ARCHIVE: 737 MAX (7M8) grounded until TBA. What to do if scheduled to fly on one?
 

Great, I have 7M8 flight this weekend. Now wait and see what happens to me flight. :rolleyes:

Don't wait. Call now and try to get rerouted while there might be better availability.

According to an AAgent, AA has not issued anything in regard to grounding of 7M8 yet. At this moment if I want to change my reservation it is subject to the penalty and fare difference, according to an AAgent. My flight is still showing as on time. Looks like wait and see at this moment till AA come up with plan for 7M8.

I wouldn't trust AA's system for showing any kind of realistic departure delays or cancellations.

Besides that, cancellations really are happening. So I would wait a few more min, then call back.

Unfortunately MIA is home for these birds and AA probably hadn't gotten around to contingent planning. The other hassle for MIA is that traditionally the MD80 doesn't fly there although I suppose it could for domestic turns. The next couple of days will be a PITA until AA puts in contingent planning. For the poster worrying about the weekend member at least on the weekend there's more slack in the system.

You will have to look at your PNR and email to see if AA automatically rescheduled you. (As the grounding order is very fresh, it will take Dispatchers a bit of time to accomplish this.)

AA hasn’t posted any travel alerts or policy as yet. Link.

If the reschedule is not to your liking, they may refund or reaccommodate you. It’s best if you’re aware of available alternative flights when you call.

If you’re scheduled to fly imminently, contact AA.

There is no travel alert or policy published on the appropriate page on aa.com, and I suspect it will take time to reschedule people, substitute aircraft and identify available crew.

Telephone agents have the may have any new policy, and JonNYC has it below. if you’re flying imminently, call. If not, I’d recommend waiting a bit. Check your email and PNR for reaccommodation, and on the App for alternatives. (But be proactive.)

New post on the front page of aa.com. Not a lot of info on actual dates that pax can reschedule flights.

Worst part is these likely all have to be manually done by an agent, and can't be initiated by passengers, like with a weather waiver because I'm sure the weather waiver system wasn't designed to allow changes based on Plane Type...And they can't straight out cancel all those flights to make the system automatically take over, because they don't know it that flight will actually be canceled since there is a high likelihood for an equipment swap.

I was told by an AA agent that flights up until April 3rd can be rebooked.

policy:

Is there a way to tell if I am flying an 7M8 vs a 737? I saw that my routing's flights are cancelled from the 15th on FlightAware.

My reservation still says 7M8 but the agent looked for incoming flight details and looks like my flight will be operated by 738. I decided to keep my reservation as is at this moment, not changing my flight.

If the plane is grounded, then obviously you won't be flying it...

They will probably have adjusted the schedule/equipment swapped everything, allowing people to make changes based on if the schedule changed. Or they will extend it if the plane continues to be grounded and they haven't been able to update the schedule.

More moving around paxs and a/c if the 7M8 is still grounded. I'm assuming the 4/3 date (2 weeks from grounding) is an arbitrary date in which AA believes the 7M8 will be back flying. I'm sure at least Boeing hopes so.

I think the 4/3 date was the original date where FAA had insisted that Boeing get its MCAS fix in place.

As it is, this is a mess. I've spent now 30 minutes on hold with AA trying to get a 738Max flight rebooked as one desk at AA says I'm on a 738M and the other desk thinks I'm on a regular 738. If they can't figure it out, we have REAL problems.

We were scheduled DEN to MIA on 3/15. We were then connecting to a flight to Barcelona. I watched all day yesterday for changes. I even called American and was told they couldn't do anything until it was cancelled. They finally cancelled it around 5:30pm. Spent 3 hours on the phone with Expedia and AA (my husband and I were both on the phone). Best they could do was change our outbound flights to leave on Sunday 3/17 and get to BCN on 3/18. Our cruise leaves BCN on the 17th, so that wouldn't work. While we were on hold we tried to get a flight to MCO on 3/14 on Southwest but it went unavailable while I was putting in the credit card info. So I was able to get us out of DEN tonight at 8:30pm on United to FSD, where we spend 6 hours, then fly to ATL, have a 1.5 hr connection, and then fly to MIA where we arrive about 4.5 hours before the BCN flight. This wonderful option cost us $3000 (there are 3 of us). Right now I'm still non-stop praying that everything goes off without a hitch and we make it to BCN. (We were able to get AA to remove the DEN-MIA leg and keep the remaining flights so we're not a no-show to BCN). I'm thrilled we were able to find something, but I"m wondering if there is any kind of action I can take regarding the $3K out of pocket? I mostly just follow flyertalk and don't post often, but I thought you all might know of something. Oh and to make matters more interesting, we used Expedia to book and these flights are all actually British Airways.

