Seamus

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

Cowboy1968

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.

historytraveler

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.

historytraveler

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

mrwunrfl

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

cdnyul

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.

historytraveler

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

mlgb

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.

historytraveler

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

cdnyul

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

janisj

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?? )

historytraveler

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.

J62

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

Seamus

Yes, ABAA - Anything But American Airlines.

mrwunrfl

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.

janisj

Many of us would disagree with you . . .

Fodorite018

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.

Seamus

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.

cdnyul

A hissy fit notwithstanding:

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