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Flew on a 737 MAX yesterday


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I've been flying back and forth between Providence, RI and Baltimore Washington for a month or so now.   It's always on Southwest because they have multiple non-stops to choose from.   To date, it's always been on -700 jets, which honestly, are getting somewhat beat on the inside.   A few days ago, to my surprise, I see a shiny, new 737MAX-8 at the gate.  Although the flight was only an hour, it was enough time to really impress me with the jet.    

 

The cabin is completely done over.   New LED "mood" lighting, larger, redesigned overhead bins and passenger utility housings make the cabin look much more open and brighter.  They also added larger windows that appear to be located higher than the old shoulder-level windows on the legacy jets.   

 

The decrease in sound levels from those new engines is very noticeable during all phases of flight.  The last observation I'm not 100% sure on.   It seems to me that the aircraft maneuvers more "fluidly".   It's really hard to explain but just feels different from the older jets.

 

Bottom line - I will be going out of my way to book flights on the MAX if I get a chance in the future.   It's really a game changer from a passenger standpoint.   As far as the flight crew's opinion - on the way out, I asked one of them how he liked the MAX, he said he loved flying it. 

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3 hours ago, eraucubsfan said:

I flew on one a while back too, and also on SWA.  I liked it so much, that I picked up one of the Zvezda kits and found the decals for the SWA bird.

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eGc3U1Ol.jpg

 

 

Good luck finding paint that matches those SWA colors but I hope you’ll post some pics of your build, I’d be very interested in seeing them.  

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My brother and sister in law flew on an SWA Max last year from STL to LAX and then on an NG 700 on the way back home, he said he felt like there was no comparison between the two ...

 

-Gregg

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I flew on a MAX on a 3-hour flight and it was nice, but the seat felt too firm to me, almost like there was not much padding between the upholstery and the frame.  It looked pretty new, so maybe it just needed to be broken in a bit.  That was a first class seat, and I had always been comfortable in the other 737 first class seats, so it really surprised me.

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5 hours ago, eraucubsfan said:

I flew on one a while back too, and also on SWA.  I liked it so much, that I picked up one of the Zvezda kits and found the decals for the SWA bird.

u97XvjEl.jpg0BGosFwl.jpg

eGc3U1Ol.jpg

 

 

that's not a MAX, its an NG. the winglets on the MAX are more square.

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I flew the Max.
 

Pretty sure the passenger windows are the same size as the other versions. Our manuals don’t address this topic. Boeing did make the 787 windows bigger but that’s a different airframe.  
 

There some electronic control enhancements. They are primarily in pitch so the the Max flies like the NG on approach. 
 

Boieng has redesigned their cabin interiors. The overhead bins have been redesigned so that roll aboard bags can be turned on their sides to accommodate more carry on bags in the cabin. The seats also have been redesigned. Less cushioning and lighter weight. I don’t like them. They are very uncomfortable.  

Edited by okthree
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We flew from Chicago to Vegas and back on Max-8s for the IPMS Nationals last summer.  I'm not really a seasoned air traveler, but to me the Max definitely seemed to have a smoother, quieter ride than the older 737s we've flown on.  We flew almost the same route from Chicago to Phoenix in 2018 on -800s, and they were definitely noisier.  The return flight from Phoenix was pretty bumpy, but I'll put that down to weather. 

 

SN

Edited by Steve N
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  • 2 weeks later...

I just flew on a MAX 8 for the first time back in April on a long holiday weekend trip from Dubai to Tbilisi, Georgia.  I did notice the mood lighting, but its almost to be expected now.

 

I was genuinely surprised at how large and how far forward & high the engines are mounted.  I'd only seen photos and tv shows about the whole MCAS issue to this point.  All the low cost carriers operate out of Terminal 2 at DXB, and its all remote stands, so you get to see a lot more of the aircraft as you get off the bus, and go up the stairs.

 

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FlyDubai has a mixed fleet, with mixed interiors.  I have never seen such an oddball biz seating arrangement as this 2-1-2 per side (4-2-4 otherwise).

 

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The seat was narrow for biz, but after flying Lufthansa's narrow biz seats trans-Atlantic, I guess this is a new norm?  Less width, but plenty of foot room? The were at least lay-flat seats, though.  Padding was decent for the short 3 1/2 hr flight.  

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I can't say that the flight was any smoother than an earlier models, but it sure was quieter in the cabin. 

 

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I'm with 11Bee, as I'll check to see what equipment is on the route, and try to get the MAX if the timing works out.  That was the second flight of the day to TBS, and my flight was a 0530 departure.  The first flight of the day was a regular -8 with a 0330 departure, and was pushing back as we pull up to the jet bridge.  Luck of the draw that time.  There are many more A320 operators in this part of the world than 737 operators.

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You can also see the difference in the shape of the winglets like Dylan mentioned.

 

 

Edited by IshyIsh
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1 hour ago, IshyIsh said:

<...>

There many more A320 operators in this part of the world than 737 operators.

<...>

Qatar Airways is ordering up to 50 737MAX aircraft ...

So, more will be on the way to the region ...

 

-Gregg

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