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My Worst Flight Ever...

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  • My Worst Flight Ever...

    NWA YOW-DTW-LAX/SFO-DTW-YOW (economy class)

    I flew once with NWA and I'm sure I never will again.

    The flight to LAX was ok, but included no breakfast, cold lunch, and not-that-great service.

    The flight back from SFO was horrifying.

    Departure from San Francisco. More or less on time, in a B757-200 with rather dirty interior. My carry-on luggage needed some time to fit. I noticed that the in-flight magazine, WorldTraveler, was from the month before.

    The onboard TV was not used, hence no entertainment or flight data/map. I don't know about US carriers, but all other airlines i flew with (Lufthansa, ANA, Air Canada, KLM, and others) all turned on their TVs for entertainment and flight info, regardless domestic or international, first, business, or economy class.

    Rather eventless flight to Detroit. Mediocre service. LUNCH-TIME!!! YEA...
    then after an endless wait for my meal I realized there was nothing to be excited about. Here was the menu:

    Old turkey on stale, cold bun -or- Old beef on stale, cold bun
    An apple
    Tiny bag of pretzels
    Water

    ...that was it. There was nothing with the buns, no sauce, no seasoning, no veggies, no lettuce, no taste!

    Flight continues...I busy myself with the month-old WorldTraveler.

    Finally, arrival in DTW, more or less on time.

    I must say, the new Northwest WorldGateway in Detroit is impressive, the only highlight of the day.

    My flight segment to Ottawa was even worse.

    First I receive different gate information for my flight. The departure screens said one gate and the NWA agents another. The airline reps insist that their info is newer and up-to-date. I listen to them and end up at the wrong gate with a lot of other passengers. After finally sorting out the mistake (the departure screens turned out to be correct) we get to our CRJ almost late. No apology of any sort from NWA or DTW.

    After boarding the small and cramped CRJ, I find myself in a tiny seat with absolutely no legroom. The passenger beside me falls asleep and streches himself out all into my already non-existent legroom. Being the curteous person I am, I knew better than to wake him up (he never did until we were landed in YOW)

    Departure from DTW...or almost.
    We waited parked at the gate for 2 hours. No apology and no explanations. Later we find out we were waiting for a tug. Another hour of waiting for de-icing and take-off. Finally airbone, we were 3 hours behind schedule.

    Dinner time, no dinner.
    Also, no snacks, no flight info, no entertainment (no TV and month-old magazine again), and basically no service.

    We received one or two beverage services for a 4 1/2 hour flight (including waiting on the ground).

    Finally we arrive in YOW.

    We parked on the apron, even though there were unused gates.
    Dragging my carry-on across in -30C snow-storm was not fun!!!!!! The windchill almost gave my hands a frostbite.

    I must say, that was a horrible experience.
    NWA really have to improve their service.


    NWA = North Worst Airlines
    1
    Yes
    100.00%
    1
    No
    0.00%
    0
    Click Here to view my aircraft photos at JetPhotos.Net!


  • #2
    Don't like them either, had two flights with them in 1986 when they were still Northwest Orient. It was about the same as your latest experience. The flights were by DC-10-40 ANC-SEA and SEA-ANC.

    Certainly an airline to pass on the fast lane.

    Regards,
    Peter

    Comment


    • #3
      I like nwa.

      Comment


      • #4
        I have never flown with any other US carriers. Are they all like that? UA, AA, DL, CO??
        Click Here to view my aircraft photos at JetPhotos.Net!

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        • #5
          RE

          No, carriers like AA, US, and AS, have excellent service. But since the 9/11 attacks the overall attitude has changed, can you blame them?
          Cory Klimko
          Click Here to view my aircraft photos at JetPhotos.Net!

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          • #6
            NWA is fine. I guess after flying so many years domestically in the U.S. post-deregulation I am use to bad service. NWA just seems like a standard domestic carrier I would be surprised at anything better.

            Comment


            • #7
              Greg if what you say it's true, then you got to experience some european and asian airlines
              Click Here to view my aircraft photos at JetPhotos.Net!

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              • #8
                I flew BA from JFK to SAN once. I also flew Singapore and then flew back. They had good service but the bad service is much more fun. And the dirty planes add an atmosphere(could be the smell) to the flight. You can imagine you are flying a small airline pre-deregulation on the verge of deregulation. The cookie cutter cleanliness of the International carriers is just too boring.

                Comment


                • #9
                  The more I hear and read about NWA's servie I understand why they changed their livery and want to get a new image.
                  Andy

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    except...their new livery makes them look even worse!
                    Click Here to view my aircraft photos at JetPhotos.Net!

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                    • #11
                      Yeah the new livery looks like Virgin Atlantic's except worse.

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        It also strongly resembles JAL, but i think JAL looks better
                        Click Here to view my aircraft photos at JetPhotos.Net!

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                        • #13
                          Like JAL cargo

                          Comment


                          • #14
                            My recent experience with NW involved flying YOW-DTW-MSP-COS for my cousins' wedding-the outbound YOW-DTW leg was cancelled after I got to the airport at 500 am, and I got booked US Air YOW-PHL-MSP, where I was supposed to catch up with my original NW flight MSP-COS. NOT! On arrival in PHL, I was told the MSP-COS leg was also cancelled, so I ended up flying US Air on to CVG and then Delta to COS. Somewhere en route all my bags got misplaced; handy when you need clothes for the rehearsal dinner and the wedding. They did arrive in time for the latter. Going home, the DTW-YOW flight was cancelled which meant i had to wait around DTW until 1000 pm for the next one, and I only got on that because I argued, most people had to spend the night at the Airport Marriott. Never mind that there was an earlier AC flight available to YYZ, and then I could have flown to YOW from there, arriving at a decent hour, but NW was too cheap to effect this, and made me wait around for five hours with no compensation.

                            The only reason I flew with them was I was using my AirMiles and was somewhat restricted in Airline choice. I would have normally used AC/UA.

                            Only other time I ever flew with them was in '88 from VPS to ORD via MEM.
                            ________
                            Babe Vid

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                            • #15
                              I had the option of flying AC CRJ to Chicago and then UA777 to LAX and the same back. All my parents' fault....chose NWA instead
                              Click Here to view my aircraft photos at JetPhotos.Net!

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