Opinions on Northwest Airlines (London-Detroit-Tampa)

[Fiona R from UK]

I was wondering what the Sateside opinions were of Northwest across the Atlantic to Detroit. Would there be a high risk of delays due to weather (Jan/Feb) flying via Detroit? What about meals and entertainment (seat back TVs for example.)

Also, what are internal flights like (do you get meals etc)

Sorry to be an ignorant Brit (but I thought it would be interesting to compare your views with the DIS UK boards! Thanks everyone!

 

[NancyIL]

I haven't flown overseas on Northwest - but they are nicknamed "Northworst"! Are flights a lot cheaper on Northwest via Detroit than they are non-stop on Virgin? Personally - I would do what I could to avoid having to make a connecting flight in Detroit during the winter. Good luck!

 

[travelcoupons]

On Jan 20, 2002 a brand new international terminal will open in Detroit (DTW)
see: http://www.nwa.com/features/detroit/dtw-tour.shtml for a virtual tour. If you are travelling before that date, I'd avoid Detroit as the old terminal is old and dirty.

Most NW transatlantic flights are on either a DC -10 or a Boeing 747 .

Here are seating charts for the
DC-10
747-400

Here is a listing of beverages:
http://www.nwa.com/services/onboard/food/

I've found Northwest's food to be better than many other US carriers (US Airways, Delta to name a few.)
Their Flight attendants tend to have an attitude. (Not all of them, but a majority)

Weather can be bad in Detroit that time of year.

 

[Fiona R from UK]

Thanks guys!

Yes Nancy, price is £700 less (ie well over $1 000) for the 5 of us. Would not consider in a million years otherwise!! Went BA direct this Feb. Here in UK if you don't book direct schedules 11 months out the price goes up and up and up....!

What sort of weather delays in Detroit are normal: every few hours/days, once a month? How long to get back to normal? (Hours, days?)

 

[CarolMN]

I live in the Minneapolis/St. Paul, Minnesota area (a hub for Northwest Airlines) and fly with them frequently. I have flown NWA from Amsterdam to Detroit and then on to Minneapolis twice. One of those times was coincident with a severe tornado that devasted St. Peter, Minnesota.

While I always wish the NWA prices were lower, I have no service complaints and absolutely PREFER to fly NWA if there is any threat of severe weather. First of all, I do not think there is a better airline to fly in the winter - they know how to deal with wind, ice and snow. Both the MSP and DTW airports also have experience with this. NWA also has a proprietary system for changing their routes to avoid turbulence. If I recall correctly, they are negotiating to provide this system to other airlines.

All airlines have service complaints and not so complimentary "nicknames". If I were flying from the UK to Orlando, my first choice would be non-stop. If there were no non-stops available at a price I was willing to pay, I'd certainly consider NWA. Have you asked your travel agent for the on time statistics for thespecific flights you are considering? These are available to at least US agents and should give you a good idea of past performance. In my experience, you are much more likely to be delayed at Atlanta, O'Hare and some of the New York area airports than you are at DTW or MSP. JMHO. Others may have different opinions /experience.

Here's a web site with some summary statistics on airport delays that you might interesting:

http://199.79.179.77/ntda/oai/SummaryStatistics/DEMO/SummaryStatistics/


Enjoy your trip!

 

[travelcoupons]

Here are some more facts as fare regarding Northwest's 3 hub cities:

In Feb. 2001, 80.8 % of all flights arrived on time and 78.2% departed on time in Detroit.
78.8% of all flights arrived on time and 79.8% departed on time in Memphis.
75.7% of all flights arrived on time and 76.7% departed on time in Minneapolis.

Others: 69.0% of all flights arrived on time and 73.6% departed on time in Chicago ORD.
72.5% of all flights arrived on time and 75.7% departed on time in Atlanta
73.1% of all flights arrived on time and 80.2% departed on time in New York LGA
73.7% of all flights arrived on time and 76.0% departed on time in Philadelphia

In Jan. 2001, 81.6% of all flights arrived on time and 79.9% departed on time in Detroit.
83.4% of all flights arrived on time and 84.0% departed on time in Memphis.
82.9% of all flights arrived on time and 81.8% departed on time in Minneapolis.

Others: 73.1% of all flights arrived on time and 75.9% departed on time in Chicago ORD.
74.7% of all flights arrived on time and 76.8% departed on time in Atlanta
64.5% of all flights arrived on time and 74.3% departed on time in New York LGA
70.2% of all flights arrived on time and 75.1% departed on time in Philadelphia



This data backs up CarolMN's statement. Detroit and Minneapolis airports are equipped with the means to handle bad weather. Snow and cold are the norm in the winter and these airports are equipped with the equipment and experience to handle it. If Atlanta were to get hit by a couple inches of snow (not uncommon), the airport would shut down...not so in Detroit or Minneapolis.

 

[Fiona R from UK]

Wow, thanks everyone!!

My suspicions seem to be correct then, a teensy bit of fog at Gatwick (London) is more likely to cause problems than severe weather in Detroit, we panic over here when it starts snowing!!

The delay stats are interesting, with a 2-3 hour period to change to/from the international flights, our flight time is unlikely to vary much. We had a two hour delay last Feb (sat on the plane at Gatwick) due to a security scare, and that was a direct flight.

Must go and count some pennies........

A quick postscript, when the airport does shut, and planes diverted how are connections arranged? Sorry, we fly very infrequently so have no direct experience.

 

[Sandi]

At that time of the year, you are really at the mercy of the gods of snowstorms. A few years ago, we had an awful snowstorm here in Michigan in early January. It shut down DTW for a day. People flying out were really stuck.