Our flight home on the 28th still shows the 7M8. If AA would have done this days ago, I imagine this wouldn't have been the nightmare it is. Still feel like I"m gonna throw up...

So I imagine part of this was weather related to the weather bomb that took place. My suggestion is that if you can get out of DEN or SLC or COS, get to any city thats close to MIA and then drive to MIA - FLL, PBI, even TPA.

SLC - FLL is $340 each for three people on Delta tomorrow.

If you have trip delay protection on your credit card, get that credit card agreement out and read the rules -closely- and keep all your receipts.

Look in flight details. 7M8 = 737 MAX 8. 738 = 737-800.

Even if your flight is scheduled on a 738, the aircraft could be reassigned to cover a 7M8 flight which could result in 738 flights to be delayed or cancelled.

I had my hand on one to Orlando, but it sold out before I could get my CC info in. There is literally nothing, except the convoluted mess we've got now. I'm just happy there we'll get there if those 3 flights are all ok.

For right now I wouldn't let it ruin your vacation and be glad you were quick on your feet. Do you have trip insurance of any sort with an interruption policy? If so I would document everything and make a claim with them upon return. Even if you don't get Expedia/AA/BA to do anything for you you can get the out of pocket costs paid that way. Again, whether it be for insurance, the airline, ect. document, document, document.

FWIW my parents had a similar problem with UA last year with a delayed domestic connection causing them to totally miss a once daily EWR-KEF flight, and there was no space to rebook them in J for several days. UA refused to rebook them on Air Canada even though they are star alliance, so they bought the last minute (or last second really) tickets themselves. They tried to fight it out with UA but never got a dime for the costs of the flights they had to buy, but travel insurance covered it.

Also not sure if EU delay/cancellation regulations would apply at all since the flight affected was entirely within the US and you ultimately are making it aboard your flight to the EU.

My flight is tomorrow and the reservation still shows aircraft as 7M8. But when an AAgent looked up incoming flight information and seat maps then it became obvious that my flight will be operated by 738. Originally I had seat 10C on 7M8, MCE seat, but now the seat map shows I was still in seat 10C but not MCE. Good thing an aisle MCE was still available and I changed my seat.

Goodonya. Being proactive is crucial when AA changes equipment, because they don’t have the ability - for whatever reason - to preserve seat preference or type (MCE, etc.)

OK, flights for 4/1 have been changed. Now on E-175 equipment from LGA to MIA (thats a long E-175 flight!). Flight departs one hour later than previously scheduled on a Max 8.

It's a long E175 flight, but almost certainly more comfortable than the 7M8!

I was actually "looking forward" to the 738M flight to say I've done it and to be able to authoritatively ..... about the lack of legroom and toilet room.

Don’t worry, Project Oasis will assure your dream comes true soon enough.

Boeing is developing new programming for the MCAS that is implicated in the crashes. If it is approved by the FAA, and installed, April 4 might be the date the MAX is recertifications to fly. Or, the date will be changed.

Personally, at this time the April 4 date reeks of optimism. If I had a MAX operated flight in early April in particular, I’d be proactive and keep an eye out for changes that might a,low me to change without fee, and on AA policy.

Not sure if dream is the right word...... Confronting my destiny more would be more like it. Like Harry Potter viewing his fate.

That's actually quite an upgrade. In any cabin.

Looks like the MAX will be grounded "until May at least"... https://www.bbc.com/news/business-47567039

Rows 7, 8 and 9 on the 737-800 are MCE. (Rows 8-10 are MCE on the Oasis 737's). I prefer row 8, as I don't have to feel guilty reclining into a non-MCE person behind me if I choose to recline.

I'm not an exit row fan, as I don't like being another 4-6 rows further back in the plane when landing and wanting to get off the plane ASAP.

YMMV.