Mar 13, 2019, 4:44 pm
Last edit by: JDiver
This thread is STRICTLY dedicated to discussing alternative arrangements and policy resulting from the FAA emergency order grounding all USA carriers’ Boeing 737 MAX 8 (and MAX 9) aircraft. This has grounded all 24 7M8 / 737 MAX 8 aircraft American Airlines has in service.
To discuss the 737 MAX 8s withdrawal from service and related issues apart from reaccommodation related issues, please post in Recent 737 MAX 8 crashes and effects on AA 737 MAX 8s (NOT reaccomodation).
To discuss the probable and limited return of the Boeing MAX to service with AA at the end of 2020 and increasingly in 2021, please see
American Planning 737 MAX Service Restoration (Limited Dec and 2021)
See here for AA announcement about 7M8 / B38M operations and grounding.
Keep an eye on your email for further reaccommodation email notices.
Check your PNR on aa.com to determine if you’ve been reaccommodated.
If the reaccommodation doesn’t suit you, because this is an involuntary flight change and if there’s a significant time change you may be able to get your ticket refunded with no penalty, or to request a more favorable reaccommodation (easier if you can tell the agent which flights you’d prefer and have verified there are seats available.
Keep your eyes on your trips. Until the 7M8 is recertified, maintained out of “mothballs” and returned to service, and for some time after, there will be aircraft and schedule adjustments.
To discuss the 737 MAX 8s withdrawal from service and related issues apart from reaccommodation related issues, please post in Recent 737 MAX 8 crashes and effects on AA 737 MAX 8s (NOT reaccomodation).
To discuss the probable and limited return of the Boeing MAX to service with AA at the end of 2020 and increasingly in 2021, please see
American Planning 737 MAX Service Restoration (Limited Dec and 2021)
An Update on the Boeing 737 MAX (AA, Friday, February 14, 2020, 3:30 PM)
“Based on the latest guidance, the airline anticipates that the resumption of scheduled commercial service on American’s fleet of Boeing 737 MAX aircraft will occur Aug. 18, 2020.” — 14 Feb 2020 — link
“Based on the latest guidance, the airline anticipates that the resumption of scheduled commercial service on American’s fleet of Boeing 737 MAX aircraft will occur Aug. 18, 2020.” — 14 Feb 2020 — link
AA has had a policy in place, as shared below by JonNYC in post # 15.
Essentially, if you’re scheduled to fly on a 737 MAX 8 operated flight while it’s still grounded awaiting recertification="4"%:
If the flight was cancelled, you can get a refund or make changes without fees;
if the flight was changed (to another aircraft type, etc.) you can make a number of changes free of charge (but not get a refund with change fees waived).
American continues to await information from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), Department of Transportation (DOT), National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), other regulatory authorities and Boeing that would permit the 24 Boeing 737 MAX aircraft in our fleet to resume flying.
In an effort to provide more certainty and avoid last minute flight disruptions, American has extended cancellations through August 14, 2020. Previous dates have been:
04 June 2020, 07 April 2020, 06 March 2020, 16 Jan 2020, December 3, 2019; November 2, September 3, August 19, June 5.) This resulted in the cancellation of approximately 115 flights each day based on our April schedule. By proactively canceling these flights, we are able to provide better service to our customers with availability and rebooking options. - aa.com link to PDF
In an effort to provide more certainty and avoid last minute flight disruptions, American has extended cancellations through August 14, 2020. Previous dates have been:
If the flight was cancelled, you can get a refund or make changes without fees;
if the flight was changed (to another aircraft type, etc.) you can make a number of changes free of charge (but not get a refund with change fees waived).
Keep an eye on your email for further reaccommodation email notices.
Check your PNR on aa.com to determine if you’ve been reaccommodated.
If the reaccommodation doesn’t suit you, because this is an involuntary flight change and if there’s a significant time change you may be able to get your ticket refunded with no penalty, or to request a more favorable reaccommodation (easier if you can tell the agent which flights you’d prefer and have verified there are seats available.
