier," remarked. “I always fly direct to Europe. Not in years."
follow for more updates