Complaint Review: Northweast Airlines

I am reporting NWA on behalf of my mother and sister's experience on October 14, 2007. Please note that the two of them were travelling alone. As you will read, the part that makes me most upset is the lack of compassion demonstrated by NWA when my family requested assistance. Naturally, flights are delayed and airlines cannot be expected to make accommodations for every passenger affected. However, I believe that associates of the airline need to be compassionate and accommodate their customers to the best of their abilities. As you will see here, not only were our expectations not met, every aspect of the experience was dismal. The story below is told from my Mother's experience ('we' refers to my mother and sister):

We arrived at the airport with plenty of time to spare and checked in with no problems. Our flight took off maybe a couple minutes early. I was happy because I knew that we would have no problem making our connection.

During the flight, the pilot announced that the Minneapolis Airport was asking them to hold for a little bit because (I think) they had to close one runway. The pilot said that if he had to hold, all of the connecting flights would probably have to hold as well, and there should be no problem with people getting to their connections. He said that on his computer screen, it showed zero problems with any connecting flights. After a little while, the pilot said that he did not have to hold, and that we should be landing right on time.

After landing and taxing, he had to stop to let some planes go by that needed to take off. At that time, I looked at my ticket and saw that it was the time that the ticket said they were going to start boarding my next flight. I started getting nervous. When we finally got to the gate, I had to wait for people to get off the plane. I saw that we were in the "A" concourse and needed to be in the "G" concourse (other end of the airport). I told your sister to run ahead of me to the gate and I would catch up. We both had our backpacks on our backs. Your sister's bag weighed 21.5 lbs. (we weighed it).

I started running down the halls and did not realize that my backpack had come unzipped, so all of a sudden, everything started falling out. Your sister saw and started to come to help me. I told her to just go and run ahead. Some man came to help me and some lady had some bags and they started putting things in the bag for me. So now I have my backpack on my back and extra things in my arms that had fallen out. I didn't know that I had more things in my backpack because a few minutes later, someone said, "Ma'am, you dropped some things." Again, I had to stop and pick things up. And again, I got up to keep running.

Meanwhile, my throat, mouth and lips completely dried up. I was breathing so hard and trying to lick my lips, but there was no liquid. I thought I would have a heart attack, and I didn't know if I should stop for water somewhere. I then heard over the loud speaker, "Final call" for my flight and they said, "Paging different passengers names, and then our names."

Three carts drove past me, and I asked the drivers if they would take me to my gate. They each had a different excuse as to why they couldn't. I didn't know what to do when they paged me. There were no telephones, or people with walkie-talkies to call the gate. I was still running and my cell phone starts ringing. I knew that it must by your sister, but I couldn't answer it, I had no hands, nor any time, nor any breath. As I see the sign for Concourse G, I saw another woman driving a cart with a "G" on the front. I begged her to take me to my gate. She was coming towards me, and she turned her head around and said, "You're not that much farther. You can get there." And she drove off. I screamed, "Please! They called my name!" She just drove off.

When I finally got to the concourse, I saw the gate all the way at the end, and your sister was standing at the desk. When I finally got there, she said, "Mom, the plane was here when I got here, but these ladies wouldn't wait." I looked at the two women agents and said, "WHAT?!?!?! YOU HAVE GOT TO BE KIDDING ME!!! They said, "We already had closed the door, and once the door is closed, we can't let anyone on." Your sister said the plane was there and then started to leave. It had just left the gate when I got there.

I started screaming, telling the agents everything, from the time the pilot told us about having to hold, and the connecting flights, etc. I told them that I almost had a heart attack running to get there, and that I didn't know what to do when they paged me. I asked, "What am I supposed to do now, I have to get home TONIGHT!?"

They said that I had to go downstairs to the main ticket agent. I said to them, I cannot walk another step. I need a cart. The ladies said to go sit on the blue chairs. I looked around and only saw gray chairs. At this point, I was so angry (and you know that it takes a lot for me to get angry, especially in public). I never scream in public. I let out such a loud, "WHERE THE HECK ARE THE BLUE CHAIRS????" (I also never use any kind of bad language). The ladies looked at me (I thought they were going to call security, which I wish they did).

I sat on the stupid blue chairs, which they showed me where they were. I waited. No carts. I finally saw some man who worked for the airport and asked him to call for a cart. A few minutes later, a cart was driving by, I didn't know if that was the right one, but I just jumped on and told him to take me to the ticket agent.

