Northwest Airlines horror story
 

Message: Yesterday I had an experience that leaves me frustrated and angry. I was checked in and had a boarding passs with assigned first class seat on domestic flight on Northwest airlines, full Y class fare, went to the airport club to wait for departure. Walking from the club to the gate, I heard myself paged to the gate when I was about 1 min away (it was 15 min before departure). I entered the jetway 14 minutes before posted departure according to both the clock in the gate area and my own watch; the gate agent met me in the jetyway and told me they had pushed and I'd missed the flight. She refused to let me board. The agent earlier told me the rule was one needed to be on board 10 minutes before departure. Granted, this was cutting it close, but they closed the door and pushed early. When I requested that they try to rebook me, the agent flat out lied and told me no other carrier had flights available (I found this out when I called the travel agent who issued the ticket, who immediately found at least two other flights on other carriers). Due to weather that set in after the original flight departed, I wound up spending 10 hours in the airport befoire getting a coach seat that got me to my destination in the early AM hours. <BR> I realize there is intense pressure to maintain on time statistics, but this just seemes unfair - maybe even illegal. You can bet that I will avoid Northwest like the plague, and recommend you do the same!

I appreciate your frustration and all the aggrevation. However, is it possible that they left early due to knowledge of the incoming front and all the other passengers who boarded early were grateful to make their destination? I know this does not excuse NWAs lack of proper communication with you or the inadequacy of helping you get to your destination. We have been on flights where the counter personnel informed us we would be boarding early to beat line ups in getting out. Check out the other thread on "Fat". Again, to correct their improper customer attitude, the airline should hear from you.

Mary Ann, I appreciate your thoughts and see the sense there. The weather actually set in quite a while later, but it may have been a concern. Nonetheless, I was checked in, am an elite level frequent flyer and was acting according to the instructions I had received. If there was an early push to get ahead of some weather,I would have expected an announcement to that effect. What probably angered me the most was the attitude of the gate agent, her tone in speaking with me, and then her outright lying about the availability of other flights. I am generally a very compliant and understanding customer and able to just "suck it up" when uncontrollable events arise - I reallly do prefer to wait for that mechanical to be corrected rather than chance an inflight equipment failure! - this just sticks in my craw, BIG time!

Seamus, I would be furious also. Living in Northwest's home city, where there is almost a monopoly, I have no choice but to fly it most of the time. Did you hear about the brouhaha this past winter, when Northwest acted inappropriately on weather information in Michigan? They continued to send in planes to a snowed-in airport, causing some planes to sit on the runway for 11 hours. This incident sparked the recent "passenger rights" stuff that is coming up. <BR> <BR>Having complained about Northwest, I will tell you that I don't really think it is just Northwest's problem. I've had problems over the years on just about every airline! I think it's an industry problem. <BR> <BR>I would encourage you to file a complaint, and wonder if you received any compensation.

Hi there! <BR>Whenever a company (or a representative of their company) does something outstanding bad or good, I normally write a letter and send it to several departments in the company. Who knows they might give you some free miles or try to make it up to you. <BR>Good Luck

Seamus, <BR>Living in the Upper Midwest I, too, am trapped by the "Northworst" monopoly on airtravel. We have almost always encountered rude personnel inadequately staffed gate check-in windows, etc...Northworst also has the worst "on-time" arrival status repeatedly so they are always "pushing off " from the gate as soon as they can just so the flight can be counted as "on time" even if you set on the runway for 2 hours. My deepest sympathies...

I am not condoning what Northwest did or does at times. We were caught up in the January snowstorm with Northwest as well. However, Is there any airline that has not caused aggrevation. I refuse to fly Delta who has lost luggage, lied when stranded to prevent changing airlines, excused themselves for a dead fly buried in my meal by saying another airline was worse, and after one of their crashes, tried to contral damages by resurrecting indescretions and private illnesses in the lives of the deseased. Friends trying to get out of Chicago in January had tremendouse problems with United (their hub). If you check out the "fat" dialog currently running you can hear about British Air and Lufthansa and KLM has terrible food and at times haughty staff and horrible weight limitations on carry ons. So I guess we need to find the lesser evil and what we are willing to tolerate or become proactive and change the airlines behavior!!!

