Boeing Issues Will Cause Travel Trouble This Summer, Experts Say—Here’s What That Means for Your Honeymoon or Destination Wedding (2024)

Planning to jet off on your international honeymoon or catch a flight to your (or someone else’s) cross-country destination wedding this summer? Get ready for a season of tricky air travel. By now, you’ve likely heard about the mess that is Boeing, the American company responsible for the majority of the world’s airplane design and production. If you haven’t, here’s a quick recap: After a myriad of terrifying in-flight failures this year, from the Alaska Airlines 737 Max incident in January (parts on the plane’s side blew off shortly after takeoff, reports CNN) to the violent plunge a 787 Dreamliner experienced over Australia in March, injuring 50 passengers, the company is facing mandatory groundings of aircrafts, congressional hearings, production delays due to safety improvements, and fines.

That should perk up the ears of all summer travelers, including those preparing for destination nuptials and honeymoons. With Boeing production now at a standstill—the supplier is racing to submit improved safety plans to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) by the end of May—there just aren’t as many planes available this season (and airlines are trimming their schedules accordingly). The gist? Since several Boeing models, from the single-aisle 737 Max used for shorter flights to the 787 Dreamliner used for extended routes, are experiencing issues, honeymooners and wedding goers traveling near and far are being left in the lurch.

That means Boeing’s issues are about to become our issues, experts say. “There’s uncertainty over when aircrafts will be delivered to airlines around the world that had been planning on receiving these as part of their summer program,” explains John Grant, a senior analyst affiliated with OAG, a travel data company. This will result in a shortage, he says, and on short notice, too, which is causing airlines to scramble to find alternatives (like leasing or securing short-term use of planes from smaller suppliers).

Unfortunately, this will also result in higher flight fares, an effect travel expert Dr. Terika L. Haynes has already seen firsthand (particularly to hotspot honeymoon locales, like Mexico and Europe). “Less availability combined with increased demand is causing noticeable increases in price,” she explains. “In addition to the obvious challenges, there are also less obvious intangibles to consider, which is the heightened fear and concerns of travelers about flying in general. Many clients are actively requesting not to be booked on flights that have Boeing aircrafts.” (In fact, some travel booking sites, like Airline Alternatives, have filters that allow passengers to remove airlines with impacted Boeing aircrafts altogether).

But avoiding a Boeing flight isn’t always easy to do, considering the fact that many United States-based airlines rely on the supplier in some capacity. Southwest exclusively flies the company’s aircrafts, while United is one of the largest operators of Boeing in the world; American and Alaska’s fleets are also packed with these planes (and virtually all of these airlines have expressed their concerns and frustrations with the manufacturer, reports CBC). Naturally, the airlines flying Boeing will see the most drastic impact (reduced availability, high flight costs, etc.), notes Grant—but virtually all carriers will feel some effect. “These are the airlines that we can expect to see the highest price hikes with,” affirms Haynes. “However, other airline prices will go up, as well, because the overall demand for flights will increase due to a shortage of aircrafts.”

Ultimately, there isn’t much that can be done, say our experts, especially since there aren’t many good alternatives; Boeing’s main competitor, Airbus, is maxed out on production through the decade and has also been the recent star of bad headlines. “Boeing and others have to address their production issues—you can’t magically make a load of aircrafts appear,” says Grant.

But there is some good news. Chances are, if you’re traveling for a wedding or honeymoon-related reason this summer, you’re already set. “Most weddings and honeymoons are planned far in advance (at least nine to 12 months, if not earlier),” says Haynes. “Therefore the current challenges should not affect most people attending weddings or honeymoons this summer or year.” And while our experts are seeing some impact on international trips, the Boeing crisis will mainly effect domestic and regional flights, reports Bloomberg. Even better: Despite reports of trimmed schedules, we haven't yet found evidence of canceled summer flights (though it will be important to keep an eye out over the next few months).

And if you haven't yet booked your summer honeymoon or wedding travel? Don't fret—it's not too late, say our experts. There are a few things you can do now to safeguard your trip:

• Book now: As in, right now! The sooner you book, the more options you will have regarding price, affirms Grant. “If you leave booking until the last minute, then it may be an expensive flight,” he says.
• Invest in a travel price protection plan: This doesn’t just safeguard your initial flight investment and allow for more flexible scheduling changes—a price protection plan could also lower your spend if the Boeing situation eases by the time of your departure. “With price protection, this would allow the guest to have their vacation price adjusted down if the price drops after they book,” says Haynes.
• Do your research: If you’re concerned about safety, scheduling issues, or higher flight fares, consider flying an airline that does not rely on Boeing. “Spirit, Frontier, Allegiant, and JetBlue don't fly any Boeings,” says Haynes. On the international front, “SAS, Finnair, ITA Airways, Vueling, and EasyJet are options in Europe.” There are also several airlines that use Boeings, but don’t fly the 737 Max model that has been in the news, she adds. Do your research to ensure the flight you select is one you’re comfortable with—and remember that “aviation remains the safest form of public transport in the world,” says Grant.