Passengers Boycott Boeing "Death Traps" With Use Of Kayak Plane Filter

We penned a note on Saturday, recapping last week's surge in aviation incidents across the US. The spike in mishaps appears concentrated on Boeing jets, from a midair engine fire to a tire separating from the landing gear to another landing gear issue. We asked if this was sabotage or just shoddy maintenance. 

Consumers quickly realize, especially after January's midair door plug blowout incident on an Alaska Airlines flight involving a Boeing 737 Max 9 jet, that Boeing planes are flying "death traps." 

In recent weeks, the online travel booking website Kayak has seen a noticeable uptick in users who are filtering out Boeing planes for Airbus when searching for flights, according to ABC News. 

We suspect this Kayak feature will spike in usage after this past week's aviation incidents:

"If you know what's happening with Boeing and don't wanna fly on those death traps book your tickets on Kayak. They let you eliminate Boeing flights in your searches so you can stick to safer planes like Airbus," one X user said. 

And the boycott of Boeing planes for commercial travel is taking off: 

Meanwhile, Airbus is outselling Boeing, as the Federal Aviation Administration capped production at the troubled plane maker due to quality control issues. 

A recent Al Jazeera hidden camera report into Boeing's South Carolina facility, which builds the 787s, reveals workers wouldn't fly on the very own planes they produce, citing quality control issues. 

Furthermore, Boeing's largest labor union, the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers, has called for a 40% pay increase over the next three to four years. 

Before the pay increase, Boeing and the union should consider a performance-based bonus for workers on quality control metrics—or perhaps no bonus at all.