Apr 28th, 2009 at 8:00AM: As airlines are scrambling for any shred of extra revenue they can find, some policies are getting more attention than others. The so-called "fat passenger policies," which govern the accommodation of passengers who require more than one seat, have attracted the ire of the NAAFA. Never heard of it? It's a new one on me, too: the National Association to Advance Fat Acceptance. On the other hand, ...Click on a label to read posts from that part of the world.
NorthwestAirlines posts
Extra seat charges: big bias or svelte snobbery?
Apr 28th, 2009 at 8:00AM: As airlines are scrambling for any shred of extra revenue they can find, some policies are getting more attention than others. The so-called "fat passenger policies," which govern the accommodation of passengers who require more than one seat, have attracted the ire of the NAAFA. Never heard of it? It's a new one on me, too: the National Association to Advance Fat Acceptance. On the other hand, ...Fake bomb threat leads to probation
Apr 22nd, 2009 at 3:00PM: Mark Randall Rayborn will be on probation for the next four years. He was accused of telling an off-duty Northwest Airlines pilot that he had five pounds of explosives in his carry-on.
The plane was pulling back from the gate at Denver International Airport last year when Rayborn broke the news to the man sitting next to him while grabbing his bag. As a result of this episode, the flight was ...Uniform changes, soft drinks wait for Delta and NWA
Apr 2nd, 2009 at 9:00AM: This week, Northwest employees will get some new threads. Delta has announced that the vanquished will don the mother ship's uniforms this week, calling it "one of the first outwardly visible signs that the two airlines are now one." More important than the employees' new sartorial splendor, free snacks are coming back to all flights! But, one important question remains: Coke or Pepsi? Delta and ...Northwest flight attendants go retro before assimilation
Mar 18th, 2009 at 1:00PM: Rumor in the underground has it that Northwest Airlines' flight attendants will be going retro during the last week of March, in a throwback to all of the old Northwest and Northwest Orient garb over the ages. Apparently April 1st marks the first day that staff are required to wear the new Delta uniform, so employees will be digging back into their closets to pull out the vintage gear. And as one ...How one minute can cost you $530 at Calgary International Airport
Mar 17th, 2009 at 11:30AM: Last Friday at Calgary International Airport (right), 22-year-old Florida student Samantha Hydes learned a new lesson: Northwest Airlines is a bunch of jerks Be on time. Hydes arrived at 7:01 AM for her 8:00 AM flight home to Tallahassee and was unceremoniously denied. She had driven in from Banff. Guess she should have driven just a hair faster, not paused so long at stop signs, and walked faster ...Your paltry Delta miles aren't accepted here
Feb 20th, 2009 at 2:00PM: If Delta Skymiles could be equated to a currency, they would be Zimbabwean Dollars. Over the past several months, numerous changes at the Atlanta based company have brought significant detriment to the joint Delta and Northwest frequent flyer program. These modifications range from an increase in mileage fee for economy tickets (tickets to Europe, for example, went from 50K to 60K miles,) ...Passengers protest peanuts, prefer pretzels
Feb 17th, 2009 at 9:00AM: Blame Northwest. Or, blame the merger with Delta. Either way, peanuts are back, and some passengers are pissed. On February 1, Northwest began dishing out peanuts on flights, which Delta has been doing since dirt was new. The timing isn't all that hot, given a national salmonella outbreak involving Peanut Corporation of America. And then there are the people who are allergic to peanuts ... they're ...Too good to be true: $0 fares not for real
Feb 11th, 2009 at 2:30PM: Part of me thinks: They should've known better. Then another part thinks: But it was in writing. It's fair game. Free fares on Northwest Airlines posted last Thursday were snatched up by happy travelers, then reneged a few days later. The spokesman from Delta Airlines (who bought out Northwest back in October) confirmed that it was an error and said that the only people he would honor would be ...Merge your Delta and Northwest frequent flyer accounts -- get 500 miles
Feb 1st, 2009 at 11:00AM: In this week's chapter of "Merger Mania, Delta Devours Northwest," lots of changes have happened to each respective frequent flyer program. To merge the two programs, small changes in mileage earning, spending and transfer have been implemented, largely to make Northwest's program emulate Delta. System Wide Upgrades, a feature that many Northwest flyers briefly enjoyed, will now be translated to ...Northwest flight hits extreme turbulence, injures 9
