They're Broke In More Ways Than One
I'm a frequent business traveler, and due to my proximity to one of their major hubs, I'm typically forced to fly Northwest Airlines, or as we like to call it, Northworst. The airline is in Chapter 11, has had major problems with their unions, including a threatened flight-attendant strike (currently being litigated), and a management staff who clearly does not have a clue, as witnessed by the helpful pamphlet they recently handed out to employees slated to be laid off, that suggested dumpster diving as a way to save money.
To read about Northworst's latest blunder, click on the extended entry.
Yesterday, Northworst manglerment demonstrated their utter buffoonery once again when they offered a mealy-mouthed apology to passengers on their way to Gatwick airport, who were diverted to Duluth, Minnesota when the ancient DC-10 they were flying in almost caught fire due to faulty wiring in the in-flight entertainment system. I guess none of NWA's execs remember that fiasco in Detroit a couple of years ago, when they stranded 7,000 passengers on the tarmac for 11 hours during a snowstorm, and wouldn't let anyone get off the planes.
While the inept response was bad enough, what's unforgiveable is that the FAA still allows Northworst to fly these aircraft. NWA's DC-10s are the OLDEST planes in the entire US fleet, some of them have been in service for 35 years! They're literally falling apart. A cow-orker of mine nearly bought it when the DC-10 he was in lost power during takeoff (the problem again due to faulty wiring). Had the plane been a few hundred feet further down the runway....well, you get the picture.
I'm slated to fly to Gatwick again in November, and I can assure you that if these piles of crap are still in service, I'll be giving my business to someone else, inconvenience be damned.
Comments
So if Beth and I have an opportunity to take America West to MSP, we should leap at it, eh?
Posted by: jkcohen | September 5, 2006 7:44 PM
We flew America West to Vegas back in June and their service was head and shoulders over NWA. Sun Country flies nonstop from LAX to MSP as well.
Posted by: MrBaliHai | September 5, 2006 7:51 PM
Flying today - Thanks for the image!
Take a look @ this NWA treat:
http://tinyurl.com/jwm7b
Posted by: Lex10 | September 6, 2006 6:19 AM
Don't get me started on water landings.
Good luck. I'm flying next Sunday.
Posted by: MrBaliHai | September 6, 2006 6:23 AM
Jonathan, if you were flying NWA, they service your route with an Airbus 319, not the DC-10.
Though the DC-10 design has improved since the 70s - when DC-10 cargo doors were catastrophically falling off the airplanes in flight, the plane still has major design flaws (resulting in fatalities) that have not been corrected.
Still, safer than driving.
Posted by: Matt Cohen | September 7, 2006 6:06 AM
NWA currently flies DC-10s only on their MSP->Europe and MSP->Hawaii routes. They've been promising to replace them with Airbus 330s, but so far have only done so on flights that depart from Detroit.
Given the current uncertainty around their labor situation, I'd still advise looking for alternate carriers on their domestic routes.
Posted by: MrBaliHai | September 7, 2006 6:15 AM