More??? You want MORE?? What do you expect from NorthWORST Airlines?

As i regularly fly just about all the major - and quite a few minor - airlines I can say that Northwest ranks right down there in terms of just about every measure. It is amazing that Continental, which has worked so hard to upgrade their service quality - would even think about partnering with such a poor performer.

I to had a problem with northwest airline as far as mechanical failures, but the biggest problem I had w/Northwest was the attitude of all the people I had to deal with. I did complain (there web site has a e-mail address) I did receive a reply but it still did not erase the way I was treated. I will not fly this airline again no matter what the price. Maybe if more people complain something will happen.

Just read on the newspaper that this new police of '10 minutes or you are out' has been implemented to reduce time spend by the airplane on the terminal (iddle time; $avings at you expense). <BR> <BR>Want to hear another good one?; my husband & I arrived 45 minutes earlier to our TWA domestic flight on JFK. We were told that the flight was closed and that we were late (!!?). The airline put us on stand-by on a flight 3 hours later. On our return, we were at the airport 2 hours before departure. We were checked-in but told to get our seat assignment at the gate in about an hour. When we did as indicated the gate attendant said all seats were already taken (!!?). We got on the flight after a very nasty interchange. Mind you we were paying customers, not FF passengers. I WILL NEVER FLIGHT TWA AGAIN!!!! We found out that TWA had overbooked both flights by 35 people. Their tactics are to pushed the customer to flight when is MORE EFFICIENT AND CONVENIENT FOR THEM. BUYERS BEWARE!!!!

!

Have you instructed your travel agent to avoid Northwest in the future? If so, are you prepared to encounter situations where you must connect rather than fly nonstop/direct? In my own case, I would rather endure a two hour layover on just about any other carrier than be at the mercy of Northworst.

Please see "Making the Airlines Behave"and write your congresspersons to support a passengers bill of rights. Many thanks.

This thread, and the Fair if Fat threat have both provided a forum of expression for frustrated travelers. <BR> <BR>In the Consumers Union travel letter the two worst airlines for on-time performance were Northwest at about 70% on time and America West at ca 68%. <BR>American and Southwest rated the highest. <BR> <BR>The America West score is surprising because Phoenix, their big hub, has <BR>good flying weather most of the year. <BR> <BR>Unfortunately the CU figures do not incorporate or reflect the practices that are logical consequences of late flights: bumping of various passengers, delays, inconvience, extra expense, loss of sleep, aggravation, etc. Nor does CU explain or analyze the figures. <BR> <BR>The travelling public sorely needs a consumer advocate group. CU does what it can, but no one has taken the offensive in area in a focused attack. <BR> <BR>Government regulation is not really the answer because it invariably leads to red tape and minimal performance -- just enough to clear the standards and nothing more. Fodors has shown no inclination to take up this particular cudgel; I guess they figure it would be bad for business since they are in the game of pushing travel. At least this forum gives us a way to voice frustration and make our feelings known. <BR> <BR>I have no magic words to offer. But there is not going to be any immediate relief from cattle car seating in coach class flying. If the price is right, people will buy tickets regardless of packed seating. Revenue minus expenses is profit when the numbers are positive, and the only way to gain revenue is to fly as many people as possible on every flight. So pack 'em in and cut the frills and amenities almost to the point that ticket sales are at risk, and thereby raise profits. That is the name of the game and the consumer/passenger is the provider of the basic ingredient of profit: ticket money. We the consumers are caught in a bind, with no easy way out. <BR>

Hey guess what? As we're all complaining about Northwest, the headlines in the Minneapolis newspaper today advise us that Northwest earned the number 2 spot for on-time for the month of May, and is regaining it's punctuality status!

