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John T Smith
Community Expert
Community Expert
January 24, 2024
Question

Update: I flew !!! [Trip to Las Vegas 2nd Thoughts Boeing Problems]

  • January 24, 2024
  • 25 replies
  • 3615 views

Update: I flew !!!
https://www.direct2usales.com/VEGAS.HTM

 

My upcoming trip to Las Vegas is on Alaska Airlines... I am watching the investigation into the problem(s) with Boeing planes closely... and I am very concerned that 'several' planes have been found to have problems... I have trip insurance that I have never used before, and I'm thinking that I may find out this time just how easy/hard it is to make a claim... my trip is in late March, so I will decide early in the month if I want to cancel... or not

 

https://apnews.com/article/boeing-investigation-ntsb-safety-airplanes-d9e28fe1a11dafe4f639268504bdb85f

 

https://apnews.com/article/united-airlines-ceo-boeing-manufacturing-problems-4090ea6176ef59e382dd18e9522596bc

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    25 replies

    John T Smith
    Community Expert
    Community Expert
    February 29, 2024

    2-29-24 I wonder if there will be criminal charges in the future?

     

    I think every worker involved with that door needs to be fired... and maybe charged

     

    https://www.msn.com/en-us/travel/news/justice-department-probing-boeing-midair-door-plug-blowout/ar-BB1j4IOH

    Leslie Moak Murray
    Community Expert
    Community Expert
    February 29, 2024

    We also need a new Secretary of Transportation: https://www.thenation.com/article/politics/pete-buttigieg-boeing-max9/ 

    Nancy OShea
    Community Expert
    Community Expert
    February 29, 2024

    Better hope there isn't a gov't shutdown!  This will adversely impact travel safety for everyone just as it did in 2018-2019 under the Trump admin.

    https://ourpublicservice.org/blog/a-government-shutdown-would-threaten-air-travel-and-safety/

     

    On another note, introducing new SUPER Economy seats, coming soon to an airline near you.

     

    Nancy O'Shea— Product User & Community Expert
    Chuck Uebele
    Community Expert
    Community Expert
    February 27, 2024

    Well, I'm flying to CA, this Friday, on American. We'll see what happens. 

    Nancy OShea
    Community Expert
    Community Expert
    February 26, 2024

    Posted on Twitter/X, Feb 25 at 6:40 pm.  Take what you will from it.

     

    I’m done with Boeing. On my flight here, the compartment behind me wouldn’t close. On the flight back, my seat was broken. When I raised this issue, the flight attendant was like “well if we bring this up we won’t be able to take off.”

     

    Then we had a maintenance issue. “There’s some rare red light on.” I overheard most of the maintenance conversation. The plan was to solve it like an old person fixes a computer problem. Unplug it and plug it back in! They did this 3x and then “they got enough voltage into it for the light to turn off.”

     

    We’re very late at this point. The fu*king front wheel on this plane does not sound right. Anyways, we take off. Flight does not feel right. We go up and then down. Nothing too drastic. Then the flight attendant gets on the phone for a long conversation. Hmm.

     

    Eventually the pilot comes on all serious “automation is broken, we can’t get altitude. We have to go back to the airport we took off from. Don’t be alarmed by the emergency vehicles. This is normal for when the plane lands ‘heavy’.”

     

    We circle for a while and possibly dump some fuel into the ocean. Thankfully we landed safely but what a sh*t show. The seat and the luggage compartment seem like small issues but if they’re not doing maintenance and quality control on the small stuff they’re missing the big important stuff too. This was a post-merger Boeing. 737-800. Tired of this.

     

    😱

     

    Nancy O'Shea— Product User & Community Expert
    Nancy OShea
    Community Expert
    Community Expert
    February 26, 2024

    UPDATE:

     

    I want to make one more update, because it's crazy. When we got off the plane, we asked the team from American if they were going to reuse that plane for the next flight because no one I spoke to wanted to ride it again.

     

    The American team replied confidently that that plane WOULD NOT be flown again because it clearly had some major issues and that it "would be in the hangar for a while" while they worked those issues out.

     

    Well, guess what?  That same plane flew to Jamaica today!

     

     

    Nancy O'Shea— Product User & Community Expert
    John T Smith
    Community Expert
    Community Expert
    February 26, 2024

    >team from American

     

    My flight next month is on Alaska, and after all the 'hoo-haw' the Alaska CEO raised and the extra inspections I am, right now, still planning to fly

    John T Smith
    Community Expert
    Community Expert
    February 23, 2024
    Nancy OShea
    Community Expert
    Community Expert
    February 23, 2024

    Boeing replaces head of 737 MAX program after 18 years with the company.

    https://fortune.com/2024/02/21/boeing-737-max-ed-clark-resigns-leadership-management-change/

     

    Nancy O'Shea— Product User & Community Expert
    John T Smith
    Community Expert
    Community Expert
    February 19, 2024

    Found on the Internet (not a link to an article) so I can't verify the numbers, but lines up with what I've read about Boeing

     

    Hopefully new 'new' attention by the airlines and FAA will improve quality

     

    John T Smith
    Community Expert
    Community Expert
    February 7, 2024

    2-7-24 This one says photo evidence that the 4 bolts were not installed
    https://www.msn.com/en-us/travel/news/4-bolts-missing-from-alaska-airlines-door-plug-before-blow-out-ntsb-report/ar-BB1hSLdB

     

    I'm still thinking about my flight... but right now I plan to go... all of the planes have been inspected and approved by the FAA (which did not do a good job of inspection before, but is now adding inspectors) so I don't think there will be more problems

    Chuck Uebele
    Community Expert
    Community Expert
    February 7, 2024

    Got to love those photographers! That's what I did, so issues could  e found. 

    John T Smith
    Community Expert
    Community Expert
    February 7, 2024

    It is too bad that the person taking the pictures did not think about what was there while the picture was being taken... of course, the picture taker may have not been a technical person who knew what was supposed to be there

     

    As of now all planes have been inspected, so I am still planning to go on my flight

    John T Smith
    Community Expert
    Community Expert
    February 7, 2024
    John T Smith
    Community Expert
    Community Expert
    January 30, 2024
    John T Smith
    Community Expert
    Community Expert
    January 29, 2024

    More about the 'possibly' missing door bolts - article dated 1-29-24


    https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/companies/signs-suggest-alaska-airlines-plane-lacked-bolts-when-it-left-boeing-factory/ar-BB1hpXVc

     

    ADDED - shoddy work and shoddy record keeping
    "couldn’t be determined how many people were involved with work on the plug door"

    John T Smith
    Community Expert
    Community Expert
    January 27, 2024

    Alaska is flying again as of 1-26-24 - The Alaska CEO made one comment about 'many' loose bolts, so now I wonder if Alaska and/or the FAA will ever release a public report with an actual number... and if Boeing and/or the Spirit contractor will receive an FAA fine


    https://www.msn.com/en-us/travel/news/alaska-airlines-has-begun-flying-boeing-max-9-jetliners-again-for-the-first-time-friday/ar-BB1hlNOT

    Chuck Uebele
    Community Expert
    Community Expert
    January 27, 2024

    One of my fraternity brothers is a pilot for Alaska. Another brother was joking, to him, about loose nuts, but not on the plane.