Q: What happens if my flight is delayed or canceled?

Alaska is offering a “ systemwide flexible travel policy ,” allowing travelers with flights through Jan. 8 to change their reservation with no difference in fare (as long as the journey is completed by Jan. 20). Because of the overall impact that the grounding is having on Alaska’s operation, travelers don’t need to be flying on the Max 9 to take advantage of the policy. United has no such waiver in place that relaxes normal ticket policies but has stated that it is “working directly with impacted customers to find them alternative travel.” As with all flights, you are entitled to a refund if significantly delayed or canceled. The Transportation Department’s dashboard can help you navigate what else you may be owed.

Question 1

What airlines are affected by the grounding order?

Accepted Answer

Among U.S. carriers, Alaska Airlines and United Airlines operate the 737 Max 9. In addition, Aeromexico, Air Canada, Copa Airlines and Icelandair all operate Max 9 planes to the United States. United has 79 of these aircraft in service, more than any other airline, according to Cirium, an aviation data provider. In a statement on Saturday, United said it has “temporarily suspended service on select Boeing 737 MAX 9” to conduct inspections. Alaska’s 65 Max 9s represent about a fifth of its fleet. The Seattle-based airline said 18 aircraft had been cleared to return to service after inspections on Saturday, but later said they had been pulled again after the FAA grounding order. The remaining inspections will be conducted within the next several days. On Saturday, United said 33 aircraft had already been inspected.

Question 2

How do I know if my upcoming flight is on a Max 9?

Accepted Answer

The specific aircraft type you are flying on can typically be found in online flight search results, such as Google Flights. If you have already booked, look at your upcoming reservation details for the exact aircraft. Seat selection maps also typically show this information. Keep in mind, there is nuance with plane types. Boeing’s 737 Max 9 can sometimes also be listed as 737 Max-9 or 737-9. This is different from the Boeing 737-900, the previous generation 737 that is not impacted by the grounding.

Question 3

Will my upcoming flight be canceled or delayed?

Accepted Answer

Airlines have warned it is possible that flights on Max 9 aircraft (and other planes) will be delayed or canceled as inspections continue to roll along in coming days. As of Saturday evening, Alaska Airlines said it had canceled about 160 flights, affecting about 23,000 passengers. United had canceled more than 100 flights as of Saturday night, according to FlightAware, a flight tracking website.

Question 4

What happens if my flight is delayed or canceled?

Accepted Answer

Alaska is offering a “systemwide flexible travel policy,” allowing travelers with flights through Jan. 8 to change their reservation with no difference in fare (as long as the journey is completed by Jan. 20). Because of the overall impact that the grounding is having on Alaska’s operation, travelers don’t need to be flying on the Max 9 to take advantage of the policy. United has no such waiver in place that relaxes normal ticket policies but has stated that it is “working directly with impacted customers to find them alternative travel.” As with all flights, you are entitled to a refund if significantly delayed or canceled. The Transportation Department’s dashboard can help you navigate what else you may be owed.

Question 5

Do I need to worry about other 737 Max aircraft?

Accepted Answer

The FAA directive does not affect other Boeing 737 Max operators, such as American Airlines and Southwest Airlines, both of which operate the smaller 737 Max 8.

Question 6

Is this grounding similar to the Boeing 737 Max order in 2019?

Accepted Answer

At the moment, no. In 2019, all Boeing 737 Max planes were grounded worldwide after two fatal crashes within five months. The United States lifted its flight ban on the jets nearly two years later after major software and training updates. With the current directive, the FAA is only requiring operators to ground Max 9 aircraft for inspections that will take approximately four to eight hours per plane. Once the protocols are complete and “all applicable corrective actions have been performed,” the planes can immediately return to service.

Will the Boeing Max 9 groundings cancel my flight? Here’s what to know.

Dozens of flights had been canceled Saturday as aircraft were taken out of service to be inspected

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