The Dreamliner Safe?
 

Getting flight information for family. Flying DEN to Athens. The best option seems to be American Airlines DEN to ORD then on to Athens. Just had a look at airplanes they use and it’s a Boeing 788-787 which is the Dreamliner. A bit of research and discovered there have been problems . Any opinions as to its safety ?

Well, one cannot do more than what you already did: Google the issue and read the articles from news outlets that have a certain reputation and make your own risk assessment.
At the end of the day it will be your trip.
And if you feel uneasy to fly with your family on a certain type of aircraft it will be a bad start and end of your vacation.
Nevertheless, if you look for alternatives, keep in mind that airlines may change equipment short notice. So to avoid getting on a Dreamliner service, you'd need to choose an airline which does not have them in their fleet at all (which you can check with seatguru.com, for example).

Thanks for the reply. Have been doing just that. It seems some airlines will sometimes substitute another plane for the Dreamliner and have found that delays can also be a factor. In checking all possible alternatives American Airlines offer the best flight itineraries by far. In all my years of flying I have never been confronted with such a dilemma. Will now look at flight delays for the Dreamliner.

We had a lot of space workers go to Charleston for jobs after the shuttle program shut down. They were so used to safety and the paper trail that it sort of freaked them out how lax Boeing was. It was not a Union workforce at the time. They all left as soon as spacex and Blue Horizon started hiring. I try to fly airbus but we also have a Boeing flight coming up on Virgin but don't think it is a Dreamliner.

Virgin have Dreamliners, I have travelled on them and very nice it was too. They also have 747s but not sure what routes they operate on anymore, used to be mainly Caribbean routes.

<<Will now look at flight delays for the Dreamliner.>>

Delays caused by weather, crew timing out, ground delays, ATC, or mechanical only?

Will you also compare the make of engines that were installed on the plane?

Do you have a preference for GE, RR or P&W engines?

I did a bit of research and one article ( the Guardian ? not sure ) pretty much determined my final decision. It listed all the incidents for theDreamliner in the last couple of years. I had hoped that most of the problems had been early on but many were 2019 even a couple for 2020. There were enough incidents of varying nature that it scared me. I did find a good itinerary for DEN to Athens on British Airlines. We flew them last year DEN to LHR overnight at LHR and morning flight to Athens.

In regard to delays in Dreamliner flights some seemed to be mechanical but my feeling was that this is a problematic plane with perhaps more issues than Airbus or 747’s etc.

I do appreciate all comments.

You'll find problems with all planes.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_o...he_Airbus_A330

https://aeronauticsonline.com/a-look...350-incidents/

You're more at risk driving to the airport.

Having a 787 on my itinerary would be a plus for me over other plane types.

>> perhaps more issues than Airbus or 747’s etc.

Perhaps. Perhaps not.

Out of curiosity I google searched "accidents & office chairs".
Frightenting.

Give it up.
Logic and statistics have no place when " feelings" are involved.

Except Boeing covers up a lot of stuff. The Shuttle workers from were used to very rigid safety inspections and they didn't have the same protocol. They would find tools inside of panels and just shoddy work but the pay scale was very bad. Many had non compete clauses in order to get the severance pay so they went to Wallops Island or there for work till the year was up.

https://www.theguardian.com/business...7-safety-fears

MCO to Gatwick is my flight in May and June.

I see , you "know a guy" so now you are expert on Boeing.

Similar to getting advice from a sex therapist that is a virgin.

:)


Historytraveler: I would much rather fly in a Dreamliner than your other options.

I have lived on the space coast since 87 and the crews were all in my husband's shop that worked in Charleston for the year. A couple were NASA employees. They are now working for Blue Horizon and SpaceX. My ex worked for Boeing. But WTH, I should just not answer a question. I did see the stripped-down plane at Daytona. It was the Dreamliner without seats or panels that they brought in for Emory Riddle. We got to walk all around it and sit in the cockpit. I can fly space a and we don't want to fly on the new Boeing refueler. They are still working out the kinks.



Did you even read the guardian article?
Why so mean? It has been a rough day for me and I don't really need your crap. I lost a very dear friend today killed in a car accident in Wales.50 years old. It doesn't matter really what you fly or drivei does it?

I have done further research and finding that the Dreamliner safety may not be as bad as I had originally thought. I had gone to the website Traveler-Nick mentioned. In fact it was the one that I saw that made me think Dreamliner no way. So I went back and plugged in the 747, as well as the several Air Bus planes and they too mentioned a number of incidents. I also googled a number of sites listing safest aircraft. The Dreamliner came up on all. Of course not having a fatal crash pushes you to the top but that’s not a negative.

I am not traveling with family but will be purchasing tickets. I have now narrowed flights down to BA and American and will give them all the information I have and let them make the decision.

I really appreciate all your comments and they have been helpful to an A type personality with a tendency to compulsive obsessive.

Macross so very sorry about your lost. I agree with you about some on this site having a tendency toward being a bit negative. I have been here a longtime and have learned to dismiss it, but the poster had no idea about your loss. No excuse. There are more positive ways to make one’s point.

historytraveler

I fly to Europe, on average, every six to eight weeks, either with Lufthansa, Air Canada or American Airlines.

I am a safety fanatic.

In my previous careers, I have been responsible for maintaining lifeboats, fire fighting equipment, working on high construction sites for GCs who, if I let them, have me die than spend money on proper scaffolding.

Currently, I own a business that inspects and certifies central fire alarms systems.