That is, however, not the usual. Detroit is pretty well prepared to handle bad weather. With the new terminal, it should be even better. If you have a "normal" delay due to weather, I would think they'll do their best to get you on another plane in a couple of hours. If the weather is really bad, though, there isn't much you can do.

Given a choice, I don't usually choose NWA. But, here in Michigan that is often our best priced option and I've flown with them a lot. Things are usually just fine.

 

[nuthut]

I would recommend NWA too, they are our preferred airline out of Michigan, second choice is Continental. Anything to stay out of Ohare and Pittsburg.

 

[Judy from Boise]

My brother is a NWA pilot with Detroit as his "Home Terminal" ( although he lives in Texas) so if Rick Bicknell is your pilot tell him "Hi" for me !

 

[Joym]

Fiona

I read on one of these boards (this or the UK DIS) that someone just booked on Virgin for a new low rate. I got an e-mail about these about a week ago.
You could try www.wtravel.co.uk the Virgin Travel Store....

 

[Fiona R from UK]

Thanks Joy,

I've been tracking Virgin/BA very closely (inc Virgin Travelstore) and the flights would be at least £400 more, and availability is almost non-existant except at even higher prices! (This is for a family of 5 where the eldest has to travel as an adult as she will have just turned 12!)

 

[robinb]

I personally hate NWA and detest DET. I was stuck overnight in DET due to "weather" 3 times one year and swore I would never fly NWA again. That being said, I'd fly any airline for the right price. Even NWA, which I did for the first time in 2 years on frequent flyer tickets. We still have over 150,000 FF miles in the bank. I flew NWA to London about 8 years ago and it was a nightmare. The equipment was a DC-10 which was so crammed with seats that I could not bend over to pick up my dropped book and the seat in front of me had not yet been reclined. I had to get out of my seat and get down on my hands and knees in the aisle. Of course, it might be better now . Anyway ... it's only 20 hours out of your life and not worth the extra $$ IMO to fly BA (which I love, BTW).

 

[mickey1010]

I've flown on quite a few airlines and MANY times on Northwest (I live near Detroit) and can honestly say I have never had what I would consider a BAD experience with NWA. That being said, weather in Detroit in January & February can definitely cause some delays due to snow and/or ice. The new midfield terminal at Detroit Metro Airport is scheduled to be completed in December (although, there have been rumors that it may not be ready, but there are always those types of rumors). If it is I would imagine that Northwest and Wayne County did everything in their power to eliminate the chances of a repeat of the debacle that the 98/99 New Year's Eve/Day snowstorm caused. I'm pretty sure that the airport will be prepared to take on even the worst snowstorms and your delay will be measured in hours, rather than days.

 

[Kitty 34]

I've flown NWA several times out of Detroit and didn't have a terrible experience with them. Coming back from Orlando we were delayed one time because of nasty weather in Detroit but that was it. I would rather be delayed then be flying in a precarious situation!! We have always enjoyed their food, too!!!

 

[lookingforward]

We lived in Japan for three years and I have had the best of NWA and the WORST of NWA! (The cabin service is okay, food is adequate, the flight attendants I met were very rude on the whole. I remember on flight from Tokyo to JFK, I was traveling with my six month old son, he began to cry, so I got up and was walking him around. I struck up a conversation with another mom in the aisle (we were out of the way of people) when a flight attendant came out of the "crew sleep room" in the back of coach and said "Can you please stop talking, we have crew who are trying to sleep here, jeeeez!" I was speechless (which I quess was what he wanted) but we were not talking loudly at all and it was not in a dark cabin, it was right around the dinner service.
The final straw was when I flew with my son from NY to LA. I had upgraded to first class (two seats and a lot of frequent flyer miles) and we were supposed to stop in Detroit but not get off the plane. When we landed in Detroit they announced that the next leg of the flight to LA was cancelled. When I made my way out to the "agent" she said I could get on a flight to Memphis, then to LA, with two seats in row 42. I told her that I was flying first class and she said "You didn't pay for those seats and that is the only thing I can offer you" I asked her if she could put me on another airline and she said "If I did that I would be spending more money on your two tickets than you spent on your little vacation, wouldnt I!" She then shoved two tickets at me and said "Okay, these are your FIRST CLASS tickets". I had to run to another terminal and when I got to the gate (holding my infant son and a car seat} the flight attendant said hello, you are in row 42! She gave me the two original tickets anyway. I was so tired that I just dropped the carseat and started to cry. A very nice supervisor came over, heard my story, gave me a generous meal voucher and put me on a plane that night. I had to rent a room for the six hours we waited, but it was the best thing because I was so upset. The supervisor told me that they had many complaints about that rude employee and urged me to call a special number. I did so when I got to LA and they were very apologetic. He said he wanted to upgrade me to Tokyo the next day but the flight was sold out. About two months later I got a free roundtrip international upgrade to first class from NW.,... with no travel restrictions. My mom used it when she came to see us, so I think I personally experienced some of the worst NWA had to offer and some of the best, as well.

 

[drusba]

As a frequent flyer, I have often used Northwest and many other airlines. Though it has the disparaging nickname "Norworst" I have always found it to be fairly good (and I consider most airlines medicocre).I tend to judge airlines more by how often they actually get me where I am going on time and Northwest has been better than most (including better than United or American). The biggest problem you face is the risk of weather delays as Detroit tends to have quite a few snowstorms in Jan-Feb (as do most of any northern destinations in the US). Nevertheless, you would likely face greater risks of delays flying to someplace like New York (where you can have delays regardless of weather). In other words, if you fly any airline to a northern city at that time of year there is always some risk of weather delays. If the price is right you should probably take that risk with Northwest.