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Northwest Airlines review - by A Koenig
17 May 2007 Customer Trip Rating : 
AMS-DTW-CVG return Worldbusiness. Airbus A330 with new seats. Even so
not flat - I managed to get 4 hours sleep each way. Meals OK for
business class for an American carrier, but not excellent, eg pasta was
rather dry. IFE with nice big screen an on-demand, good selection of
films, but not the most recent ones. DTW-CVG all economy small CRJ, so
nothing to remember, but only 40 minutes. Overall, nice flight, good
quality, but is it worth more than $4.500? For this you get excellent
service from other carriers.
Northwest Airlines review - by A Shah
13 May 2007 Customer Trip Rating : 
IAH-MSP-NRT-MNL in First Class/World Business Class. Overall flights were nice and attendants were
helpful. There is a very nice WorldClub on the other side in MSP. For the flight to Tokyo lines
to board were long, but it was nice to have separate gate for Business Class in MSP and Tokyo, which
made it very easy to board. Luggage came out very late for some reason in Manila. Special meals in
Business Class need some work still. WBC on the 747-400 upperdeck was comfortable (only hassle is
having to leave your large carry-ons downstairs).
Northwest Airlines review - by M Martin
10 May 2007 Customer Trip Rating :
PIT-DTW-SAN-MSP-PIT, economy/first. PIT-DTW and MSP-PIT economy in CRJs,
seats small but flights were short and on time so no complaints. DTW-SAN
first class on A320. Flight delayed about an hour as we waited for
passengers from connecting flights. No drinks offered during this time,
but in flight attendants' defense, they were told that the other
passengers were coming "right away" and instead we waited an hour for
them! Once we took off, service was excellent. Meal was choice of
chicken or gnocchi, surprisingly good. Flight attendant very attentive
with refilling drinks. Cabin was quiet and dark, good for a late-night
flight. Return SAN-MSP again first class on A320. Seats very
comfortable, breakfast choice of cereal or omelette, bagel or coffee
cake. Flight on-time. Northwest WorldClub in MSP is quite pleasant.
Overall I was satisfied with the service. DTW and MSP are great airports
to connect in.
Northwest Airlines review - by John Wright
8 May 2007 Customer Trip Rating :
RST-MSP-DTW-NRT-PEK-NRT-MSP-RST. First Class on domestic portions and
Buisness Class on international portions. Trip did not start out well
as my flight was cancelled out of Rochester, however, they did inform me
the night before. They put on us on a bus to MSP. Only an hour ride and
we were in MSP in plenty of time for flight to Detroit. Started snowing
and flight was delayed over and over. Finally departed and for whatever
reason came back to the gate. I had no chance of my making my Tokyo
connection. I deplaned and went to the gate checkin desk and was
surprisingly given great service to get me on the flight out of MSP to
NRT. I was told my bag may not make it. I could live with that. Service
from MSP to NRT in Business class was not bad. Just a couple of the
flight attendants had an attitude. Connected in Tokyo to Beijing and
Business class was only half full. I decided to check baggage claim in
Beijng after I was met by the hotel person. Low and behold my baggage
made it. Thank you NWA for that. Trip back was outstanding in Business
class PEK to NRT. NRT to MSP, once again the usual prima donna flight
attendants with attitudes. Service was not bad, just do not bother them.
Over not too bad. I have been on much worse flights with NWA. I live
in Minnesota, so I am pretty much stuck with NWA. Hopefully things will
improve.
Northwest Airlines review - by J Liu
5 May 2007 Customer Trip Rating : 
Tokyo Narita-Detroit, economy class. Huge difference between economy and World Business class on
NWA Transpacific flights! Ancient 747-400, dark, dreary cabin. Video system broken so FA's had to
do safety demos live. FA's looked like they didn't want to be there, robotic
and impatient at best, downright surly at worst. Worst of all, on a nearly 12 hour flight, we did
not have any video IFE due to the broken system. At least they handed out coupons good for 2000
miles or $10 in food and drink as compensation.
Northwest Airlines review - by Christian Villegas
5 May 2007 Customer Trip Rating :
While NWA lacks the elegance of many Asian carriers, it does have its
strong points. Its website is very user friendly. It is very easy to
book flights, choose seats and update personal information online. Three
days before my flight I even received a phone call from NWA reminding me
to reconfirm my flight. Ground staff at LAX acceptable, while NRT & MNL
staff very helpful/friendly. WBC cabin clean and well maintained, flight
attendants (though very much senior compared to Asian carriers)
efficient and helpful. IFE has wide selections but movies need to be
updated. Same movies still there when i flew in '05 & '06. Their
Worldperks program is particularly generous. What NWA needs to improve
on: catering onboard and on their airport lounge.
Northwest Airlines review - by Chris Roe
20 April 2007 Customer Trip Rating :
AMS-DTW-LAS-MSP-AMS as part of a MAN-LAS economy ticket purchased with
KLM. This was the first time that I have flown with Northwest and I
won't be rushing to use them again. Domestic flights were on new Airbus
320s and were very good, with adequate legroom and free soft drinks.
However, transatlantic flights aboard 330s were poor; the legroom was
very tight. I'm only 5ft 2ins tall, and I was cramped so you can
imagine how my 6ft 3in husband felt! Our flight back from Las Vegas to
Minneapolis was delayed and we missed our transatlantic connection.
Luckily there was a later flight, which we got on, but we weren't
offered so much as a cup of coffee to make-up for missing the earlier
connection. Food was OK and the IFE was adequate.
