Any comments, good or bad, about Northwest Airlines?

[Flaxbee]

I have to fly (domestic) in May, and the best deals are offered by Northwest --I seem to recall it has been called "Northworst" - any truth to that?

Any airlines you like or can tolerate if you have to fly?

[Flaxbee]

1. OK, no replies last night, so kicking it for you Saturday folks...

anyone? Bueller...? Bueller...?

[Fleshdancer]

2. I haven't heard good things about Northwest

The few times I've flown NW, the planes were late which is a BIG pain in the butt if you miss your connection flight.

One time I was sitting in an airport during a layover and this sweet elderly man started telling me all of the problems he has been having on his trip because he was getting screwed left and right by NW. From his story, it sounds like their customer service is crap (or at least it was 4 years ago when this happened).

I really don't have a preference for domestic travel. Traveling sucks regardless in my opinion...although Southwest is fun because the flight attendants kick ass. For international flights, I like Continental because their planes seem newer and they all have the tv's on the back of the chair in front of you.

[Flaxbee]

4. I can tell you, from past experience working with

Continental corporate, that they're very conscientious and generally nice people... we helped them buy their planes and engines and you are right, they are all pretty new.

[Fleshdancer]

7. I can believe that

I also tend to judge companies by their customer service people and Continental wins in this category hands down. They will bend over backwards to try to help and they're extremely professional and nice.

[no name no slogan]

3. I live in an NWA hub (MSP)

and they're about as bad as the rest of the big ones, really. Or maybe a little worse-- IIRC their on-time ratings are among the lowest. Unfortunately, they also control 3/4 of the flights in and out of MSP, so you don't have much of a choice here, unless you want to make countless connections to get to your destination.

Also, their pilots may be going on strike within the next month. They're voting on concessions related to NWA's bankruptcy reorg, and it's still pretty up in the air. Their mechanics union went on strike last year, and the airline replaced them (or outsourced maintenance to other countries).

That being said, I've also known a number of former and current NWA employees, and they are some of the hardest workers I know.

I would keep an eye on their labor situation for now, and not make any definite plans until they get it settled.

Hope this helps.

[Flaxbee]

5. ah, thanks for the reminder about the possible strike...

my main airport is Atlanta so of course all the recent talk was the possible pilot's strike for Delta... but now I do recall the Northwest turmoil.

I guess I'll wait a bit and see what the fares/offers are at the beginning of May. I'd have to catch a connecting flight thru Minneapolis, so even if they were late leaving my airport there would probably be a few other dozen planes I could get connected thru if I missed my connecting flight (isn't Min. their hub?).

[av8rdave]

11. Delta pilot here....

We're off the hook as far as a strike goes for the time being. A tentative deal was reached yesterday morning. It does, however, still have to be ratified by the union membership.

I have no details so far, so obviously no idea how I'll vote yet.

[IsIt1984Yet]

6. You can connect thru Memphis, Minneapolis or Detroit on NWA

As stated above, they are about as good (or bad) as the other major carriers. And, as also stated above, their on-time numbers blow chunks. I've flown them a lot (Milwaukee has VERY few choices) and never had a HORRIBLE experience like I have with United or American or Continental or...

Unless Midwest Airlines or Jet Blue are options, they're all the freaking same in my eyes.

[ScreamingMeemie]

8. People are going to have problems with all airlines...

We've never had any problems, but I know people who have. We are a NW hub...that's what we're basically stuck with if we want to fly straight through. :hi:

[Beausoir]

9. They just shafted me BIG time.

My family of 8 was to take a flight from Santa Ana to Minneapolis. All eight of us (small children mostly) got to the ticket counter the requisite 90 minutes early. The counter attendant said "I hope you're not on the noon flight to Mpls! That flight was cancelled a week ago!"

After they scraped my off the ceiling, I asked her why I wasn't notified, either via the cell phone number I gave them, or via my email address that they sent my confirmation to.

"We only notify Silver Elite passengers."

I won't even begin to go into what a nightmare is was to try and get my children back home. Suffice it to say it involved a bus ride to LAX in the middle of the night and a redeye flight home.

NWA does NOT work with you. The company motto must be "Work AGAINST the customer."

I've flown them all my life and use my Visa to rack up frequent flyers on NWA exclusively. Once I got home, I switched my World Perks card and I will NEVER set foot on one of their planes again.

You will regret flying with them. They WILL shaft you. Take it to the bank.

[Puglover]

13. Yeah...that's what us 35,000

employees at NWA are trained and paid to do. SHAFT the customers. We all get toaster ovens for every single customer we fuck over. And if you REALLY screw a customer. You get a 42" plasma TV.

It is patent BULLSHIT that the airline only notifies Silver Elite. When a flight cancels in the future reservations OR the travel agent notifies the passengers IF they have a contact for them. Either the agent was clueless or you're just making crap up. OR...oh I know, the agent knowingly LIED to you in order to get another toaster oven!

Every airline out there has unwittingly screwed passengers. But as an employee who is now working for what I was making back in 1989 I really don't give a shit anymore. I just read that in 1946 it cost 399.00 to fly one way New York to Dublin. I just now pulled up a fare one way New York to Dublin 310.00. Gee whatever could be wrong with this picture. People want to pay chickenshit to fly and as far as I'm concerned all you get what you pay for. And the execs that run the damn airlines are too stupid to RAISE THE FARES or change the idiotic fare structures. Do I sound pissed? You're goddamned right I am. I listened to whining passengers for 5 years before I finally got wise and got away from the airport thing.

Should you have been notified? Of course you should have. And that is the airline does. Someone screwed up. And guess what? I'm thanking God that I'm not standing behind a counter and that I don't have to listen to this kind of hyperbolic shit anymore.

Edit to add....and quite frankly who cares what airline you fly these days. Guess what again? All of the airlines right now are flying with around a 94percent load factor BECAUSE the fares are so damn low. So take your business to one of the other carriers that are losing money faster then they can make it. Someone else will take your empty seat. Trust me. Then we can SHAFT them!

[Beausoir]

15. Your post PERFECTLY illustrates the attitude of NWA employees. Thank you.

By the way, do you work the ticket counter at SNA by any chance, because your "blame the customer" attitude sounds very familiar.

Folks...this kind of nastiness is what you can expect from the minute you book a NWA flight. They are pissed...and with good cause...but they are PISSED AT YOU!

Conversely, I flew Aloha Airlines twice in the past month and they were fantastic! Even with a couple of delays, the employees actually seemed to CARE about their jobs. Very nice folks. Young and full of energy.

I'd highly recommend Aloha to anyone.

[Whoa_Nelly]

10. Get a mumps shot

...just sayin'... :popcorn:

[tinfoilinfor2005]

12. I just flew with them this week in conjunction with KLM airlines

returning from Latvia. They lost one piece of my luggage but returned it the next day to the Florida Keys. They were forty five minutes late leaving Detroit to fly to Ft. Lauderdale due to a minor repair. But they made up most of the time in the air and we were only ten minutes late on arrival. The attendants were very nice. The seats were probably a little more comfortable than most, but I fly economy and they all pretty much suck. The flight was good but they almost blew out our eardrums on landing. I was in pain and all the kids started crying so I think it bothered their ear canals. I heard once that it has something to do with decrompressing the plane, and if the pilot doesn't bother to do it correctly, it will cause pain in your ears on the landing.

[AmericanErrorist]

14. There's a strike right now

but otherwise it's ok.