Most airlines will give good experiences and bad ones. NWA is like most airlines.

When one flies a lot you learn to go with the flow and expect these problems (I flew 75,000 miles last year). When a bad experience is mixed in with normal ones you tend to forgive easier. But if the bad one is the first one, it sits in the memory.

One airline last (not NWA) year managed to crush three pieces of luggage for me. They replaced a couple of them. I could have been upset or choose to just roll with it. Another one chose not to load my luggage for a short flight because they were over weight. Talking nicely resulted in them providing what I needed until the next day when the luggage arrived. Darned if I was going to let them ruin my day.

Now, airports! I have an artificial hip that sets off the metal detector. In LAX I was herded into what I describe as a cattle pen while my carry on computer sat at the end of the conveyor belt for anyone to take. It felt like fifteen minuted before I was searched and was able to retrieve my computer. Other airports bring on similar stories.