Tweaking your flight itinerary: what to do if your plane is grounded

Hundreds of airplanes across the country will stay on the ground after an Alaska Airlines emergency exit door blew off mid-flight last week. Which means your flights this week could be canceled.

• READ MORE: Canceled flights at RSW after Alaska Airlines emergency landing
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The Federal Aviation Administration officially ordered the grounding of all Boeing 737 MAX 9 planes on Saturday, Jan. 6. They have to be parked until emergency inspections are done.

This comes after an Alaska Airlines plane had to make an emergency landing in Portland, Oregon Friday after a door plug flew off mid-flight.

The FAA said the grounding order will impact roughly 170 aircraft. Inspections can take between four and eight hours per plane. United Airlines said it has almost 80 of those models, while Alaska Airlines has 65.

United said it found loose bolts on some inspected planes.

RSW canceled at least 12 flights on Monday. Some are due to weather, but if you’re worried about your flight, you can change your itinerary.

Alaska Airlines issued a system-wide flexible travel policy allowing you to cancel or change your flight without paying any fees.

The airline recommends you do this on the app or website since the wait on the customer service line is long. United is also waiving fees if you decide to change plans.

Both airlines will give you travel credit or a refund if your flight is canceled.

The airlines might do more for you if your flight is canceled or delayed while you’re in the airport. The U.S. Department of Transportation’s airline customer service dashboard shows what each airline is willing to do.