Alaska Airlines and United Airlines are the primary users of the Boeing 737 Max 9 aircraft in the US that had one of its doors blown off during a recent flight (read more here).
The planes are currently grounded for being inspected, and there is no clear timeline until the FAA can conduct a review and sign Boeing’s proposal off.
You can access Alaska’s information for Boeing 737 Max 9 here and United’s here.
Alaska Airlines has been somewhat slow at their Max waiver, adjusting it every few days rather than accepting that these Max 9 planes likely stay grounded for a bit longer.
FAA’s Announcement:
The safety of the flying public, not speed, will determine the timeline for returning the Boeing 737-9 Max to service. pic.twitter.com/NiiZfU4xxk
— The FAA ✈️ (@FAANews) January 9, 2024
Alaska Airlines Boeing 737 Max 9 Waiver:
Flexible travel policies.
Systemwide flexible travel policy
Due to Boeing 737-9 MAX aircraft inspections and winter weather, we are offering a flexible travel policy if you would like to change or cancel your flight.
Flights may be delayed or canceled. Please monitor your flight status or sign up for flight notifications. After you sign up for flight notifications, we’ll notify you of any last-minute delays, cancellations, or gate changes on your flights by email or text message.
If your flight was already changed or canceled, you have options for rebooking.
Travel To/From: Systemwide
Tickets Purchased On / Before:
No restriction as to when the ticket was issued
Original Travel Dates:
January 6, 2024 – January 13, 2024
New Travel Dates:
January 6, 2024 – January 20, 2024
Exception Policy
- Tickets must be changed or canceled prior to the departure of your original flight.
- If you purchased your tickets through a third party, such as Expedia, another travel agency, or another airline, contact them directly for assistance.
- If you purchased a nonrefundable First Class, Main, Saver, or award ticket, you may:
- Change your trip without a fee. No difference in fare will apply for new travel through January 20, 2024, in the same cabin.
- Cancel your trip without a fee and choose to deposit the funds into your Account wallet, or receive a credit certificate for future travel.
- This waiver is valid only for tickets issued by Alaska Airlines, which you can identify by a 13-digit ticket number that begins with Alaska Airlines code “027”.
- This waiver does not apply to same day confirmed changes
- Tickets issued by other airlines with a different carrier code (ticket numbers that don’t begin with “027”) are subject to the waiver policy of the other airline.
- If desired, alternate aircraft type accommodations are being offered to guests scheduled to fly on a Boeing 737-9 Max between now and January 20, 2024 by calling our Reservation office at 1-800-252-7522 for assistance. If we are unable to find an alternate accommodation, a full refund will be offered. To find the aircraft type you’re scheduled on, go to your trips and click on Details under the Flight Summary section.
United Airlines Boeing 737 Max 9 Waiver:
Boeing 737 Max 9 Operated Flights
Travel to or from certain airports might be impacted. Check here for the most up-to-date information about your flight options.
Original travel dates Airports affected Original ticket purchased on or before January 6, 2024 – January 13, 2024 January 6, 2024 Flight options
If your flight is affected, here are your options:
- If you cancel or don’t take your trip, you can get a full refund.
Conclusion
The issue is that you don’t know what flights may end up canceled when these airlines swap planes and routes, and there are often last-minute cancellations, as I experienced yesterday, which I will cover in a separate piece soon.
You should monitor your Alaska and United itineraries and make changes if it seems that the flights won’t operate.
Let’s hope the FAA can sign off Boeing’s proposed changes soon, but these processes often take their time.