Keep your eyes on your trips. Until the 7M8 is recertified, maintained out of “mothballs” and returned to service, and for some time after, there will be aircraft and schedule adjustments.
ARCHIVE: 737 MAX (7M8) grounded until TBA. What to do if scheduled to fly on one?
Mar 20, 2019, 4:02 pm
#76
Join Date: Jan 2018
Location: BGI | MIA
Programs: AA Platinum Pro | Hyatt Globalist | HH Diamond | SPG Gold
Posts: 316
I work in barbados so I’m constantly flying back and forth. All those flights are 7M8 unfortunately.
Supposed to fly CMH-MIA-BGI with the MIA-BGI on the 7M8.
Rerouted to CLT and then to BGI on A319
Works for me. Columbus to Miami was on a regional jet with no business class. So I got an upgrade for one of the flights barely any schedule change.
Will see what happens in mid April when I fly back to the US and back to barbados.
Supposed to fly CMH-MIA-BGI with the MIA-BGI on the 7M8.
Rerouted to CLT and then to BGI on A319
Works for me. Columbus to Miami was on a regional jet with no business class. So I got an upgrade for one of the flights barely any schedule change.
Will see what happens in mid April when I fly back to the US and back to barbados.
Mar 22, 2019, 8:16 am
#77
Join Date: Jul 2010
Posts: 113
If you wait for the last minute and simple active reactively instead of proactively, you wind up with fewer and fewer options. The MAX was grounded on the 13th with a memo out that evening. If I had a transcon flight that night relatively close in, I would have been on the phone that evening.
Last edited by JDiver; Mar 24, 2019 at 10:47 am Reason: Complete quote
Mar 23, 2019, 9:40 am
#78
Suspended
Join Date: Sep 2006
Programs: AAdvantage PP
Posts: 13,913
My MIA/BOS flight for Friday PM 3/29 doesn’t show a/c type but still shows the Max seat chart. It’s the last flight out that night. I guess I’ll need to constantly check the seat assignment as AA is very good at taking you out of your window or aisle MCE seat and shoving you into a non MCE middle seat when there’s an a/c change.
Mar 24, 2019, 10:45 am
#79
Moderator: American AAdvantage
Join Date: May 2000
Location: NorCal - SMF area
Programs: AA LT Plat; HH LT Diamond, Maître-plongeur des Muccis
Posts: 62,948
American continues to await information from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), Department of Transportation (DOT), National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), other regulatory authorities and Boeing that would permit the 24 Boeing 737 MAX aircraft in our fleet to resume flying.
In an effort to provide more certainty and avoid last minute flight disruptions, American has extended cancellations through April 24. This will result in the cancellation of approximately 90 flights each day based on our April schedule. By proactively canceling these flights, we are able to provide better service to our customers with availability and rebooking options. - aa.com link to PDF
In an effort to provide more certainty and avoid last minute flight disruptions, American has extended cancellations through April 24. This will result in the cancellation of approximately 90 flights each day based on our April schedule. By proactively canceling these flights, we are able to provide better service to our customers with availability and rebooking options. - aa.com link to PDF
Mar 24, 2019, 11:41 am
#80
Join Date: Mar 2002
Location: YYJ
Posts: 4,137
From the page on AA.com linked to above:
Also from that page:
So they're cancelling 5 more flights per day than they operate on the MAX, yet have substituted other aircraft types on some of the flights?
#AA #GoodAtMath
Not all flights that were previously scheduled on a MAX will be canceled, as we plan to substitute other aircraft types. In total, approximately 90 flights will be canceled per day.
On average, American operates 85 flights per day on the MAX 8, out of 6,700 departures throughout the American Airlines system. Our operations center is working to re-route aircraft throughout the system to cover as much of our schedule as we can.
So they're cancelling 5 more flights per day than they operate on the MAX, yet have substituted other aircraft types on some of the flights?
