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Northwest Airlines

Northwest Airlines • Ticketing snafus • Luggage lost, stolen, destroyed • General hostility • Disgruntled Employees • Northwest vs. KLM • Pray for food --- News • Delta, Northwest Complete Merger • Delta, Northwest Merger Faces Heavy Chop • Troubled Northwest Strikes New Deal With Pilots • A Seething Summer of Discontent for Northwest Airlines • Northwest Passengers Face Uncertain Summer • Pilot Shortages Plague Northwest Passengers • Machinists Pact May Head Off Northwest Airline Strike • Northwest Hopes to Cancel Employee Contracts • Delta, Northwest File for Bankruptcy • Northwest Flying Despite Strike • Northwest Warns Of Bankruptcy • Strike Looms At Northwest • Northwest Seeks Replacement Flight Attendants • Northwest Pushes Up Fares

An icy fossil that survives only because Southwest apparently dislikes cold weather, Northwest is perhaps the most rigid U.S. airline when it comes to making even the slightest accommodation to the customers who keep it in business.

The complaints in this section illustrate how unnecessarily miserable travel can be if one chooses the wrong carrier.

Here are a few of the more recent consumer comments:

Edison of Jackson Heights NY (06/16/08)
on june25 2007 i bought a ticken on north west airlines website. after reading the term and conditions of refunds, i decided to refund before 24 hours, when i tried to refund nwa did not acept my refund, i spoke with the refund department and they did not helped me, the did never answered my phone call. i tried many times using mi american express card, writting many leters but they dont want to refund ,i explained that i canceled the ticked before 24 hours but they don't believe, and also i tell them extend the ticket because they promised me to extend but until now they don't want it. so i neeed help because North west airlines have given hard time and become sick, my wife is pregnant and mi child is autist. please somebody could helped me

John of University Park, IL June 15, 2008

John of University Park IL (06/15/08)
My wife bought her and my 10 month old son's tickets online and printed them out to use the curbside baggage check. She waited a reletively short time in line to get up to the curbside check-in, who told her that she needed to go the regular check-in to check the car seat for the baby.

A half an hour later when she got to the front of that line, she was told that she would probably miss the flight due to a long security line, the flight was leaving in 13 minutes. She would need to reschedule her flight at a cost of 100. The next flight was over 4 hours later, so she told the representative that she did not want to check the car seat at this time, so that she could leave the airport. The rep who rescheduled her flight, momentarily forgot she said this and sent the bags through. The rep tried to retrieve the bags after finishing the reschedule but then told her that she could not get the car seat back. So she waited in the airport holding my 10 month year old for over 4 hours and we ended up paying more than two times the price of the ticket for a short flight on northwest airlines. I'm not making the mistake of flying northwest airlines any more.

Glenna of Kent, WA June 12, 2008

Glenna of Kent WA (06/12/08)
On Thursday, June 5, 2008, I flew on Northwest using my mileage plan miles. I was on Northwest Airlines flight 168 from Seattle to Minneapolis. I want to report an injury incurred during flight. I was sitting in my assigned seat 32D and when we were given approval to recline our seats I did so. The man behind me told me to put the seat back up. I did so throughout the flight but anytime I moved he started to give me a hard time calling me names. The woman beside me also could not believe his behavior.

I finally told him to stop whining and that the flight attendant could help him find seating with a lot more leg room in the back. (I had looked to see if there was ample room in case it kept escalating and there was). He told me So you really want it that way? I said yes and he kicked with either both knees or feet but my seat jolted forward with much force. The woman beside me turned around and she was very angry with him as well. I turned on the flight attendant button because at that point I was very afraid. The flight attendant came and told me I had every right to move the seat, but he was very agitated so she asked me if I would move, so I told her I would only move forward because I did not want to get off behind him. I moved and by that time I was in tears from this incident. The flight attendant was very nice and concerned.

The middle of my back keeps getting more painful and it is very uncomfortable to work sitting at my computer. I went to my Human Resources Department and explained the situation. They advised me to call and write you regarding this incident and to pursue seeing a doctor. I would like to file a claim to Northwest to cover any medical bills incurred from this unfortunate situation.

back injury

Charles of Macomb, MI June 10, 2008

Charles of Macomb MI (06/10/08)
My two sons and I are going to Orange County, ca. for a memorial service for a great relative who died two weeks ago. I booked into San Diego, but both of my kids booked into SNA (John Wayne) I tried to see if I could change my destination, but was told to go on line. I defy anyone with common sense to try to change anything on NW website. These people are deaf to customer complaints or inquiries.

I am left to go an extra 30 miles to airport in S.D., but how easy would it have been to re-route me to SNA, not exactly rocket science, I had used miles to upgrade to 1st class and I guarantee there were open seats, but I never had a chance t0 talk to someone who could/would do anything-- As mentioned before--We make at least 4 flights a year (sometimes more) from Detroit to Orlando, and believe me, I will never fly this route on NW

Sharon of Lasalle, IL June 9, 2008

Sharon of Lasalle IL (06/09/08)
On 6/08/08, we left Orlando Airport on Delta Airlines at 10:31a.m. to connect with Northwest Airlines in Detroit by 4:15p.m. All went smooth with Delta until we arrived in Detroit to make connection with NWA. After arriving at Northwest Air gates by 4:20p.m., we were suppose to depart Detroit at 7:15p.m. and arrive in Bloomington, IL. by 7:53p.m. There was a thunderstorm at the Detroit airport at 5:00p.m. moving East.

Northwest Airlines started moving our gate from one end of the terminal to the other and back, for the next 6 hrs. for a total of 8 gate changes! After many customer complaints and a gruelling day, we were the last flight out at 11:20p.m. traveling on a turboprop with a flight crew who couldn't wait to throw us off the plane in Bloomington, IL. so they could go drinking!! Things weren't much better at the Bloomington Airport. After a 1hr. 20min. flight to Bloomington; there was no one from Delta or Northwest to see to passenger dilemmas. The airport luggage carouselle went around about twice and they shut it off; not allowing anyone time to use restroom and get there to pick up luggage. This left a few passangers with small children standing there unable to get to their luggage.

There was no one there to help solve this problem and they were literally turning out lights on us to encourage us to GET OUT so they could close up the airport and go home! This is totally unacceptable. We will NEVER fly Northwest Airlines again; IF, I EVER fly again! We could understand the flight delays due to weather; but there was no excuse for the mishandling of the entire situation by Northwest Airlines. They had no sensible explanation for moving us so much to different gates.

This entire fiasco cost us more in time and money than planned; even allowing for possible delays. My husband is diabetic and must eat at regular intervals. There were no considerations made for any of the passengers needs by Northwest Air during the entire process. Northwest obviously has no plan in place to handle such fiascos. We had a 1hr. drive ahead of us from Bloomington to get home; getting us home at 2:00a.m. My husband had to get up for work at 6:00a.m. on 6/09/08. This is not good for a diabetic person.

Robert of Middleburg, FL June 9, 2008

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