Northwest Airlines review - by Alejandro Canton
20 April 2007 Customer Trip Rating : n/a
Washington to Beijing via Detroit, Tokio and return via Shanghai-Tokio-
Detroit on economy. Both domestic portions on a comfortable A-319,
clean, attentive FAs, one round of drinks with a charge of $2 for a
small bag of assorted snacks. Both international portions required
aircraft changes in Narita, having to go through security again --quite
uncomfortable. 747-400 with no individual screens and short pitch.
Food plentiful, tasty and with a choice of oriental or western main
courses. Water runs very frequent. Three full-feature films and good
listening music programs. A-330 from Narita to Beijing had AVOD on
economy, but I could not get it to work. The FAs on the portion to and
from China-Japan oriental, young and smiley. The others FAs to and from
the US seemed to have come out of retirement. I must commend them for
the effort. At least a couple of males were over 60 and the ladies over
50. Lots of experience and care. In this case, who cares about smiles?
I would certainly fly this airline again, though, must advise that the
Immigration procedures in Detroit and the baggage retrieval is chaotic,
which left very little time to catch the connecting flight back to DCA.
But, being part of the Sky Team Alliance, it would be better to fly non-
stop on Continental from Newark to Beijing.
Northwest Airlines review - by J Moore
10 April 2007 Customer Trip Rating :
New York to Detroit. Our original flight was canceled due to weather but
we arrived early enough to get bumped to an earlier flight. Rushed to
the plane and then sat on board on the runway for 5.5 hours. No air for
the first 11.5 hour. No food was served (flight was 4pm but didn't fly
until 10:30pm) and water was only provided twice by 1 flight attendant
(I'm not sure what the others were doing). Super hot. Diabetic guy
behind us was going into insulin shock and flight attendant let him
purchase a small snack (but only him). Apparently not allowed to even
sell food while plane is on the ground. Pathetic. However, this seems to
be the norm for air travel so I will likely fly with NW again. Pilot was
good at keeping us posted on the weather.
Northwest Airlines review - by Dan Crowther
10 April 2007 Customer Trip Rating :
Narita (Tokyo ) to Honolulu - Business Class. FA's - Cheerful and
pleasant. Food was very nice, with a selection of Western style beef or
Japanese fish. Nice wine list provided. Large portions were very
filling, and plenty of drink runs. Seats are not lie flat, though they
are soft and comfortable. Apparently the upper-deck provides superior
leg room and a quieter cabin, due to the distance from the engine
equipment etc. IFE Individual screens are provided, with several movie
and US TV channels, though they are not 'on-demand' as such and are not
repeated on the 5 hour flight. Amenity kit including eyemask,
toothbrush, pen, socks and ear-plugs (no razor) was provided. Was
pleasantly surprised and would fly NWA again.
Northwest Airlines review - by G Howard
10 April 2007 Customer Trip Rating :
LGW-MSP-DFW-DTW-LGW: This was the first time I used NWA, and am
impressed. Brand new A330's on transatlantic legs were excellent, lots
of leg room, decent seats. AVOD was good although we had about 15 mins
of adverts before we were able to choose a movie. food was ok, nice (and
free) wine, landed on time. Transfers at DTW and MSP easy. Domestic
flights were in 30-40 year old DC9's, which despite having bits of gaffa
tape holding things together were great, although the leg room wasn't
quite as good.
Northwest Airlines review - by David Casey
29 March 2007 Customer Trip Rating :
SEA-AMS Economy A330. Boarding was quick. Same A330s as KLM but with
better layout which makes them feel roomier. IFE is AVOD with seatback
screen. Movie choice ok (again better on KLM), but what the system
lacked was some good short programs, sitcoms, sports, music etc. However
in-flight map system was very good, it allowed you to roam around and
zoom in ala Google Earth. Food was good, better out of AMS, felt a bit
pre-packaged out of SEA. GAs in AMS were of the grumpy 'I cannot help
you' KLM variety. KLM are doing themselves and their affiliates no
favours with this sort of attitude. It is the only downside of flying
via AMS. Overall SEA-AMS gives me another option of flying to Europe in
the spring from YVR via SEA, as I find BA & KLM underestimate the demand
for flights to YVR in the spring due to the ski-season. This means
varied seat availability at short to medium notice, something that NWA
doesn't suffer from as they can route me via SEA, DTW or MSP. As this
was my first trans-atlantic flight with a US carrier I wasn't expecting
much but NWA is definitely better than KLM in this area and in terms of
economy, equal if not slightly better than BA.
Northwest Airlines - by J Powalisz
26 March 2007 Customer Trip Rating : n/a
DTW-NRT 747-400, Business, Flight on time, meals were ok, service ok but
no emotion or smiles from these folks. Paying what our company does for
these flights should garner a smile. NRT-LAX, 747-400, engine quit 2
hrs over the pacific, returned to NRT, NRT staff pleasant but ill
equipped to handle re-booking. Lucked out by contacting US res on my
own. Others were put up in a hotel in LAX I got the red-eye, First
class. Nice accomodation by the res agent. Crew on the new NW 02 to
LAX were dismal. Poor service - grumpy. No meals in the morning.
NW world club is atrocious at LAX. Agent was listening to IPod and
grumpy. No shower. I am a worldclub member and I went over to the Air
New Zealand lounge and bought a day-pass. Shower, great food and wine.
Spent my entire 9 hour layover their.