#AA #GoodAtMath
Mar 24, 2019, 12:48 pm
#81
Join Date: Jul 2010
Posts: 113
So if my reservation is saying a new aircraft now (737-800) I can assume my flight isn't (and won't be) cancelled and they just swapped out the aircraft?
Mar 24, 2019, 1:43 pm
#82
Join Date: Aug 2014
Location: 42.1% in PDX , 49.9% in PVG & 8% in the air somewhere
Programs: Marriott Ambassador Elite, UA 1K, AS MVP GLD 75K, DL Pt
Posts: 1,086
Mar 24, 2019, 3:01 pm
#83
Moderator: American AAdvantage
Join Date: May 2000
Location: NorCal - SMF area
Programs: AA LT Plat; HH LT Diamond, Maître-plongeur des Muccis
Posts: 62,948
Mar 26, 2019, 12:57 pm
#84
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: Minneapolis: DL DM charter 2.3MM
Programs: A3*Gold, SPG Plat, HyattDiamond, MarriottPP, LHW exAccess, ICI, Raffles Amb, NW PE MM, TWA Gold MM
Posts: 100,413
Do people think AA would book me on another airline? They cancelled my flight to Portland and rebooked me a full day later and through Phoenix. My friends are flying Southwest. If it worth trying to ask them to book me on another airline so I can get there the same day I was originally booked or is this a waste of time?
Even if they're willing to rebook you onto another carrier, they *cannot* rebook you onto any airline with which they do not interline. That includes Southwest, who doesn't interline at all, with any carrier, as well as most other LCCs and certain smaller airlines.
Mar 26, 2019, 12:58 pm
#85
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: Minneapolis: DL DM charter 2.3MM
Programs: A3*Gold, SPG Plat, HyattDiamond, MarriottPP, LHW exAccess, ICI, Raffles Amb, NW PE MM, TWA Gold MM
Posts: 100,413
From the page on AA.com linked to above:
Also from that page:
So they're cancelling 5 more flights per day than they operate on the MAX, yet have substituted other aircraft types on some of the flights?
#AA #GoodAtMath[/color]
Also from that page:
So they're cancelling 5 more flights per day than they operate on the MAX, yet have substituted other aircraft types on some of the flights?
#AA #GoodAtMath[/color]
AA could be cancelling shorter flights in order to have aircraft for longer flights. The real constraint is in terms of hours, including turnarounds, not number of flights.
Apr 3, 2019, 6:09 pm
#86
Join Date: Jan 2002
Location: DCA/IAD/WAS
Programs: MAR AMB, WOH Explorist, AA EXP, UA 2P
Posts: 2,138
I noticed the 7M8 in the schedule starting in early May for some work flights I might be booking...should I bother or just hold off for now until they update them to different equipment?
Apr 3, 2019, 6:24 pm
#87
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: May 2012
Location: MCO
Programs: AA, B6, DL, EK, EY, QR, SQ, UA, Amex Plat, Marriott Tit, HHonors Gold
Posts: 12,809
Hold off. Pretty sure the last timeline I saw for 737MAXs flying again was June/July.
Apr 7, 2019, 8:23 am
#88
Moderator: American AAdvantage
Join Date: May 2000
Location: NorCal - SMF area
Programs: AA LT Plat; HH LT Diamond, Maître-plongeur des Muccis
Posts: 62,948
AA today announced a new date, June 5 2019, as the earliest date for the 737 MAX 8 to be back in the schedule. Emails should be out today.
Apr 7, 2019, 8:41 am
#89
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: SAV,JAX
Programs: AA-LT Gold 1.2MM ,DL, Marriott LT TITANIUM; HH Gold, AMEX PLT
Posts: 495
Just happy we don’t have to fly on that bird.
Apr 7, 2019, 9:58 am
#90
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: Whidbey Island, WA
Programs: AA EXP, DL UA AS
Posts: 207
We were MAXed
We were able to get re-routed CDG-LHR-SEA on BA.