Reviewed: Boeing's new 737MAX - the 'game-changing' aircraft joining Ryanair's fleet

It's been widely billed as the short-haul plane of the future, while Ryanair has branded it a “game changer”. It’s the new Boeing 737 MAX, and I've just got off its inaugural flight for Icelandair to a customary water cannon salute and a bafflingly large crowd of cheering fans.  

The aircraft, worth upwards of ￡70million apiece, launched last year as the quieter and more fuel efficient version of its popular predecessor, the simple 737 - and while airlines can’t get enough of them, passengers have complained of feeling cramped (even more than before).

This month, the Icelandic flag carrier took delivery of its first one of 16 - naming it J?kulsárlon, after the glacier lagoon - behind other airlines that include American Airlines, United and Norwegian.

This week, Ryanair ordered 25 more of them, bringing its total order of the aircraft to 135. In all, Boeing has received 4,474 orders, and delivered 110 of them thus far. So we’ll be seeing a lot more of the 737 MAX in the near future. But what’s it like on board? Telegraph Travel carried out an inspection...

Are the loos really that tiny?

Back in January, several passengers and crew members aboard American Airlines and Air Canada's new Boeing 737 MAXs bemoaned their size, insisting the sinks were so small you could only wash one hand at a time.

And they're certainly not what you'd describe as spacious, but then aircraft loos never are. Were they noticeably more cramped? Not particularly, but it could be that Icelandair has configured slightly larger bathrooms than other airlines.

Boeing rep Paul Bergman told us: "Airline customers have two options when choosing a lavatory on the 737 MAX. The standard option maximizes the lavatory interior space. The other maximizes the main cabin space."

Icelandair informs me it's gone for the standard sized option, which is actually bigger (by two inches) than previous lavs on 737NGs. I can confirm that I successfully washed boths hands at once.

But perhaps I couldn’t see well enough to fully scrutinize. The bathroom, you see, was flooded with a deep blue light. It's part of Boeing's new Sky Interior cabin design, an LED mood lighting system which changes according to the stage of the flight - and it beats standard plane lighting (harsh, hospital-like) by a country mile.

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How are the seats?

Sleek, grey, leather and surprisingly comfortable actually, though admittedly I was only strapped in for an hour. I am loathe to use the term "ergonomic" - a word that’s been hijacked by marketeers and rendered almost meaningless - but in this case I shall: these seats are pleasantly ergonomic, in that the panelling hugs your back in a way that feels extra supportive.

Boeing 737 Max 8

The cabin has 160 seats in total, but is certified to carry up to 210 fliers. By comparison, American Airlines has configured the same model to carry 172 passengers. Ryanair's will fit in 197 seats, in part because they don't have a premium economy section taking up valuable floor space, and according to the airline, because of its slimline Zodiac seats.

Of Icelandair's 160, there are 16 Saga Business Class seats (roomy and comfortable, as you'd hope) in a 2-2 layout; and 144 Economy seats, in a 3-3 formation.

At a glance | Capacity on Boeing's short-haul aircraft

...and the all important seat pitch?

In economy, the seats have a maximum pitch (space between one seat and the seat in front) of 31 inches. This is actually quite reasonable, again comparatively speaking. American's model has a pitch of 30, while other airlines have trimmed it down to 29. In business class, the pitch is 40 inches. Much more like it.

The tray tables

Some planes have fold-down tables with a lip or ridge along the edge that keeps your tray of food in place. It is my view that all of them should. Icelandair's doesn't. Several of my flight companions got a chestful of lunch hurled at them as soon as we hit turbulence.

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Overhead bins

Rejoice! Up here, space is bountiful. Boeing's roomy new pivoting "Space Bins" come as standard on the new model. They are designed to provide 50 per cent more storage space, holding up to six standard size cabin bags. They've also been reformatted to make them smoother to open and close - and indeed they are.

Broadly speaking, the lack of overhead space in low-cost cabins, as passengers seek to sidestep checked baggage fees, is a serious problem – so much so that Ryanair, for one, has started forcing passengers to put carry-on luggage in the hold if they don’t pay extra. These Space Bins could ease this issue.

Windows

Are they different? They certainly seem larger and I enjoyed some very clear views of the landscape below with little to no glare. I asked Icelandair whether these windows were indeed bigger or better than on the previous models but was met with the same mantra each time: “the modern-sculptured walls cleverly lead your eye to the window".

An optical illusion, then. And perhaps they performed so well for my camera because they’re still so very clean?

Life jackets

… unusually, are not located under the seats but above your head where the air vents are located.

Entertainment

The screens are glossy and large, each equipped with a charging USB dock, which is more than you can say for Ryanair or American (no screens at all) but there's a catch: the infernal "entertainment equipment box".

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All aircraft equipped with in-flight entertainment units will also have one of these metal boxes mounted underneath a seat in front to contain the wiring - one box per row of seats, and the seat it’s under varies across models and airlines. You’ll know you're the unlucky one because you won’t be able to squidge your bag under the seat in front properly, or your legs for that matter.  

My quibble is that on this aircraft, the boxes are located under the middle seat, and the middle seat is already the dud in every way. It seems hardly fair to add insult to injury by vastly reducing the passengers’ leg room, when they’re already battling for ownership of the arm rests.

Given the choice, however, between having to contend with said box vs. not having a screen to keep me entertained, I’d make do with the box any day.

Noise

This aircraft was very noticeably quieter than older models - 40 per cent quieter, according to Boeing - thanks to its optimised engine technology, which also makes the plane 20 per cent more fuel efficient than the model it replaces. It claims, too, to have lower operating costs than its Airbus rival, the A320neo - being 8 per cent cheaper “per seat” to run, apparently. Why do we care? Because in the age of cheap fare wars, these savings could translate to lower ticket prices.

At a glance | Who has ordered the 737 MAX?

Beer

Icelandair - which was incidentally voted the second best short-haul airline at this year's Telegraph Travel Awards - has developed a special-edition beer, the "737 Pale Ale", to celebrate the new addition to its fleet. It's made with hops from the Pacific Northwest where Boeing planes are made - and it's rather strong, with an ABV of 7.37%. To review it would be unfair, given that I don't like beer, but it got the thumbs up from other passengers, and will be available onboard for a limited time.

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Conclusion

Industry-wide, since the early days of flying, cabin space has been shrinking. Boeing’s latest version of its best-selling 737 model is hardly bucking the trend.

There have been substantial updates, however, which we can all be grateful for. The overhead storage bins are much bigger, the cabin is much quieter and that soft mood lighting makes all the difference.

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