Nervous to Fly on a Boeing 737 Max? Here’s How to Tell What Kind of Plane You’re Booking

The midair blowout of a 737 Max 9 door plug earlier this month may have some travelers nervous about flying on the jets once U.S. regulators allow the Max 9 to resume flying.

United and Alaska are the only two U.S. airlines that fly the Max 9, a larger version of the only other 737 Max variant in service, the Max 8. Both are selling Max 9 flights in anticipation of a return to commercial flying in the coming days or weeks, depending on how quickly they can inspect and remediate any issues.

The Max 8 has proven far more popular among airlines, with customers including Southwest, American, Alaska, United and Air Canada. These jets do not have door plugs, which are used to conceal an emergency exit that’s not needed for some airlines’ seating configurations. 

Given the dramatic photos and videos of the Oregon incident and the 2018 and 2019 Max 8 crashes that killed 346 people combined, some travelers are ready to avoid the entire 737 Max lineup.

“I don’t care if they inspect and repair the entire fleet before then,” said Jorge López-Quintana, telling the Washington Post that he’d canceled his Alaska flight next month on a Max 9. “I’m done with the Max.”

Here’s a guide for the five largest U.S. airlines on where to learn what kind of plane is on a flight you’re considering:

American Airlines

American is one of the few carriers that shows aircraft types on its flight selection page without click-through links, even for flights with a connection.

Delta Air Lines

Delta offers a plethora of flight information, once you dig a bit to find it. The carrier’s website links from flight numbers and a “Details” link under the flight times. The “Seats” link also shows the aircraft type at the top of that page. 

Southwest Airlines

After searching for a flight, you’ll find links on the flight number(s) above each flight. They’re blue numbers — and tiny. Southwest flies only the Boeing 737, two older “NG” models and the 175-seat Max 8. (It’s awaiting a smaller Max 7 once the FAA certifies that model.)

United Airlines

Similar to Delta, United offers aircraft information from “Details” and “Seats” links below flight times on its flight results page, just left of the carbon emissions estimate for each trip.

Alaska Airlines

There’s a “Details” link below the flight times on alaskaair.com. The carrier’s “Preview seats” link will also display the aircraft type above the seat map.