WASHINGTON — Airlines are ramping up for the end of summer, but they’re still hampered without Boeing 737 Max jets that have been grounded for months.
U.S. carriers are expected to fly more than 17-million passengers over Labor Day weekend, according to industry group Airlines For America. But many passengers will be facing ripple-effect cancellations as airlines are down dozens of planes.
Seventy-two Boeing 737 Max 8's are still grounded in the U.S. after a pair of fatal crashes overseas. Southwest Airlines has the most Max 8's. It's now canceling 180 flights a day, which the airline says makes up less than five percent of all flights.
American Airlines is canceling about 115 flights each day. It's scrambling to keep the impact small -- using other types of planes to fill in the gaps.
United is canceling 60 flights a day. It's buying older, used 737's to pick up the slack.
Airlines are reaching out to customers directly -- typically by email or phone. You do have a right to refuse a rebooking with a full refund.
There’s one more impact. Max 8's were used on longer range flights, so that could turn your nonstop trip into a connecting flight.
The Federal Aviation Administration won't say when it'll approve a fix to the plane's flight control safety system, so airlines extending cancellations into November.