Northwest Airlines - by Mark Llewellyn
20 March 2007 Customer Trip Rating : n/a
AMS-DTW-MCO, MCO-MEM-AMS, Business / First Class. All flights good and
on time. NWA staff friendly and helpful. World Business Class seats
comfortable, with good in flight entertainment. Meals were good, with
frequent drinks service throughout the flight. Domestic First Class was
a bit disappointing with just peanuts and one drink offered. All in all
would recommend, as it is a good service at a very good price.
Northwest Airlines - by J Liu
20 March 2007
Shanghai-Detroit via Tokyo, return via SFO and Tokyo, World Business
Class. Overall, very pleased with the service and comfort. Food was
hot, plentiful, and well presented. Especially recommend the Japanese
selections, they were of high quality. FA service was friendly and
attentive. Handy amenity kits were passed out. Snacks available
throughout the flight from a snack bar in the forward cabin. NWA's
Business Class seats are quite comfortable, although they don't work
well as a lie-flat bed because of the incline. Headsets had good audio
quality while doing a decent job of sealing out cabin noise. Outbound
flight an aging 747-400 but the Business Class cabin was bright and
freshly updated. Return from SFO-NRT on a new A330.
Northwest Airlines - by Simon Fullarton
27 February 2007
Northwest World Business Class - London to Detroit then First Class Detroit to New York.
I found the World Business class product to be good. Despite many people moaning
about the NW flat beds my wife and I found them comfortable. The food was good and
IFE was pretty good too. The attendants were efficient, but I certainly wouldn't
describe them as friendly or welcoming. They did their job, and did it well! I didn't see a smile at
all on any flight! The domestic business class is OK. At least the seats are different to economy.
But there was only peanuts and drinks. Incredibly the A321 we were on was much
more worn than the DC9. The lounge at LGW (Continentals lounge) is OK, the lounge in Detroit is again okay. I am surprised it won the 'Best Lounge' award, I have visited better.
All in all, I was very pleased with service from Northwest Airlines. I prefer the Northwest seat layout to BA and Virgin it is 2+2+2, and I like sitting next to my wife, and be able to easily look out the window! I do not like Upper Class or Club Workd layout! But that is just personal taste. I would and will fly Northwest
World Business Class again, in preference to Northwest competition - and this is based on the
service and comfort - not just the price.
Northwest Airlines - by Sow Amadou
7 February 2007
Geneva to Grand Forks via Amsterdam and Minneapolis. The GVA-AMS leg was
on KLM and uneventful. IThe A330 between AMS and MSP was new and
spotless; the service was not bad for an American airline. I will
definitely fly them again
Northwest Airlines - by Jonathan Barrett
1 February 2007
PIT-DTW-RDU-DTW-PIT in economy. DC-9s to and from PIT are a delight
with the refurbished interiors, even with an overbooked DTW-PIT. A319s
were comfortable enough for a 1.5 hour flight. Snack bags offered, but
no other food. On such short flights though, there is no need for any
service beyond drinks. FAs nice and attentive; captains did a good job
of keeping the passengers up on all the information about our flights.
RDU airport was rather depressed looking, with very little choice of
shops or restaurants, but the NW World Gateway in Detroit is wonderful.
PIT's airmall was great to pass the time, and the long concourses were
nice for walking and admiring the air traffic. Would definitely fly NW
again, and recommend them.
Northwest Airlines - by G Snyder
21 January 2007
LAX-HKG in World Business. Lounge in LAX terminal two is basic but beats
the crowds. Boarding was orderly and World Business Class was nearly
half empty. Seat configuration on 747-400 was 2-3-2 with Business Class
seats comfortable and nearly flat upon full recline. Onboard
entertainment system was good in that there were multiple movie choices,
the ability to create your own music list and a decent selection of
movies. Three meal options including Oriental, Fish and chicken dish
along with salad and breads. Dessert service included ice-cream,
cheese, fruit plate etc. Snack box in galley. Breakfast on arrival of
hot entree, oriental breakfast or cereal. Flight attendants were
extremely courteous and helpful - outstanding service. I know NWA gets
a bad rap compared to other airlines but I was very impressed with the
service and on-time performance on all flights. The only complaint I
had was the Narita airport lounges did not have shower facilities.
Northwest Airlines - by Peter Roozemaal
19 January 2007
AMS-BOS with Northwest, economy class. Plane an A330 with interactive
IFE, looking pretty new and clean. Flight attendants did their work
professionally, but missed the finishing touch: smiles and announcements
in Dutch were missing. Dinner was "standard airline quality", the pre-
landing snack a warm sandwich. All in all the flight brought me from A
to B for a competitive price. I would fly them again on this route
because of the convenience of a direct flight. IFE is good; the rest of
the product is just sufficient.
Northwest Airlines - by Freddie Colsoul
7 December 2006
DTW-JFK-DTW (upgraded) in First class during Thanksgiving weekend.
No access to business lounge, despite flying first class, pathetic
excuse was because it was domestic flight. So why should anyone pay
extra to fly first class? Plane was old, seats were very old. Service
was basic, onloy 2 choices of wine, so selected "Bloody Mary", where
they cannot go wrong. Better choice of crisps. Flight attendant was, for
a change, nice and smiling. Return was pathetic, plane was very late,
but there was no information about the delay. Many frustrated passengers
(with connections) were told to call the 1-800 number instead of talking
to the attendant at the gate. Same old plane and seats. Arrived in
Detroit more than 2 hours late. NWA First Class service is very basic. I
only fly NWA when I do not have any other choice.