It would appear that small seats and mediocre food are secondary to the 'circumstantial' offenses: rude/indifferent employees, delayed flights explained by lies and overbooked flights. Hmmm....all negatives created by humans. If *I* were rude to my customers, I'd be typing this from the unemployment line. If my company tried to explain screw-ups with lies, they'd have Federal regulators all over them like stink on s**t. If my company failed to fulfill their contracts because they 'overbooked', we'd be forced to pay hundreds of thousands of dollars in fines. Why are airlines exempt from these normal business practices? We had a terrible experience with American Airlines during the pilots' "sickout", not because flights were delayed (which they were), but because of the indifference shown by the employees when passengers were disarranged. The attitude was "it's not a problem we can handle, call our home office", even when it was a matter of lost luggage...they copped out of dealing with problems by falling back on company rhetoric. To demonstrate how out-of-touch the employees were, the flight attendant said "well aren't we a little greedy?" when my friend asked for a second bottle of Champagne. This is to one of 300 passengers who had experienced terrible delays and screwed-up travel plans...Lord only knows what she said to other passengers. <BR>We wrote to American, explaining our grievances were NOT caused by the pilots' sickout, but by poor customer relations. We got no response; they are apparently sticking to the party line: it was all the pilots' fault... <BR>I'm not a big fan of government regulation/interference, but if people or businesses can't demonstrate self-control, then the government has to step in (i.e., laws against running red lights or selling expired pharmaceuticals).

northwest isnt the only airline who closes the door early. it is also the policy on united. remember the time on your ticket is the DEPARTURE time. the boarding time is much earlier. i applaud the airlines for trying to keep themselves on schedule and allow those passengers who were considerate enough to get there on time, get in their seats ready to go. there is nothing worse than those people who always arrive late and inconvenience everyone else while they try to store their mounds of luggage and other carry ons.

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For those of you who are holding tickets on a Northwest flight, and maybe holding your breath with anxiety, I'll tell a happy Northwest story. My son, his wife and baby daughter just flew Raleigh to Detroit (2 1/2 hrs.), then Detroit to Beijing (13 hours nonstop) and returned the same way a month later via Northwest. They chose NW because it is the only airline that flies nonstop from a US city to China. I was a bit worried having heard recent stories about the airline. Surprise, surprise, they were wonderful in every way! My 6'7" son was given seats with extra legroom, the food was fresh and good (My daughter-in-law can be picky about this!), all flights were right on time. The only minor complaint was that they had to wait 45 min. for their luggage in Detroit but there was plenty of time between flights so not too big a deal. They would definitely fly Northwest again. Oh, yes, my granddaughter chattered too much for one gentleman sitting beside them so the flight attendants re-settled him somewhere else on the plane - kept everybody happy! Just thought I'd inject a happy note into this thread -

Richard (valley yankee) - I couldn't agree more. It IS angering to have to delay - and possibly risk takeoff slot at busy airports - while an inconsiderate clod trudges on board, overloaded with bags, at the last minute. This, however, was not the case here. I was checked in well in advance, had one small carry on which fits under my seat, and was in the jetway prior to the stated pre-departure cutoff. <BR>The Dept of Transportation has informed me that I may be eligible for denied boarding compensation under federal regulations. You can bet I'll pursue this - as more time passes with absolutely no response from NWA my ire only increases. <BR>For otheres who have shared their NWA frustations: FYI, though NWA routinely provides only fax and email options for registering complaints, the DOT provided this contact for written correspondence: <BR>Ms. Cindy Scheer <BR>Director, Customer Relations <BR>Northwest Airlines, Inc. <BR>Minneapolis/St Paul Int'l Airport <BR>St Paul MN 55111

