The eventual safety of the MAX depends of course on what changes -- software, hardware and training -- will be required by the FAA and other governing organizations internationally before the planes can fly again. While this situation certainly generates concern, unfortunately it's somewhat unrealistic to expect to never fly on a MAX aircraft again, unless one is willing to make significant concessions -- ones that approach the eventual complete reduction of air travel. MAX is the only aircraft Southwest has on order, and over time will represent the majority of their fleet. As the best selling aircraft in history (based on current orders), in 5-10 years it will be hard to avoid. That said, Southwest has stated that in the short term passengers with concerns will be able to change their flights to another aircraft type when necessary. As to seat width and overall comfort, various types of planes certainly differ, but Southwest is firmly on the higher end when comes to regular coach seating. I'm certainly not a fan of the new slimline "Heart" seats, but they do offer the appearance of better width compared to other 737 configurations. These seats are primarily in MAX and 800 aircraft.
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