I’m not happy with Delta’s recent punitive changes to the SkyMiles program. I was a Platinum Medallion in 2002, which means I’m guaranteed to be Gold Medallion in 2003 and Silver in 2004, even if I never fly another mile on their airline. Since the changes greatly reduce the benefit of Platinum or Gold status, I decided to give another airline a try. Northwest responded to my comp request and gave me Gold status, so I’m going to use them as my primary carrier this year.This was a tough decision for me; some years ago, I’d sworn never to fly NW after they went on strike and stranded an out-of-town visitor at our house for an extended, and unwelcome, addition to their stay. However, DL’s decision to slash benefits for their most frequent flyers has made me reconsider that old grudge. (Note to Virginia Avenue: restore the benefits and I might consider coming back.)
I live about 60 miles, door to door, from the DTW airport. TOL is my local airport, and it’s acceptable—except that it has no mainline service (with the possible exception of ATA).. DL, NW, US, and AA all offer RJ or turboprop service to their various hubs. Since DTW is so close, I decided to hold my nose and drive the extra distance to see if it made my trip easier. The availability of a redeye direct SEA-DTW was a big factor, too; I can arrive DTW at 0544 and be home in time for breakfast with the kids, as opposed to a noon arrival on the earliest flight direct to TOL.
I booked my original trip on the 2nd. Because of a mistake on my part, I had to rebook on the 4th, but for some reason NW hadn’t actually issued the ticket, so I didn’t have to pay the usual change fee. When I rebooked on the 4th, NW told me that first class was full, but that I might upgrade at the gate. In the meantime, though, I got 16C, an aisle exit row seat right next to the 2L boarding door on NW’s 757 configuration.
I arrived at DTW about 75 minutes before my flight and parked at the new Northwest terminal. It’s a huge improvement over the old terminal (although most other airlines at DTW still use the nasty old terminal, which are the main reason I’ve avoided flying ex DTW). Check-in lines were long, but I was able to skip them thanks to NW’s Internet check-in. (Side note: NW’s online tools are vastly inferior to Delta’s; DL’s web site is better organized, easier to use, and more functional than NW’s, by a mile). I quickly passed through security and hopped the elevated monorail to my gate. If you’ve ridden the train in Tampa or Orlando, this is the same thing, only indoors. I checked in with the gate agent and was told that I was #1 on the waitlist, but that first class was full. After wandering the terminal a bit (hint: it’s nice, new, and clean, but has the same crappy, overpriced airport food that every other US airport has), I boarded and took my seat.
Three FAs were at the door; they were mostly chatting among themselves, but would cordially greet passengers who greeted them first. I took my seat, cracked open Grisham’s new paperback, and settled in to wait for pushback. About five minutes before the door was scheduled to close, an off-duty FA (you can usually tell, even when they’re not in uniform, by the reaction of the uniformed cabin crew) came up to my row. “Is one of you Paul?” she asked. When I admitted to being Paul, she gave me a boarding pass for seat 1A, so I grabbed my junk and moved forward. Our flight departed the gate about 25 minutes behind schedule, for no good reason that I can see.
I don’t know if DTW-SEA is considered by NW to be a premium transcon or not. Their 757 seats are about the same width and pitch as DL’s, but they appear to have less cushion in the upholstery. On this flight, there was no IFE, even though the flight blocks out at 4 hours. Dinner service was a choice between chicken risotto and basil penne; the FA shoves the meal cart down the aisle and asks each passenger what they’d like. This is more obtrusive than DL and AA’s bring-it-from-the-kitchen service. NW’s in-flight meals are obviously catered by the same folks charged with removing all flavor from the chow on DL and AA. However, after dinner the FA offered ice cream, a nice touch that seems to have been expunged from DL’s transcon service. The rest of the flight was uneventful, and we arrived about 10 minutes early, despite the late takeoff.
Northwest allows its Gold Elite members to upgrade three days before their flight; they process upgrades automatically, or so the legend goes. When I checked Tuesday afternoon, I hadn’t been upgraded, so I used the website feature to request an upgrade and was told that I’d be on the waitlist. Sure enough, after I checked in at the SEA ticket counter, I was told that I was #1 on the waitlist. At the gate, the gate agent paged me to tell me that I could ignore the “first class is full” announcement, and to please not board until she spoke with me again—there were two un-checked-in folks in F. About 20 minutes before final boarding, I got the podium call and received a boarding pass for 6B, an aisle seat in the last row of F. I settled in to my seat, hastily finished my weekly column, stowed my laptop, and settled in for a long nap. OK, not a long one, but more of a nap than I usually get on airplanes.
As it turns out, we got into DTW about 30 minutes early. This was good, although it did cut into my sleep somewhat. We had no trouble getting to the gate (unlike my usual experience in ATL, where early arrivals have to sit and wait their turn), and at the terminal most of the shops & restaurants were open.
Overall, I found NW to be a pleasant experience. Thanks to all the folks at FlyerTalk (in particular, the NW forum) who helped educate me.
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