I'm surprised nobody has mentioned this following HORROR story about Northwest and I'm sure you've all heard it. It's been all over news shows like Dateline and 20/20. Well back in I belive it was 1989 a Northwest employee in Boston was murdered yes murdered. The investigation and all led to a possible inside job, and if you've all heard this story you will all agree. From sexual harrassement to theft. Northwest did NOTHING about it. Since hearing this story and watching the parents of Susan Traskowitz cry in vane because NOTHING has been done I WILL NOT FLY NORTHWORST nor will I allow anyone I know fly them! When I hear of someone traveling on them I do everything in my power to change their tickets and find even a better airfare on another carrier. Hope this changes peoples minds about flying Northwest and will think twice before picking up the phone to call and book reservations! <BR>Happy travels.

I am a 13 year employee with Southwest Airlines. During my employment I have NEVER known <BR>us to push back from the gate 14 minutes early! What happened to you was inexcusable. I agree with the <BR>other posters, you should write to <BR>their customer relations office and <BR>voice your concerns about their tactics and their employees attitude <BR>problems. There is no "perfect airline" <BR>mistakes and problems will always occur, but I know that working for <BR>Southwest we HONESTLY care about our customers. I am never <BR>embarrassed to say where I work!

I am a 13 year employee with Southwest Airlines. During my employment I have NEVER known <BR>us to push back from the gate 14 minutes early! What happened to you was inexcusable. I agree with the <BR>other posters, you should write to <BR>their customer relations office and <BR>voice your concerns about their tactics and their employees attitude <BR>problems. There is no "perfect airline" <BR>mistakes and problems will always occur, but I know that working for <BR>Southwest we HONESTLY care about our customers. I am never <BR>embarrassed to say where I work!

I recently flew from Orlando, Fl to Minneapolis/St Paul on Sun Country Air. <BR>I was satisfied with both their price, <BR>$338.00 RT & the service. They are based in Minneapolis/St Paul. If you don't mind a "no frills" airline, try them out www.suncountry.com

I have been on almost every major American airline but I have been flying primarily Northwest for 14 years now. I have had my share of problems with Northwest from a cancelled flight where the ground crew was indifferent at best and totally useless at worse in getting me another flight to my destination. I have also been on a recent round trip flight whose departures were delayed by a total of three hours which resulted in a missed flight on one leg. I have also noticed that the leg room and seating area is considerably smaller and I am only 5'1 and 115 lbs with a small frame. On the other hand, there have also been good experiences, like when a flight was cancelled due to a mechanical problem, they booked me right away on another flight to my destination even if they had to put me on another airline. Also, I would say that all the flight attendants I have encountered were pleasant and efficient. Most of their ground staff and customer service people were very helpful especially when I was making arrangements to ship my three large dogs on an international flight that was about 23 hours long and required a change of planes twice. Granted some people were more knowledgeable than others (like in figuring out that some cargo holds cannot hold three large dog kennels at the same time). Even the baggage handlers let me have another five minutes when I wanted some time to fuss over the dogs prior to their loading them up. I also have written letters to complain and they have been answered and I was even given a travel voucher. Northwest is not the best, but then again, I don't know which airline is. I boycotted United for a while for snotty service at the ground crew level, until recently when I flew then again and had a good experience. I guess you just have to set realistic limits on what to expect giving some leeway for weather problems, mechanical failures, cultural differences (when flying internationally), etc. Of course, it goes without saying that you should plan the optimum day and time to fly to avoid the hassles. Barring that luxury, I also agree that you should get at the least, efficient but not curt, service.

