lkamb

Good morning,

I'm a newspaper reporter for The Seattle Times who is interested in interviewing frequent flyers about their feelings on Boeing's 737 MAX. I'm generally wondering about the confidence flyers will have in booking flights on the MAX once it is approved to return to service.

If you're willing to talk with me for a brief interview, please feel free to email me with your contact information at lkamb AT seattletimes DOT com.

Thanks in advance for your help.

Lewis Kamb
Reporter
The Seattle Times

WestCoastPDX

Not to be overly mean - but this is exactly the type of journalism that makes people hate the media. I’m sure it will generate clicks and the Seattle Times will make a few dollars off it. But god, are there no other car crashes, blood and guts horror stories to report on??

I’m 75k and totally looking forward to my first MAX flight.
Quieter airplanes are better for me. So I’ll be happy to pay a small premium to fly on a MAX compared to NG if I have the option on the same route.

DenverBrian

Too late.

Can we first welcome this person to FT before we go after him?

lkamb

Dear WestCoastPDX,

Thanks for the comment, but I’m not sure what you mean by this is the “type of journalism that makes people hate the media”? Are you suggesting reporters should not engage with the flying public about their confidence in the MAX following its unprecedented grounding? Certainly, it’s a big part of the ongoing story, and I disagree that I'm somehow sensationalizing the issue to generate clicks, as you allege.

Boeing has launched a massive ad campaign to win back the flying public’s trust, so it appears the company is quite concerned about this issue, too.

I have already heard from a few folks on this forum. Thank you for reaching out to me. I appreciate your opinions.

My hope is that others here won’t be so dismissive as the commenter here, and will feel free to reach out to me in the next day. I do value your input.

Thanks again,

Lewis Kamb
The Seattle Times
lkamb AT seattletimes DOT com

WestCoastPDX

Hopefully you’ll note in your article that some customers with very high status are willing to pay extra for a quieter plane ride on the MAX?


Maybe you’ll post a link here to the story so we can all see it play out just like this...


—
For the record:

I’ll be in west Africa extensively next year, flying around on airlines that have MAXs on order. I prefer to fly a new MAX than a 35 year old 737-200.

lkamb

The opinions of frequent flyers are one source of information for the story, but by no means the only source.

And yes, I would be happy to share the story once it's published here. I stand behind - and attach my actual name on -- anything I write, WestCoastPDX.

Safe travels to you and your preconceptions about the hated "media."

Lewis

Redhead

I'm a 2MM lifetime on AA. I've been Concierge Key, Exec Plat, and am now Lifetime Plat. I usually don't pick flights based on aircraft. However, I will choose not to be on the MAX for the first several months that it is back in service, unless it is unavoidable.

DenverBrian

Translation: I'm sure you'll be careful to write the story exactly in the way I would write it, so it confirms every conclusion I've already come to.

And of COURSE people would fly on a brand new MAX vs. a 50-year-old 737-200. NO domestic airline flies 737-200s anymore. You might as well say you'd prefer to fly on a MAX vs. a B-17.

For the record, I'll fly on the MAX after about a year of it being back in the air and showing no further crashes. Does that mean I'm "expressing worry" to fly the MAX?

Duke787

I'll take it one step further -- I will be actively booking away from the 737 MAX (DL PM who has previously been 1K and EXP and been flying about ~100k/year for 6 of the last 9 years) and refuse to fly on them for quite a long time (maybe permanently).

Thankfully DL doesn't have any in the fleet so it's not a big concern for me but for the rare time when I need to book away from DL, you better believe that if it's between AA, UA, and WN, I'll pick the one that isn't flying a 737MAX and if they swap I'll look to cancel/refund or be moved to a different flight -- and for foreign carriers same deal.

nancypants

I’m not US based but am a frequent 737 flyer and would be happy to fly it

Silkair are storing their in Alice Springs, they would have been flown directly over me to be transported there; I wasn’t concerned about them being flown over populated areas in their “unfixed” state so I’m not concerned about getting on one

enviroian

I'm a frequent flier and will avoid 100% this plane when (and if) they come back to AA.

StartinSanDiego

Moderator Note: Some comments have been edited due to Rule 12 violations-- no personal attacks.


Welcome to FT, @lkamb
You may find some interesting commentary in our existing threads on the Max

737 MAX threads to monitor (for those who are interested)
737-Max 8 safety concerns

https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/unit...hlight=737+max
The WestJet 737 MAX 8 thread
https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/amer...hlight=737+max
Air Canada Selects Boeing 737 MAX to Renew Mainline Narrowbody Fleet

DYKWIA

Just to note, the Seattle Times has done some great articles about Boeing and the 737 Max debacle. Nothing sensationalist, just great factual journalism.

I won't be getting on one anytime soon.

And the new information coming out about the B787 is worrying.

travelinmanS

Do you have a link to the worrying 787 info?

Duke787

I assume this whisteblower complaint (although there are others that have popped up over the past few years):

https://www.bbc.com/news/business-50293927