- American Airlines and United Airlines were the first American airlines to resume passenger flights on the Boeing 737 Max.
- I flew on Max planes from both airlines to see how each one handles the return to service.
- American did the least to inform flyers that they were booked on a Max while United were proactive.
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The Boeing 737 Max is back and here to stay.
Boeing reported thousands of passenger flights had already been flown by plane and more airlines resumed service each month.
Apart from the difficult past, the Max is still a groundbreaking aircraft and offers attractive facilities for airlines and passengers. Airlines like the plane’s cost-saving economy, while passengers will enjoy the state-of-the-art on-board amenities such as Boeing’s “Sky Interior”, complete with mood lights and greater overhead.
American Airlines and United Airlines were the first two U.S. airlines to resume flying aircraft after a 20-month grounding imposed by the Federal Aviation Administration. In February, I flew on each of the airlines’ Max planes to see how each airline handles the fine return to service, especially since passenger confidence in the plane declined following the crash of Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302.
On American, I flew from New York to Miami, the same route on which the plane made its second debut to Earth. And at United, I flew from Denver to Houston, Texas, with the airline’s first Max flight since its inception.
Both airlines had a similar offer on board, but the difference largely amounted to how both passengers announced that they would be flying the infamous aircraft.
Read more: Boeing may have to shell out billions to airlines after regulators wiped out one of the 737 Max’s main points of sale
Here’s how the two compare.