Northwest Airlines - by J Walker
30 November 2006
ATL-MEM-MSN, Atlanta to Memphis leg in F on ageing DC-9. Still, it was
comfortable, and the flight was short. Crew must have been having a
competition as to who could show the least amount of facial expression.
Plane boarded quickly and departed/arrived on time - and that's all
anyone can hope for these days. MEM is a nice enough airport. Memphis to
Madison segment on brand new CRJ. New doesn't make it comfortable
though. The plane was late departing due to late arriving crew. The FA
was clearly disconnected from her job and just going through the
motions. She was so out of it she was still collecting garbage as the
plane touched down. Will fly NW only if convenient.
Northwest Airlines - by Kevin McDougal
12 November 2006
YWG-MSP-LAX and LAX-MSP-YWG, Economy. I find that Northwest is a good
airline to travel to the US with if your intention is to get from Point
A to B without much hassle. But, Northwest has no inflight entertainment
on most flights within the continental US and to/from Canada; passengers
on these same flights should eat their meals in the airport, as choices
are limited to junk food once airborne; and their bag drop method, where
agents shout out passengers names to come forward to have their bags
tagged, is inelegant to say the least. On the good side, however, NWA
offers YWG-MSP flights throughout the day with onward connections to
cities throughout the US and abroad, and the crew leaves you in peace
once aboard. They've done a good job of keeping their DC-9s (such as
N89S, originally delivered to Southern Airways in 1969 and still flying
today) looking younger than their years, too.
Northwest Airlines - by Stephen Marchetti
5 November 2006
SAN-PDX-HNL in F Class. Certainly not the fastest way from San Diego to Honolulu but
have to keep my elite status so I do what I have to. All in all a pleasant and comfortable flight
despite the fact that a 757-300 is not my preferred equipment over the Pacific. Flight crew was
actually very gracious and accomodating. Seats adequate, IFE nothing special, meal very good and quite generous. Cabin crew was very
attentive with beverage and water service.
Northwest Airlines - by Shaifudin Tahir
2 November 2006
SIN-NRT-SEA-HNL-NRT-SIN a couple of weeks back on a business trip in J
class. Flight out was good,nice seats, short delay ex SIN but landed on
time. Nice looking seats, but kept sliding down while sleeping. Service
onboard however, is way off the mark to many Asian airlines. Food
presentation was just slightly better than SIA economy class,toilets
were very small (A330-200) and lacked the usual luxuries you might
expect in J class. Even the amenity kit was dismal. Crew were below
average except for a Japanese crew who took time to introduce herself.
Flight back had a stopover in HNL on F class (B757). Seats were the old
World Business Class types. No amenity kits or socks, for a flight that
was more than 6 hours long! Food service was ok - but crew were
inattentive and disappeared most of the time into the galleys. HNL-NRT J
class (B747-400 upperdeck) was a good flight except for crew who were
quite curt and rude. Very low service standards is bringing American
airliners down to bankruptcy and I can understand why. I think they lack
the understanding of 'Premium Service' that its not just the hardware
you can offer, but its how you offer them. Lousy premium service
experience.
Northwest Airlines - by John Hassett
2 November 2006
LGW-MSP-LAX-DTW-LGW. Loved the DC10 out of Gatwick. Too bad these are
being decommissioned. Professional crew, and good food. I had the low
fat meal, and had more than ample portions, including a fresh fruit
salad rather than a stodgy cake for dessert. Alcoholic drinks are free,
unlike many other US carriers. Landed early at MSP and had to wait 30
minutes for a gate. However, there was no one waiting at immigration and
completed arrival procedures easily. For some reason, they used 2
baggage carousels and you had no idea which one your bags would be on. I
don't think that was NW's fault though. Domestic service on 757 and 320
aircraft was fine and seating comfortable. Non alcoholic drinks were
free. The only food option was a $5 snack box. Revolting. I don't know
why they don't sell sandwiches on the longer domestic flights. The
flight from LAX to DTW was 4 hours and more food should have been made
available. Will take my own next time. DTW- LGW was on a new A330.
Window seat not as comfortable as the DC10, and the legroom was a litte
limited by the IFE box under the seat. Food was bland, but edible.
Landed early at Gatwick and again had to wait for a gate. I have flown
Northwest many times over the past 30 years. They are not renowned for
their customer service, but in my opinion they are reliable and
professional. Their flight attendants have recently had their pay cut
again, and served a court order against their rights to take industrial
action. On all four flights they remained professional and courteous, in
spite of the treatment they have recently received from NW management.
Northwest Airlines - by B Konno
22 October 2006
DEN-DET-PIT: Sent my aged mother to see her grand kids on a flight
alone. NWA talked us into Adult Assist Service for $150. What a waste of
money it was! This is a NWA gimmick to make extra $! This should've been
just a courtesy service. NWA agent oversold the quality and content of
the service, which we found out an hour before the flight. Of course,
NWA does not take any responsibility of the purchase. Service and Value
is NOT a strong suite for NWA. I have over 3 MIL miles with them. I have
much more to say about NWA but this one hit the roof. Time to move on to
other carriers - maybe non-US.
