Yea??
Nay??
Your experience??
Northwest, (NWA) services the small airport near my home that I like to use. I really have no complaints the many times I’ve flown with them.
United on the other hand lost me as a customer after ONE flight. I’ll walk if I am ever in a position where United is the only carrier to my destination.
I used to fly Portland to Minneapolis nonstop once a year …would give them a yea, however, I haven’t done so in several years.
My one and only experience with them was excelent, but that was a lot of years ago.
Eric
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.
nay nay nay
I have to fly from Boston to Minneapolis on occasion. They are the only game in that town. Flights are rediculously expensive to begin with. Secondly it costs a fortune to switch a flight. I arrived early one time and the cost to change from one empty plane to another empty plane 1 hour earlier was $150 bucks. A total sham if you ask me. I much prefer the Southwest method where they let you change for free if the seat is available.
The final nail in the coffin for me was that they downgraded me from first class to coach to give one of thier more frequent fliers my seat which I paid a first class fare for. Do you know what they gave me in exchange? A “Sorry, but you bought a “reduced” first class fare and therefore we are not obliged to give you the first class seat”.
A coach fare on that flight was $650. I paid $1100 which is what their website asked me for to get the first class seat. Apparently the “real” first class fare was $1400. Did they give me the $450 back - not a chance. Did they at least give me a meal? Not a chance.
I have had bad experiences with most domestic carriers at one time or another. It’s your choice how you handle it. You can lose your mind and play the fool, which will get you nowhere, or remain calm and know that “eventually” you will get where need to be. Oh, and I just want to go on record as saying the Delta should be grounded. I will NEVER fly them again.
My best experiences have been with Lufthansa, and their food is excellent in Business Class. Better than any 1st class US domestic carriers by a long shot.
Stay away from British Air. Their food and service in the air is as bad as is it on the ground in the UK. Someone should teach those people what customer service is all about, and that there are seasonings available for food. Everything tastes like cardboard and is overcooked. No wonder none of them ever smile (apologies to our UK friends, but these are my experiences with 6 trips to the UK to build a building in Milton Keynes while living in Wimbledon). Plus, they act like THEY are doing you a favor by flying with them.
That’s my 2 cents.
Joe
IMHO, any airline that has to survive on its own economic profile is going to be much less comfortable and accommodating than any airline supported or otherwise cared for by the government of its home country. back in 1968, all USA airlines had to fly where Uncle allowed them to, had to charge fares according to Uncle’s rules, and it cost $350 to fly 'round trip from Washington, D. C. to Seattle, WA. the airplanes were comfortable and the stewardsesses of the day were helpful and polite because the planes were never, ever full–who could afford the fare?
along came Ronald Reagan in the 1980s. he thought competition would save everyone some money if we de-regulated the telephone, trucking, and airline industries. the result is that airlines now fly where they can make money, charge what the traffic will bear, savage the competition where possible, and it still costs $350 to fly from Washington, D. C. to Seattle, WA, if you get a good deal. every flight is full (otherwise it’s cancelled) and no one, not even our flight attendants, is comfortable because the planes are full up.
and the luggage problem never has been solved. 
Bear in mind that President Reagan was dealing with a Corporate America that still had morals and scruples. Also, the Democratic congress that we voted in at the time could have vetoed his bill anytime they wanted too.
I used to fly US Air, now US Airways, a lot back in the 1980’s. Being a military aviator I am not comfortable on civilian flights. If I cannot kick the tires myself and sit in on the preflight briefing, then I am not going to be a happy camper. Pick the one with the best safety record. That’s what I’d do.
I did feel totally satisfied flying on the U.S. Air Force C-5 Galaxy. The crews were great, well trained and the aircraft well maintained. The airplane is comfortable for a military transporter and they even gave us a boxed lunch and extra blankets. If the luggage got lost that was on us for not putting it on the plane ourselves.
AMEN, Brother! I was in Air Freight working the C-5-A when i was stationed at Scott AFB, Belleville, IL., and again when I was stationed at Incirlik CDI in Adana Turkey. A finer military aircraft you would be hard pressed to find, and as you said, the flight crews were the best. I was always in awe as I watched those planes land and take off. It was like they were feathers settling on our runways. And what sweet sounding engines… We used to sit on the flight line with our eyes closed and be able to tell an aircraft by its noise signature. All were unique. Ahhhhhh, the old days! To be young again.
Joseph Valencic, SSGT
USAF 69-73
I fly a lot - and primarily out of Minneapolis. From the general flight perspective (fares, boarding, on-time arrival, crew, baggage etc), I think NWA is better than some, about the same as others.
I have had very good experiences with them while taking guns, fly rods and other assorted equipment along with me…
I’ve been loyal to Northwest Airlines for several years now as they offer the routes and schedules I need to fly around North America as well as to Asia and Europe. With their alliance partners I can get pretty much anywhere.
That being said, I’m not loyal to them for their exceptional customer service, friendly flight attendants or their on time departures and arrivals. Depending on the year, I fly somewhere between 60,000 and 110,000 miles with them. So YES I have “some” experience with them. (I earned have earned over 1,000,000 so far).
The deal is NONE of the US carriers do a good job and ALL will certainly disappoint you from time to time. My feeling is pick one that offers the routes you need and stay loyal to that one. That way at least you are gaining the frequent flyer miles that gain you first class upgrades and free travel. If Northwest’s flight schedules work for you then I say go for it. Depending on where you are flying, you may fly through the Detroit hub which is a GREAT airport. No matter how crowded it is, it’s NEVER crowded because it’s so big.
They (NWA) are a bit better than some of the other choices but by no means are they a stand out. If you ever want to experiece the world’s finest airline and the best customer service on the planet then fly Singapore air if you need to head to Asia. All I can say is WOW!
Like Barfly, I travel a lot for my job. When I lived in Atlanta I flew Delta, when I lived in Minneapolis it was NWA, I now live in Philly and fly USAir (along with every other domestic). As a very frequent flyer I can tell you that all domestic airlines leave a lot to be desired. As far as pricing, all airlines charge high prices when they have a exclusive direct route, wouldn’t you? I’ve paid as little as $200 to fly roundtrip from Philly to LAX and as much a $1,000 to fly from Philly to Boston, it’s known as supply and demand. They are all the same…find the cheapest flight you can and put up with the aggravation. IMO there is no airline that is better that the other. Because no matter how PO’d you are that the flight is leaving late or you didn’t get the seat you wanted or that the flight attendant won’t let you put that oversized bag in the overhead, there are guys like Barfly and me who put up with the BS every week and accept it as part of being the flying public. And when we see you go off on some poor gate agent that you are going to arrive an hour late to your destination, we just shake our heads and think “tourist”.
Sorry, just had to vent…
It’s a flying bus. I live in the Twin Cities and am pretty much forced to fly NWA if I want to fly. They have wormed their way into having pretty much exclusive gate access in the cities. Are they any better or worse than anyone else? Who’s to say, they’re all flying busses. Enjoy yourseaf after you get to your destination.
Kevin