Jan 23rd, 2009 at 3:30PM: Nine out of 10 times, when the captain turns on the fasten seat belt sign, citing turbulence, it's no big thing, right? A few bumps, maybe a spilled drink, and then the plane pulls out of it. But turbulence is no joke, as passengers on a Northwest Airlines flight yesterday from Tokyo to Honolulu know. The flight encountered extreme turbulence over Midway Island and the result was nine injuries, ...Update on your Northwest and Delta miles
Jan 2nd, 2009 at 2:30PM: As we barrel forward into 2009 and the processing merger between Delta and Northwest Airlines, small facets of the company are slowly being integrated. Just a few weeks ago, the first NW 747 was repainted in DL colors, and ever so gently the NW routes are starting to disappear. Throughout the year, mileage accounts between the two airlines will also be integrated, with the joint rules pulling from ...Update: new Canadian weighs 6 lbs and is Ugandan and (maybe) American
Jan 1st, 2009 at 4:00PM: The Canadian born on Northwest Airlines Flight 59 yesterday is the daughter of a Ugandan ... who is also a permanent resident of the United States. So, at least we know that the newly-minted citizen of our northern neighbor is not Dutch. Sasha, the newest NWA passenger, was delivered mid-flight by Dr. Natarajan Raman and Dr. Paresh Thakker. Raman is a radiation oncologist who hadn't delivered a ...Woman gives birth over Atlantic on New Year's Eve
Jan 1st, 2009 at 12:00PM: On a flight from Amsterdam to Boston, USA Today reports that a woman of unknown nationality (though probably American or Dutch) gave birth to a Canadian while in flight. The miracle of international airspace is responsible for the citizenship, though it did not cause the underlying birth. There is no word on whether Northwest Airlines charged for the extra carry-on that materialized while Flight ...10 more ideas for traveling cheaper in 2009
Dec 31st, 2008 at 9:30AM: Even though the economic forecast seems to drone on and on as being gloomy, here are more tips for how to travel cheaply. With the beginning of a new year, start using some of these tips and you might find out that travel in 2009 can be less expensive than you thought it might be.
One of my mantras is "Don't assume." That means, don't assume something is expensive until you check out all possible ...Delta offers buyouts to 75,000 employees
Dec 16th, 2008 at 11:30AM: Despite promises that job cuts will be minimal as a result of the Northwest/Delta merger, Delta recently offered buyouts to 75,000 employees. Delta CEO Richard Anderson explained that the airline needs to make the cuts because of the economy: "To deal with the effect of the recession, we are moving quickly and decisively to decrease system-wide capacity by 6 to 8%." This could be bad news for ...Who Wins and Who Loses in Delta-Northwest Merger?
Nov 6th, 2008 at 10:00AM: Gadling has been closely following the merger between air travel giants Delta and Northwest Airlines. The marriage of the two carriers was recently approved by the Department of Justice. But what does this mean for the people on the ground and in the air? Aside from seeing new color schemes on the staff and aircraft, there are all those frequent flier miles Northwest patrons have been saving. ...Delta to start charging for the first checked bag but has more price reductions
Nov 6th, 2008 at 9:30AM: As Grant posted, Delta and Northwest just dropped that fee from ticket prices. However, in the now you have it, now you don't score card of the just how much money will this flight cost me anyway game, Delta will start charging passengers $15 for the first checked bag. This isn't happening today, so no need to head to the money machine for extra cash just yet.
Starting on December 5, you'll be ...What does the Delta and Northwest merger mean for me, the one with the frequent flier miles?
Oct 29th, 2008 at 5:30PM: As Grant reported, today the Justice Department has cleared the way for the merger between Northwest Airlines and Delta. Here's a brief blurb from the Wall Street Journal that my friend at WalletPop, Tom Barlow E-mailed me.
Back in April, Grant wrote a post about why to be happy about the merger. Hmmm. I'm not sure about that given my future plans. Grant wasn't too sure either.
I'm wondering if ...So long, Northwest. Department of Justice approves merger
Oct 29th, 2008 at 5:00PM: For those of you who were holding onto one last shred of hope that Delta and Northwest might not merge, you can go ahead and flush that down the toilet -- the Department of Justice just approved the merger, saying:
"After a thorough, six-month investigation, during which the Division obtained extensive information from a wide range of market participants–including the companies, other ...Why It's a Good Time to Fly to Asia
Oct 14th, 2008 at 3:00PM: With the present conditions offering little reason for airline execs to break out the expensive cognac to toast to their success, some airlines (at least those who aren't fearing for their lives) are looking to the future. The likes of Cathay Pacific and Finnair are developing routes to Asia that they hope will become lucrative once the world economy starts playing nice. These airlines are ...