Northwest Airlines - by Rolf Heelas
22 October 2006
Gatwick-Detroit-Chicago Return. I checked up on SKYRAX and read that
service had improved on transatlantic route and decided to book with
them. To Detroit, plane was spotless and IFE great with latest movies,
Service on board was distant but professional. Detroit to Chicago plane
was an age old DC9 I did not think any modern company flew these things
still. Flying back to the UK the plane broke down, and we had to switch
to another plane - while we waited we were told we would get a $10
voucher to be used at the local shops. But instead of giving vouchers
when people left the aircraft they gave them after people queued to get
back on the new aircraft, which made it impossible to buy anything. FA
on flight back were very unfriendly with very limited drinks runs. And
food was really quite bad. If you're tall the seating is bad -
impossible to have your legs straight in front and IFE screen cannot be
seen properly as the angle of the can not be tilted enough. Having said
that, the cost of the flight booked 2 days in advanced was very good.
But if I had the choice again I would always try to fly BA or Virgin
across the pond.
Northwest Airlines - by Tom Sappington
22 October 2006
My wife and I just traveled LAX-SIN round-trip in economy. As we
secured exit row seats both ways (due to elite status), we were very
comfortable in spite of being in economy class. We were surprised at
the high level of service on these flights. Check-in at LAX was quick
and easy, and the elite line made boarding much more pleasant. The
senior FA's were great on the LAX-NRT and NRT-LAX legs - very friendly,
and we were surprised when the FA told us that she didn't mind if we put
our feet up on the jump seat. FA's on the NRT-SIN and SIN-NRT flights
were efficient, but not particularly friendly. The food on both flights
was quite good in comparison to other food we've had on planes, as was
the food on the SIN-NRT flight. The only poor meal was the chicken and
noodles on the NRT-SIN leg. Very bland and tasteless. The FA's came
through numerous times with coffee, tea and water. The SIN-NRT and NRT-
SIN flights were on a newer A330, which was very clean, quiet, and had
great IFE even in economy. The LAX-NRT and NRT-LAX flights were on an
older 747-400, which was quite adequate but a little worn. Overall we
were very happy with our NW experience, and would fly them again in the
future.
Northwest Airlines - by John Wright
13 October 2006
RST-DTW-NRT-BKK-NRT-MSP-RST. I paid for what I got, so there were no
surprises. I am a platinum elite with northwest so, I have to have to
balance the good with the bad. I am not one to ask for first class
service when I pay coach on international flights. Flights packed from
Detroit to Tokyo. I was surprised NRT to BKK, that the flight was so
empty on an A330. Used to be a 747 and was normally packed. With all of
NWA's labor problems, I have been surprised at the FA level of good
attitude and service in the last 6 months. In the past, it was 50/50
chance of getting decent service.
Northwest Airlines - by Scott Welsh
5 October 2006
PIT-MSP-NRT-HKG in Business Class. The seats are very uncomfortable to
sleep on. If you lie flat the downward angle is uncomfortable and if not
flat your back hurts. The 747s to Asia are old and need updated or
replaced. Food and service is good. Check in not a problem. Flight
attendants seemed to be trying to put on a smile in spite of their
contract problems with NWA. The senior flight attendants on the Asian
routes do not have a good attitude. A generally okay experience, but
nothing I look forward to.
Northwest Airlines - by Tim Pithers
2 October 2006
AMS-DET-LAS in economy. Very comfortable A330-300 from AMS-DET with
excellent AVOD. Service from FAs pretty bad - unfriendly, indifferent
and everything seeming too much trouble. Did not seem as if they were
enjoying their job. I got a killer eye-roll when I asked for another
immigration card as I had made a mistake - not the way to treat fare-
paying passengers. Hot meal services were edible but not hot enough and
not exciting. 757 from DET to LAS was horrendous; old and tired, shabby
and really smelly at the back. This did not make for a pleasant flight.
Service was the same again - it got to a point when the FA serving the
rear was almost rude to the passengers. The corporate image Northwest
FAs convey is really negative. The flights were booked through KLM (UK)
and from the experiences on KLM flights, Northwest really lets down the
alliance between the two airlines.
Northwest Airlines - by Robert Cooper
25 September 2006
Gatwick to Detroit in economy class. No wait at check in - very long
security queues at Gatwick but moved quickly. New Airbus A330 - clean,
comfortable seat with surprisingly reasonable leg room - 33 inches.
Crew professional but indifferent - they don't seem to enjoy what they
do. Hot lunch which was fine, a drink service where they are meant to
charge for alcohol but did not. Hot sandwich/snack served prior to
landing in Detroit. Impressive AVOD entertainment system that puts NWA
well ahead of US competition. Big choice of movies and music and great
to be able to stop and start programs when you want to. Crew pretty much
disappeared after the meal service and lack of water/drinks offered
after the meal but if you went to the galley there was no problem
getting a drink. For the price I believe NWA offer good value for money,
and having their hub at the new Detroit airport makes immigration
clearance relatively painless and a good connection airport. Providing
you know the aircraft being used on the sector I would recommend NWA.
Northwest Airlines - by B Tan
22 September 2006
SIN-NRT-SIN economy class. It was my 3rd time travelling on NWA, and I
must say that the service has deteriorated, and so has the leg space
getting smaller. FAs not at all friendly or attentive, and I was
surprised that they have a limited drinks and movies selection. I was
shocked when I was told that I will be charged for liquor, when I am
travelling on an international airlines and not on budget. I doubt I
will travel on NWA again though they might have cheap fares and great
Worldperks program.