Regardless of how often I have flow, I have a routine that I follow:
- I avoid the window seat, I want to have least obstacles between me and the emergency exit.
-I always check that there is a life jacket where it is supposed to be.
-I always count the number of seats between mine and emergency exits, I know from my firefighting training how quickly closed compartments fill up with smoke and feel might be the only sense available.
- I always read the safety card, whenever seated in emergency row, I do a "dry run" opening.
-I pay attention to other passengers and their behaviour during the safety demo, are they attentive or arrogant?
- I observe the behaviour of the cabin crew, are they focused and are they quick to stop any disobedience from passengers. I don't care if the crew is friendly or pleasant, I want ruthlessly efficient and firm.

When I hear "cross check" I want to see their heads turn to check the slide setting across.

Given a choice between AA and BA I would pick BA. Lately I have observed a trend on AA that disturbs me, bending of rules, allowing passengers to stand when told not to, etc.

Big problems are usually a sum of small problems, complacency and omissions.

Thanks. I appreciate your input.

@ Macross
I am sorry to hear about your friend, lost a good of about the same age few years ago.
I got a sense from your previous posts in this thread that you a have a personal bias against Boeing, I apologize if am wrong.

I'd sooner fly a generic 787 held together with duct tape than anything operated by American Airlines.

I don't think there is much benefit in weighing the absolute number of incidents of one aircraft against another.
Without even bothering to check, I'd assume that the 737 (the regular types, not the MAX) would rank quite high on that list. Not because it was an unsafe plane by design, but because it has been around for decades. And built in much higher numbers, and flown in situations and locations which other aircrafts have not seen yet or will never encounter.

It's obviously not the question whether Boing or Airbus or Embraer build safe or unsafe planes per se.
But rather the question if you trust the current top management of the respective manufacturer to take action once issues become known internally. Or if there are internal workflows in place which allow engineers or any worker to address such issues, even when those have the potential to harm the financial performance of the company.

Cowboy, excellent point. At the moment I am mentally spent trying to get information on safety factors. Not sure I am up to do further research along the lines you suggested. Anyone with such perspective or advice please let me know.

Seamus, I just found your trip report on flying the Dreamliner, Dec. 2014. It was very positive, so I was wondering what made you change your mind in these past few years

Good for you, historytraveler, that you looked into the other available plane types besides the 787.

This is what air traffic looks like today:
https://flightaware.com/live/

You can zoom in and identify each flight by airline, aircraft type , etc.
Sign up for basic (free) membership and you can get flight info for the past three months.

cdnyul, now that is a scary picture ! Sometimes ignorance can be bliss.

I have been know to fly second or third tier airlines (like Norwegian Air) just to get a Dreamliner.

And would also chose most anything over American Airlines.

So consensus seems to say the Dreamliner is fine it’s American Airlines that creates problems. Am I right?

No, the consensus seems to be not to worry about safety.
Whatever prejudices others are of no significance.
Were you always a nervous flier?

I don't see any consensus re airline. I would feel fine flying a Dreamliner and 85% - 90% of my flights are on AA. Ended up on BA metal (a 747) on my last code share trip to the UK only because of the schedule I needed. Is AA perfect -- no, but they have always taken good care of me and I'd MUCH rather fly AA than United.

Everyone has their own personal preferences / prejudices - some will only fly Delta, some don't care which airline, some prefer United (WHY?? ;) )

Not really. I will admit that even after years of flying when I hear a peculiar or unexpected noise I might perk up a bit. I have even flown on a Russian made aircraft when in Cost Rica. I am booking this trip for son, daughter-in-law and granddaughter who will be flying to Athens. I have already bought tickets for myself, my daughter and two grandson from DEN to LHR and return on British Air. Have flown this route a number of times. I guess I got concerned when seeing some negatives about the Dreamliner. Of course when booking for family one wants to make sure that you are providing then with the best possible option and when it comes to flying that is safety. Yet, being logical one also knows that there is no perfect action. Anything can happen on any airline it's just about making the best decision. I am giving them the various flight options which include British Air flights as well as American Airlines and will also send the posts above so they can decide.

I am very happy with AA. They offer the best service for my needs out of my local airport, and I've never had any issues with them.
I'd fly with AA over UA any day. ymmv

Yes, ABAA - Anything But American Airlines.

I would fly AA or BA or UA or DL or any major US or European airline. Or not so major ones - I think I would be happy on a Norwegian 787 in their premium seat.

Aircraft type and seating options matter to me. If my choice was between a 787 or 777-300ER then it would be a toss-up. I would easily choose one of those over any 747 or 767 or other 777 versions.

Many of us would disagree with you . . .

I have no issues with flying on the Dreamliner. We live near Seattle and many of our friends are very senior and/or engineers at Boeing and have been for 30+ years. I know their integrity. Yes, every company has idiots, and Boeing is no exception, but if they will let their families fly on a specific plane, then I trust that, FWIW.

And that's why they make chocolate AND vanilla ice cream, janisj. For myself, I abandoned AA after blatantly homophobic practices in the 1990's along with horrid customer service. Successfully avoided them for years but when the UA/CO merger was such a cluster and AA was poaching top tier elites I gave them a second chance. Soon thereafter it became apparent they had not really changed their culture, and while many of their inflight staff were great, the overall company just plain sucks and their equipment is abysmal - old, worn, poorly configured and maintained. The paint job and new logo is purely superficial. Even friends who work for AA agree when I say I avoid them at all costs.

A hissy fit notwithstanding:

https://www.airfleets.net/ageflotte/fleet-age.htm
https://thepointsguy.com/news/passen...ntenance-base/