NWA...customer service, recourse?

[MamaParrotHead]

OK, so we booked our flights this fall, 1 connection each way. A bit more expensive, but we didn't want to screw with more than 1 connection.

 

Checked nwa.com this morning, and discovered they had cancelled our return flight/s. Called a nwa rep and the only flights they have available are with 2 connections, and gets us to our destination 3 HOURS past when our other flight did. Which means excess hassle and money, considering the babysitter I'm paying for to watch the kids while we're gone. AND they don't even have any seats together on one of the 3 flights returning.

 

What are my chances of getting some kind of voucher or upgrade if I start complaining to customer service? This really ticks me off. I understand it's common, but seriously, I'm expected to pay the same price and sit in the same seats as if it was the flight I had originally booked? :rolleyes:

[jmk22574]

I used to love flying NWA, but that love has quickly dwindled. Last July, I booked round-trip tickets home for Christmas on NWA. By about mid-October, the joke every week with my husband was "what will they change our itinerary to now?" I kid you not, our itinerary for this trip changed NINE times from July to December (I signed up for e-mail notification, so I would find these changes in my e-mail - which I'm finding out is better than some people who seem to only find out by checking the website themselves). Not only did our times change to later in the day with every change, our flight back now had an added stop. I called their customer service at that point and was told that since my original booking times had changed more than an hour on each flight, and also since they had added an extra city into my itinerary home, we were entitled to a FULL refund. By mid-October, to cancel our tickets for Christmas and rebook would have cost two to three times as much, so we just sucked it up. I just want to let you know that NWA seems notorious for this these days. I know booking six months out may lead to a change or two, but not NINE changes, and with the major change coming 1-1/2 months out. So, if you can or even want to get a full refund and rebook on another airline, you should be entitled to that. The real kicker was that flying home through the additional city they had added on, our flight home from that city was canceled due to mechanical problems. We had an additional four-hour delay. There is so much more, but this is already a novel, so I'll just end this with the advice to get a full refund from NWA and book on another airline if that is at all possible. Good luck!;)

[JJPNYC]

Northwest is not nick-named "Northworst" for nothing.

 

But the only recourse I would ask for is either:

a.) an upgrade to first class due to the major inconvenience

b.) extra frequent flyer miles for the inconvenience (typically about 5,000 in these instances).

 

You may also want to ask if NW can reroute you onto a Continental or Delta flight as they are all members of the SkyTeam alliance. While this is not 100%, it may be an option depending on what your routing is.

[FlyerTalker]

A couple of statements first, and then on to the OP's questions. Virtually all airlines make changes to their schedules, ALL of them have mechanical delays or cancellations, and NONE of them is perfect. Buying your ticket long in advance gets you a particular price-point, but also subjects you to the vagaries of schedule/equipment changes.

 

Let's look at the OP's complaints: 1) An additional connection. 2) 3 hours later arrival. 3) Babysitter charges. 4) No seats together.

 

Two connects vs one: Yes, it's a nicer arrangement, but if there aren't any single connects available, do you want NW to change the schedule back for your benefit? NW has a number of double-connect itineraries in its computer, funneling traffic into DTW, over to MSP, and then out again (or the reverse). There are over 15 r/t's between those cities, some as close as 5 minutes apart. It's a NW traffic strategy, and you're now a part of it. As for the higher price for your one-connect itinerary; I'd venture that's a function of fare buckets, not that the 1 connect is a higher-priced routing.

 

Three hour delay: One of the thresholds for denied boarding compensation is getting you to your destination within four hours. Now, this is not the same thing -- however, it is a short amount of time to arrive later, and it is low on the inconvenience/compensation scale, in the big picture of airline travel. I actually find it interesting that you have an additional connect, yet it only adds 3 hours.

 

Babysitter fees: You are talking about taking a (likely) week+ vacation, flying to a destination, and you're complaining about 3 extra hours of paying your babysitter???? Skip a couple of those fruity drinks onboard and you've made back the fee.

 

Two seats together: Ask at the gate. Or even on the flight itself. It's not like you are trying to seat a family of 12 together. Most times, people will be accommodating IF you ask politely and don't think it is your right to sit together. Which it isn't. (And if you have two middles because all the other seats are gone, think of all the times you spent together on the cruise).

 

Overall, since your flights are in the fall, you have plenty of time to find other flight arrangements that better suit your needs. You should have been able to get a refund, due to the changes being made. You still might. Try Delta -- the folks here at Cruise Air have been having fun with their schedule changes.

 

As for compensation from NW -- you can go ahead and try, but I wouldn't expect anything. The issues are small, there is plenty of time before your departure date to make alternate arrangements, and these are items of a routine nature in the industry. There is a "Talk to Us" link on the NW website that you can use, but I wouldn't waste the electrons.

[FlyerTalker]

Northwest is not nick-named "Northworst" for nothing.

Of course, you can also quote the nicknames of "Untied", "American't", "UselessAirways", "Southworst" and "Doesn't Ever Leave The Airport".

 

But the only recourse I would ask for is either:

a.) an upgrade to first class due to the major inconvenience

b.) extra frequent flyer miles for the inconvenience (typically about 5,000 in these instances).

Unlikely to receive either, as this is far from a "major inconvenience" in industry terms. That term is for when you miss the once-daily flight to Singapore because crew-scheduling screwed up and you weren't able to fly to catch your connection. Don't forget, you are at least 4-6 months out -- and those kinds of compensations are for problems that occur where there is NO workaround to accommodate you.

 

You may also want to ask if NW can reroute you onto a Continental or Delta flight as they are all members of the SkyTeam alliance. While this is not 100%, it may be an option depending on what your routing is.

Likely already considered, as the codeshares are in the computer system. Routing a regular reservation is different than endorsing over a ticket to another carrier -- if there are codeshares in the system, then the agent has access to them.

[MamaParrotHead]

They offered us full refunds, and we're taking them up on it. We're just having everyone take off work an hour or two earlier, catching a flight right from our local airport (instead of driving and having to pay to park) and will be home before the kids are in bed. All for the same price as the other flights.:)

 

Thanks!

[parody]

"UselessAirways"

 

Someone on this board (and I don't remember who) once stated:

Unfortunately, Still Allegheny In Reality, Why Alter Your Signs