Northwest Airlines - by J Chen
13 September 2006
Detroit to Amsterdam in Business. his was my first NWA experience in
many years, and I didn't anticipate it with relish. Food was good,
certainly acceptable, and drinks generous. FAs pleasant, and I found the
business class seats comfortable. liked the options the seats had for
positions. The lumbar message was largely useless though. I returned
from Gatwick 3 weeks later, and the main memory is of the most abysmal
airline food I can remember. Whereas there was a lovely salad with a
great dressing on the eastbound flight, the salad on the westbound
flight was limp, tasteless, of questionable age, and the dressing was
terrible. My fellow passengers must have agreed because FAs were
picking up many plates with uneaten food during the flight. My
traveling companion commented that he felt sorry for the FAs. They had
to know they were passing out inedible fare. The flight was on time,
and no problems with checked luggage.
Northwest Airlines - by Etienne Bock
12 August 2006
CDG-DTW-STL-DTW-CDG in Economy. Long haul flights were good, new planes
(A-330), friendly crew, tasty and sufficient food, great IFE and
punctual. However if seated in a window or a middle seat you'll get
pretty cramped because of the IFE box under the seat in front of you.
Domestic flights were standard for a US airline, free drinks but snacks
for purchase and indifferent crew.
Northwest Airlines - by E Mallari
30 July 2006
I have read hundreds of passenger reviews here and I have written
several of them myself, but I must say that Janis Petrulis' is the best
of them all! Hooray for her tips! I have flown NWA on several occasions
and have noticed a gradual deterioration on their service. I have been
reluctant to fly them again ever since I witnessed an FA yelled at a
non-English speaking passenger on a trans-Pacific flight.
Northwest Airlines - by Khoa Nguyen
24 July 2006
Paris-Phoenix via Detroit with NWA-economy class. Agreat experience with
Paris- Detroit : Airbus A330 quiet and confotable. The IFE is excellent.
The service is very good, friendly and helpful. Domestic flights are
just okay.
Northwest Airlines - by Janis Petrulis
24 July 2006
DTW-PHX-DTW economy. I am a Detroit resident and therefore Northwest and
I are stuck with each other. We seem to have found our level -- I find
my seat, I drink my free soda, and when we land I am grateful that I
arrive in one piece. Meanwhile they don't deign to lift a finger for me
in any way shape or form. It's been this way for years now. At least
they have a nice terminal at DTW. This review isn't really adding
anything new or exciting to the thread here, so let me wrap up with a
suggestion when things are crazy at DTW: if the security lines are too
long, go upstairs to the check-in area, then walk to the far left to the
entrance to the Westin hotel. Go through the eye-popping lobby, stop for
an adult beverage if you must, then go through the mini-security, where
you will most likely be the only person in line.
Northwest Airlines - by Kim Maru
14 July 2006
NRT-ICN-NRT, may, economy. Service on board OK, but very long security
check. If you have a stamp in your passport written in arabic, it seems
that you must be a terrorist and not a tourist happy with a summer trip
to Morocco last year. I fly regularly and had taken NW before but must
admit that 4 full and personal security checks with every square inch of
hand luggage examined between check-in and boarding is really too much
when the crew is not smiling (especially in Japan).
Northwest Airlines - by Justin Fay
11 July 2006
MSP-PDX Economy class. Outbound flight departed 40 minutes late due to
confusion from overboarding of the aircraft. There was one more person
on the plane than there were seats, and one passenger ended up being
removed. Once in the air, I was surprised at just how much NW has cut
back on their service. The A320 had absolutely no audio/visual
entertainment. Crummy snack boxes were the only available food option
on board. Combination of all of these factors made for a pretty
uncomfortable flight. Return flight was also aboard A320 with similar
amenities. Boarding in Portland was much less chaotic and the flight
overall was significantly more pleasant. I've flown NW on and off for
years, and really hope they can turn things around - flight attendants
and ground crew are trying very hard to make for a good flying
experience!
Northwest Airlines - by J Stockard
5 July 2006
MSP-EWR (Newark), returning 5 days later via DTW (Detroit). The
aircraft from MSP to EWR was a hideously old DC-9 that looked like it
was at least 35 years old. Avoid row 21 on these old DC-9's if you can
-- the engines are mounted to the exterior of the fuselage at row 21, so
there are no windows in this row and the engine noise was extreme for
the entire 2-hour flight. In addition, the air conditioning unit in the
aircraft leaked water on me from the overhead bins once they started the
engines in MSP. The flight attendant simply said, "Yeah, this aircraft
has a tendency to do that". The return flight from EWR to DTW was
delayed by 3 hours due to "weather" (nothing but light showers and
clouds), which meant that I would miss my connecting flight at DTW.
They re-booked me on a direct EWR-to-MSP flight for the next day, but I
was on my own to find a hotel in Newark for the night because my
connection was broken due to "weather". Overall, I was not impressed by
Northwest Airlines or the Newark airport. I will try to avoid both in
the future if I have a choice.
Northwest Airlines - by A Jelly
1 July 2006
MSP-GEG in First Class. Check-in fairly efficient with check-in Kiosks.