I have been on almost every major American airline but I have been flying primarily Northwest for 14 years now. I have had my share of problems with Northwest from a cancelled flight where the ground crew was indifferent at best and totally useless at worse in getting me another flight to my destination. I have also been on a recent round trip flight whose departures were delayed by a total of three hours which resulted in a missed flight on one leg. I have also noticed that the leg room and seating area is considerably smaller and I am only 5'1 and 115 lbs with a small frame. On the other hand, there have also been good experiences, like when a flight was cancelled due to a mechanical problem, they booked me right away on another flight to my destination even if they had to put me on another airline. Also, I would say that all the flight attendants I have encountered were pleasant and efficient. Most of their ground staff and customer service people were very helpful especially when I was making arrangements to ship my three large dogs on an international flight that was about 23 hours long and required a change of planes twice. Granted some people were more knowledgeable than others (like in figuring out that some cargo holds cannot hold three large dog kennels at the same time). Even the baggage handlers let me have another five minutes when I wanted some time to fuss over the dogs prior to their loading them up. I also have written letters to complain and they have been answered and I was even given a travel voucher. Northwest is not the best, but then again, I don't know which airline is. I boycotted United for a while for snotty service at the ground crew level, until recently when I flew then again and had a good experience. I guess you just have to set realistic limits on what to expect giving some leeway for weather problems, mechanical failures, cultural differences (when flying internationally), etc. Of course, it goes without saying that you should plan the optimum day and time to fly to avoid the hassles. Barring that luxury, I also agree that you should get at the least, efficient but not curt, service.

Seamus, <BR> <BR>I hope that you took the advise posted here to heart and wrote a letter to Northwest. <BR>As for me, I have had nothing but positive experiences with them. I have flown Northwest on and off for about 14 years. <BR>During the strike at this time last year, they went out of their way to make sure that my elderly parents ( in their 70's) got back home to Detroit from Vancouver. There was a layover in Las Vegas ( not a bad place to be 'stranded') and Northwest paid for their hotel and food while they were waiting on another flight. It was American Southwest (or something like that- a subsidiary of Continental) and Delta that they ended being booked on that treated them very poorly. <BR> <BR>I agree with those who state that it is an industry wide problem. <BR> <BR>**I saw a Delta plane leave the gate in Tampa 5 minutes early about a year ago. Two people who had boarding passes etc. walked to the gate (with ice cream cones in hand)5 minutes before the plane was scheduled to leave and were told that the plane had left. Their luggage was on that flight. Now, granted, the people at the gate had been paging those passengers for about 5 minutes before the plane left, but since those passengers had checked-in, they knew that they had to be in the airport somewhere. I do blame the passengers some because they should have been at the gate ready to board at the specified time. I also blame Delta for closing the gate 5 minuted early. <BR> <BR>Kittie

Your complaint has alot of merit, but as a former flight attendant I think you should know better from the travel experience you claim to have. (some of you with the platinum cards are wonderful and some think you own the aircraft) There was no excuse for the lies and disrespect. <BR> <BR>A HUGE part of the problem is the hours airline staff works and they get burned out. The average FA career is 3 years. I worked 6. We go in thinking glamour and end up trash collecting hall monitors! <BR> <BR>In my experience as a 'regional flight attendant' I worked 16+ hour days 4 days straight. Usually with the same flight crew - occaisionally I got a new one when they ran out of time per Federal Regs. One day I worked 11 flights (3 flight crews). There are no FA duty time regulations! And don't forget the full beverage service for 46 in 20 min. with 20 min. to turn the plane (clean it yourself, empty trash and board it back up). The company has a cute game also pitting the work groups against one another (FA/ground crew being one of the worst - they never see us work!) <BR> <BR>The reality of the matter is if it takes 20-30 minutes to load a prop plane that seats less than 50 how long does it take to load a jet that seats 150 or more? It may be a bit of an inconvenience to board early, lines, seat size and whatnot (I know I'm 5'10") but give 'em a break. You consumers want the on-time stats! <BR> <BR>Of larger concern to many of us was that person in warm, sunny dispatch insisting we go in inclement midwestern weather or risk our jobs-some choice - life/job that is your life. To say nothing of the pay. But management will always tell you there's someone else standing in line for your job (about 500). They have mine! <BR> <BR>Sorry to rant, just put it in perspective.