JaneF

Is anybody else watching upcoming flights on NWA? We are booked onto Flight 662 DTW to EWR and this flight has been cancelled 8 of the last 17 days. NWA refuses to move us to 1 day earlier flight because they say they are operating normally.(50% is normal??) Because of the penalty & high current prices compared to when we booked, it would cost us more to change the flight than what we originally paid for our tickets. Agents and customer service have been no help.
How frustrating!
Looks like we have to drive 11 hours because we can not depend on this flight to get us there in time.

LT

Hi Jane:

First off, take a deep breath, and don't worry -- NW is in an alliance with Continental, which has plenty of nonstops from DTW - EWR. If NW should manage to cancel your flight, I would imagine you've got a good chance of getting on a CO flight. Also, DL is a partner in the alliance, and they can get you to EWR via CVG, so your options are even expanded. I would recommend you get to the airport as early as possible, since they may cancel it early, and you'll have a better shot at being rebooked.

Take care!

rkkwan

LT is correct. CO flies 6 DTW-EWR flights a day, in additional to NW's 7. There's one that departs 11am. Make sure once they cancel that flight they put you on that one, quickly.

Having said that, 5 of the 6 CO flights are on regional jets, and with no first class seats. If you're flying FC, then you'll have to wait for the next NW flight.

And if you MUST get to Newark early that day, go to the airport early. There are 2 CO and 1 NW flights that leave prior to your 10:13 flight. You can standby on the NW flight (6:45am), and if they cancel your flight early, you can ask them to put you on the CO flight at 9:20.

Also try to do a online check-in 24-hour prior. If they cancel your flight, they may have done that early on, before OLCI opens. That would give you a head start in rebooking on other CO/NW flights.

JaneF

Thanks for all the info. I guess our problem is that we have to be to Newark no later than 3:30 to board a nonrefundable cruise. I became concerned because we were told that NWA's only obligation was to get us there sometime on the 22nd or refund our money, and nobody we talked to mentioned any options other than trying to get on the 6:45 on standby.

clevelandbrown

This situation cries out for travel insurance.

JaneF

My fault. I booked this back in November and never anticipated a strike. I thought I was doing good leaving a 5 hour leeway. Now I know better.

rkkwan

If you're connecting to a CO flight to Europe with 5 hours at EWR, don't worry. NW will get you there one way of another. You'll be fine.