I was surprised to find that they only offer their lounge to
international first class passengers. Aircraft somewhat dated A320 but
better than the dinosaur DC-9's this airline is still flying. I was
suRprised to see that many DC-9's parked at the terminal have been
repainTed with the new livery -- hinting that they may be around for a
while yet! I pre-boarded with other first class passengers and promptly
offered a drink. Economy boarding was chaotic causing the plane to leave
the gate late. Another drink offered once at cruising altitude. Meal was
disappointing -- a soggy vege wrap, a packaged cookie, packaged bag of
chips, paper napkins (no linen) etc. Worse than what you would expect on
international economy class. Crew was apologetic for the food. No
IFE to speak of. I usually fly Air Canada executive class and their
first class product is far superior to NWA. Overall the crew was good,
but the rest of the product sub par. I wouldn't fly NWA again given the
choice of similar schedule on another airline.
Northwest Airlines - by Paul Emerson
26 June 2006
Atlanta to London Gatwick via Detroit, world business class. Check-in
using the machine is practically required now in Atlanta, it is fast but
has the flexibility and intimacy of a machine and not a human. Doesn't
smile at you. My luggage tag was thrown at me by the bored and
unhelpful attendant. F class cabin was filthy and service was as cheap
as could be managed, with no meal despite the flight being at dinner
time, but the FA was nice. I had a surprise when we arrived in DTW.
The baggage handlers do not work if it is raining and there is a risk of
lightning, and not very helpfully block the jet ways with their carts.
We sat on the runway for a couple of hours before finally deplaning.
The rain and a mechanical problem mean that the flight to London was 6
hours delayed. The ground crew kept the world club room open for the
business passengers, but locked the door to stop anyone else getting in.
Since this meant there was exit but no re-entry there was no opportunity
to visit a restaurant. Food options were a handful of sugary cookies or
nothing and the drink options restricted to cranberry or apple juice or
soda water. By then I was ready for a beer. Once on the plane the
prospects were better, the new Airbus are good with excellent IFE,
comfortable business seats, low noise levels and good air quality. Our
very delayed (3 a.m.) departure was a challenge made worse by flight
attendants who were grumpy and complaining to each other. They did
nothing to try and make the passengers comfortable, preferring to
complain about how bad it was for them. Delays happen (even if for
trivial reasons like 'its raining') but the whole service experience was
not consistent with a seven thousand dollar ticket.
Northwest Airlines - by Paul Vernall
24 June 2006
Ft. Lauderdale to Las Vegas (via Memphis). Airbus A319 for both legs
with minimal seating room. One beverage served and miserable snack box
available for purchase. Contents: 100% chemical, 0% food. Needless to
say I did not purchase. No audio visual on Northwest. Aircraft don't
even have monitors installed ! Flights on time and crew OK. Northwest
is fine if the fare is cheap. If you are paying a hefty ticket price or
considering their premium cabin, don't!
Northwest Airlines - by Tom Sappington
18 June 2006
Singapore to Honolulu on NW 06/22 in economy. The flight from Singapore
to Narita was quite good. The A330 was very quiet and comfortable, the
interior clean, the IFE was great, and our exit row seats provided
plenty of leg room. The food was pretty good (for economy), and the
flight attendents were friendly and helpful. My only complaint was that
they disappeared after the meal, and rarely brought around water until
the end of the flight. My wife and I were upgraded to business class on
the flight to Honolulu, which was a real treat. The seats were
comfortable (even though they were the old style), the food was very
tasty, and the flight attendant was very attentive. Overall a very good
experience, even on a noisy, old DC-10. Would fly NW again for the
WorldPerks miles. They aren't much on the amenities, but they usually
provide solid, reliable transportation.
Northwest Airlines - by M Burns
1 June 2006
BOM-AMS in economy. Rapid and friendly check-in. Chaotic boarding with
lots of pushing and elbowing. FAs attempted priority boarding for
Business Class and Frequent Travellers but would have needed riot police
to enforce it. Dinosaur plane (DC 10) but reasonably well maintained.
Very poor entertainment (two movies for 9.5 hours, on a single big
screen, one of them Bollywood). Flickering screen kept me from sleeping
as did people bumping my seat. Horrible dinner, and breakfast choice was
between an omelette that would sit in your stomach like a brick and a
hot curry (at 5am). The one pro were the friendly and helpful flight
attendants. Would not fly this old, shabby plane again if I can help it.
Northwest Airlines - by Fred Munday
15 May 2006
SFO to LGW via Minneapolis in economy. Automated check in was fast and
service desk people were helpful. Plenty of legroom all four flights
and seat width was adequate. Flight attendants attentive, polite and
always circulating. On one leg, FA noticed I was a little on the round
side and politely asked the passenger in front to raise his seat during
dinner. Thank you. Complimentary beverages with FA's always offering
water between meals to prevent dehydration. Food was pretty good (good
spicy chicken with rice and tabouli salad). Overall pleasant experience
for economy.
Northwest Airlines - by Jonathan Granato
26 February 2006
AMS-SEA Business Class. Ground staff at Schipol polite and
accommodating. If you can snag seat 1J on the A330-333, go for it! The
service was excellent, fish meal the best I've had on an airplane. Cabin
crew were definitely senior but focused on serving the WBC passengers.
The seat reclines to 176 degrees so slept for three or four hours. For
$2650.00 I would choose NWA's service again in a heartbeat.
Northwest Airlines - by Barry Miller
31 January 2006
HNL-LAX several days ago in Economy. Check-in is quick and easy using
the new touch screen at check-in. The agent waiting at my position
seemed a bit rushed, there were no lines but I was afraid she'd bite
my head off if the bag tag didn't print out any faster! Worse yet, she
reeked of cigarette smoke. The flight itself was fine, the LAX based
crew were very friendly and efficient. There were a lot of open seats
so everyone could stretch out. LAX-HNL a couple days ago in First
Class, no lines at check-in, and the process again was very simple.
