Northwest Flgiht cancellations continue

[hercamore]

Heads up to anyone flying Northwest this summer. Read the articles on cancellations on wcco.com.

Last month, it took me 18 hours to travel to Mpls to Pensacola, Fl. It was a joke, two flight cancellations (one right after boarding). It was the absolutely worst travel day I've ever had. I fly Northwest several times a year usally with no problem, but this summer, wow.

DD is flying AA from Pensacola to MSP this coming Tuesday. I'm glad it's not NW.

herc.

 

[robinb]

What was their excuse for canceling the flights? Did they compensate you?

 

[DebbieB]

You really have to be careful at the end of the month. They don't have enough pilots and when it gets to the end of the month, many of their pilots have already flown their monthly limit of hours (FAA rules).

I have a flight tomorrow on NW Airlink operated by Pinnacle, I hope it's OK.

 

[lost*in*cyberspace]

What was their excuse for canceling the flights? Did they compensate you?

The only compensation due for a canceled flight is a refund or re-booking on another flight.

 

[robinb]

The only compensation due for a canceled flight is a refund or re-booking on another flight.

That's true if they cancel for "weather" but if they cancel for another reason that is within their control the airline will usually provide you meal vouchers at the least and also hotel accommodations if you have to stay overnight in addition to booking you on another flight. In addition, many carriers will also give you "bonus miles" for your trouble.

 

[DebbieB]

A couple of years ago I had a NW flight delayed 3 or 4 hours for mechanical, they gave me 1,000 bonus miles. I didn't even ask for it, I got a letter a couple weeks later.

 

[petrymom]

I wonder if there is more to this NW cancellations thing. I am planning for our spring break trip in March and noticed that NW does no fly non-stop from Milwaukee to MCO anymore. The last 2 trips we took to MCO we flew non-stop out of Milwaukee and had VERY GOOD service.

This is all too bad. I would have loved to fly with them again, but I don't think it is going to happen.....

 

[zulaya]

Our next trip to WDW is Nov 30-Dec 8. I haven't purchased airfare yet. But I'm really thinking about not even considering NWA, even though they have the earliest flights down. I don't want to get stuck at home and start my vacation off with a cancellation.

I heard they are hiring 200-250 pilots in the next year. Doesn't really help right now.

 

[kristenrice]

I'm a little nervous too. Our flight is at the end of January, non-stop out of Grand Rapids. I bought the travel insurance (which I think only covers the unforseens on my end) so I hope I have my bases covered. We don't really have any big plans the first day and our flight is currently scheduled to leave at 10:30am. If it does get cancelled or delayed, I would hope we have enough time to find a later flight. I thought weather would be my biggest concern, now I have labor disputes and piloy shortages to worry about too!

 

[CarolA]

You really have to be careful at the end of the month. They don't have enough pilots and when it gets to the end of the month, many of their pilots have already flown their monthly limit of hours (FAA rules).

I have a flight tomorrow on NW Airlink operated by Pinnacle, I hope it's OK.

Northwest's pilots are limited by the contract to 90 hours a month. (It's hard to feel sorry for them, they work so much!!!) I am pretty sure the FAA would allow more. (Other airlines do fly them more)

I am not sure what's going on, but I have a distinct feeling it goes back to the bad labor relations that exist between airline employees and management.

 

[zulaya]

Rumor has it that they have hit their contracted hours and are refusing overtime hours.

Could they be tired? Absolutely. I don't want a fatigued pilot flying my plane.

Could they be sticking to the letter of the contract and not flying past the contracted hours?

Absolutely. And good for them for sticking it to management. It sucks for me personally, because I like their schedule to MCO best, but I bear ZERO hard feelings towards the pilots. After the way management treated the working backbone of the airline, management needs to suck it up and get more pilots on the line sooner rather than later.

 

[brighteyes]

Ok now I am worried. We have a flight out of Ontario connecting in Detroit on Aug 17. We leave at 6:20 am. What would I do if the night before or that morning at the airport, we find out our flight is cancelled and miss our connecting flight? Would the hotel know we are still coming if we were delayed a day?
OMG, I am so nervous now...

Stephanie

 

[Jestocost]

Ok now I am worried. We have a flight out of Ontario connecting in Detroit on Aug 17. We leave at 6:20 am. What would I do if the night before or that morning at the airport, we find out our flight is cancelled and miss our connecting flight? Would the hotel know we are still coming if we were delayed a day?
OMG, I am so nervous now...

Stephanie

The good news is you're flying early in the morning, which minimizes (but does not eliminate) the chances that you'll be affected by non-weather related delays. As it gets later in the day, problems tend to build on one another and there's a domino effect that can really screw everything up royally. There's less time for this kind of thing to happen early in the day, but the same can't be said for weather.

If you are unable to make it to MCO on your scheduled arrival date for any reason, it will be your responsibility to notify Disney so that your entire reservation isn't cancelled.

 

[brighteyes]

Thanks I will be sure to have their number in my cell phone.

Do I have to notify them if I am getting there later on the same day, say if i was to get there at 1:30 but got on a lter flight and got there at 4 or 5 pm or 9 or 10 pm??

Thanks for the tip. I know my TA probably told me all this yesterday but really my head is spinning from the 3 or 4 packages of envelopes of documents I have. lol

Steph