When we got to the agent, he said the same thing. I said that I had to get home tonight and to see when the next flight to Tampa or Sarasota was. He looked and said that there was nothing until tomorrow (Monday). It was only 7:05. I said, "There are no flights at all going to Florida tonight?" Nope, not until tomorrow. I told him that I had to be at work at 8:30 A.M. on Monday and that your sister had to be in school. He said there was nothing he could do. I asked if they were going to pay me for my lost wages, since I would miss a whole day of work? He said no, but they would give me a "Delay Certificate" that would let my boss know that I missed my connecting flight. I told him that I was not worried that my boss would think that I lied about missing my flight, I was concerned about losing my wages for the day. He said that was all he could do.

I asked him to call a supervisor. He did, (which was useless). This jerk was just that. He told the guy to look at Delta and see what they had. Nothing. I asked if there were any flights that night or Monday to Sarasota. My airline had one flight, but it was full. The supervisor said that I could only use Delta to go to Tampa, which was where I was booked for. Unbelievable!!! I asked if they would put me up for the night at a motel. No, but they would give me a discount voucher for a hotel. They also gave me $5.00 food vouchers to use at the airport (great for McDonald's or Subway).

Your father and I kept calling each other. He was fuming. He wanted to talk to the supervisor, and I asked the supervisor if he would talk to your father, and he said, "No, because I know that he is going to yell at me, and I don't want to hear it." Do you believe that?!?!?! There is no more customer service left in any industry. No one cares about the customer. No more is there, "The customer is always right," or "The customer comes first." Oh no.

At this point, I did not want to leave the airport. I just wanted to stay in case anything else went wrong. I went down to baggage claim to see if they knew where my luggage was, and they did not. There had been no time to scan the luggage, so they were not sure if my luggage had made the flight (which I said, "How could my luggage make the flight if I didn't?" The lady answered by saying, "They have shortcuts on the conveyer belts." I said, "Well then, why didn't they put ME on the conveyer belt?") She was actually very nice. I told her that I couldn't believe that she worked for Northwest Airlines. She said that it would probably be in Tampa when I got there tomorrow, by either going out on the first flight to Tampa, or it would be on my flight, which it did end up being.

I spoke to your Grandfather and he convinced me to stay in a hotel. I did not want to leave, but he said that I should get a good night's sleep. So I went back to the ticket agent and asked him to get me a discount at a hotel. He called and got me a room at the Radisson. He said that they have a free shuttle that goes back and forth to the airport. He said to go to where the shuttles are, there is a courtesy phone, and call the Radisson.

When I got to the place that he said, I couldn't find the phones. I asked a woman and she showed me the phones, but said that they were not working. (Boy, was I in the "Out of Towners" or what?!?!?!) I used my cell phone to call, and a shuttle came in 2 minutes. We got to the Radisson and checked in. The people there were so nice and understanding. They gave us a beautiful room, but I could have had you and your family stay with us. We had a huge king-size bed, a pull-out sofa, and bunk beds in the same room.

Your sister went to use the bathroom, and then I did. When I flushed the toilet, the water started to come to the top and did not flush down. I had to call down for a plumber. It was 9:50 and Julianne was hungry. I had bought us sandwiches earlier in the day, that we were going to eat on our "connecting flight," but she wanted something else. The restaurant was closing at 10. I called back downstairs and asked if I could leave the room for the plumber, and the girl said that I had to be there. When I said that I wanted to go to the restaurant, she asked if we wanted room service. There was no menu in the room, so I said no because I didn't know what we wanted. The girl said that she would call the guy and tell him that he could come in the room.

We left the room and right as we shut the door, I realized that I left the keys in the room. I said that we would get another key on our way back, but when I went to sign for the bill in the restaurant, I realized that I needed the key to prove that I was staying in the hotel (which I really didn't).

We then went back upstairs and your father called and wanted to talk to your sister. She was talking to him on my phone and decided to wash her hands. As she was holding the phone on her neck, the phone fell into the sink, in the water. There went my phone. ("Out of Towners?") We finally went to sleep, had a good sleep (was glad your Grandfather talked me into staying in the hotel). We got up and took the shuttle back to the airport in time to use our vouchers to buy Subway sandwiches for lunch, and to have a nice organic breakfast at another place. We got to the gate at the presumed boarding time, and guess what? THE FREAK'IN PLANE WAS DELAYED!!!! The expressionless agents said that the plane had just landed and would be boarding in a few minutes. That was a joke. We had to wait a 1/2 hour past the few minute time. Why couldn't that have been the case the night before? I cannot win!!!

We got to Tampa about 40 minutes later than we were supposed to, but at least we got back safely. Again, the dissappointment in this whole story is how NWA's agents treated us with such dissrespect and disregard as if we garbage. This is why Southwest and Jet Blue airlines are taking market share. Not because their fares are perceived to be less (in some cases they're not), but because they are trained to care. Thanks for taking the time to read this experience.

Njcpa31
Ridgefield, New Jersey
U.S.A.

Click here to read other Rip Off Reports on Northwest Airlines