This time the agent was so easy going that we shared a few laughs! I've
never had any serious problems using Northwest for trips from Hawaii to
Korea and the mainland US. They provide a basic, reliable service so
you'll always know what to expect.
Northwest Airlines - by B Lee
14 January 2006
DTW-PEK and TPE-DTW Business. I was a loyal NWA frequent flyer of NWA
for a long time in the 90's and then the airline's flight attendant
service deterioted. They were truly horrible for several flights in a
row for me. I finally promised myself that I would never fly on NWA
again if I have an alternative option. Well, after all these years and
reading reviews in this forum, I decided to give this airline a try. I
was pleasantly surprised by my recent experience. It was truly a very
good airline experience. Recently, I had flown from the US to Asia on
both United and NWA round-trip on each one. United wasn't bad except for
the food but, even ignoring the food part, I still liked the NWA
experience a bit more.
Northwest Airlines - by Weide Tsai
8 January 2006
World business class from Taipei to Osaka and back to Taipei the same
day. The check-in in CKS airport was a mess, although they have set up a
separated line and counters for business class, but they didn't work, I
still had to queue with economy class passengers in the line that was
supposed for business class passengers only. One thing good and
probably the only one about NWA is using China airlines business class
lounge, which is considered one of the best in the world. the lounge is
spacious, it has shower rooms, free computer, wireless access for
personal computer and it provides hot meals. On board the new business
class seat is good. The service is average, food is eatable but not
desirable and it looks so cheap when they serve the meals using the old
bulky food cart as in economy class. and they don't give out the amenity
kits for both flights. In Osaka Kansai airport, the lounge is old and
smal, it provides snakes and drinks and pretty much that's all. Very
limited reading selections and no computer available nor high speed
access for personal computer. I used to be a royal member for NWA, but
no more. The quality is getting worse, NWA has so much to learn how to
improve their service overall.
Northwest Airlines - by Mark Cueto
3 January 2006
Newark to Seattle via MSP on Dec. 24 and return on Jan 1st. Northwest
promises an automatic upgrade for its elite members, space-permitting.
Being an elite member, I found that this was not the case on two out of
the four segments that I flew on. On EWR-MSP, I was upgraded
automatically by the system, no problem. For the next segment, I was
informed via text that MSP-SEA F class was full and that I was placed on
the waiting list . Once I reached MSP I checked with the gate agent,
only to find that Northwest's system had withheld upgrade so that they
could sell the seats last minute at the gate. This happened again
returning from SEA to MSP. NW's automated system informed me that F
class was full, yet at the airport the gate agent was selling first
class upgrades for $150 as there was an abundance of unsold first class
seats (10, to be exact). I understand that the airline's trying to make
money, but this just left a bad taste in my mouth. NW needs to be
upfront with its elite members regarding upgrades. Clearly, upgrades
are not guaranteed 24 hrs before the flight, as NW indicates in the
WorldPerks guide. Had I not inquired at the gate, NW would have gladly
sold the F seats instead of upgrading its elite members. Service in the
F cabin was basic. And food left a lot to be desired. There was only
one meal option and it was a cold cut platter. Flying Continental on
the EWR-SEA F class, you get a full menu with three options, and the
meal is topped off with an ice cream sundae. Finally, sanitation seems
to be a major problem with NW. On one instance (EWR-MSP), the F cabin
was so dirty that several passengers refused to take their seats until
they were cleaned. Such is the sorry state that NW is in. It's sad as
service from the flight attendants to ground personnel seems to have
improved (they're not rude anymore), but it takes a lot more to get NW
out of its current mess.
Northwest Airlines - by Joseph W Mathews
30 December 2005
TPA-DTW-ALB on 27 December. Contrast with southbound trip via CO
couldn't be greater. NW crew on TPA-DTW leg couldn't be bothered saying
thank you nor come around more than once to offer drinks. Snack Boxes
et. al "hawked". The contrast with the CO flights via Cleveland
couldn't have been greater. DTW-ALB on new 319 which the crew couldn't
stop talking about, however nuts, crumbs and other flotsam and jetsam
evident. Bottom line is NW with Delta are the "weakest" links in the
Skyteam alliance. Time to pull the plug on both? We'll see, but if the
service, maintenance and attitude doesn't improve that may be the only
option. Will fly NW only when no other choice.
Northwest Airlines - by John Wright
22 December 2005
MSP-ANC-MSP First Class very pleasant flights for the most part. Seems
that this route gets more senior FA's.. Not a strong part for NWA. FA
in FC going to Anc was OK. On the return, FA in First Class did the bare
minimum service wise. She did not at any point of the flight look
happy. She did remain in the First Class cabin for the entire trip.
Pretty much had to get up and ask for anything. She would get it.
However, you got a dirty look. I feel sorry for these people, who NWA
has cut their pay very deeply. They are still the ones who can make or
break a flight.
Northwest Airlines - by Tien-Lun Yao
19 December 2005
AMS-DTW-MEM-DTW-YYZ. Very different experience: Long Haul: great seats
but very frustrated crew - unable to give passenger a feeling of welcome
and hospitality. Great ground services in Detroit and Memphis at Check-
in/Lounge. Mostly very nice crews on short-haul flights. Only missed
multi-class seat configuration on Canadair service like United Express.
Hope that they become well after Chapter 11 as they normally provide a
very good price-value-service.
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