Northwest Air Again Exceedes My Expections for Incompetence

Living in Minneapolis, I'm often stuck flying NWA -- to clarify for you music fans, I'm talking about the airline --
 as they control most of the airport. On my last trip, I had to do just that, and it was another awful experience, worse than the ones I've had in the past -- exceeding in incompetence the normal low standards I have for air travel

Just to share my frustration with you, and do my part to let people know just how bad this airline can do its job, I thought I'd post the email I just sent to customer service:

I'm writing about luggage damage, but I'd like to give you a little bit of trip background first, as this was the single worst flying experience of my life. I was traveling to NJ for a family bar mitzvah, an event I could not postpone or reschedule.

* Half an hour before I was to depart for the airport, I get an automated call telling me that my flight (NWA 676 Departing at 10:32 a.m.) was canceled and that I had been rescheduled for NWA 672 Departing 12:57 p.m.

* I get online to book a seat. On my original flight, I had an aisle seat, which is important as I'm 6"3" and 210lb. There are only a handful of seats left -- mainly premium seats with a few middle seats. Concerned that I might not get a seat if I didn't reserve one in advance, I shell out another $15.

* I arrive at the airport to find my new flight delayed an hour.

* I get on the plane where the flight is delayed another hour.

* On the plane, the pilot announces that we're going to be sitting on the plane until 3:50 (two hours). Passengers start talking to each other and figure out he's probably has his time zone wrong, which turned out to be the case (he meant 2:50). I hit the light for a flight attendant to see if this is the case, but nobody comes or even passes by. After 10 minutes, I turn off the light when another passenger gets the attendant's attention and confirms that the pilot did, indeed, mean 2:50.

* In flight, I again ring the attendant light. Nobody shows up. The first class attendant looks at me a few times, notices the light but doesn't seem to inform anyone in coach. After 10 minutes, the snack box cart passes by, so I talk to that attendant. I assume, had she not been trying to sell me something, I could have sat there the rest of the flight with the light on.

* We reach Newark and circle for another half hour waiting to land.

In total, I say I landed about 7 hours late.

But, this is where it gets good. I'm visiting my parents and make it to their house. My new rolling luggage (first time I've used it) is in a confined space for the first time (the foyer of their house). I leave it there for a few minutes. My stepfather walks into the foyer and notices a stench. We all walk into the foyer. There's a smell that my mother described as "dead fish" and my father described as a body being embalmed (yes, he's experience that smell). All I know is that it smell like some kind of rotting animal matter. We trace the smell to some light stains on the front of the luggage. (Remember, the luggage was brand new, so there were no previous stains.) Some sort of liquid had obviously leeched out of another package and stained my luggage, and the smell was nauseating. Fortunately, it didn't soak through he luggage, but it does seem like the luggage is ruined.
I call your 800 number, and wait 10 minutes listening to recordings of reasons I shouldn't wait on the phone but instead use your website. 1) I don't have internet access at my parents. 2) ten minutes of these message would piss anyone off, especially after an awful trip and ruined luggage.

I finally get a customer service rep, who is unable to help me. I ask for a manager. He puts me on hold when he talks to his manager. Then gets back on, says he's transferring me, and disconnects me. (I believe this was an accident.)

So, here I am a day later. 7 hours of my vacation time (I mean accrued vacation from work) wasted and my new luggage ruined. Needless to say, I'm pissed -- pissed about my luggage, pissed that I paid an extra $15, pissed at the flight attendants' lack of attending, pissed that my luggage is not even ruined but that it smells of things I'm scared to imaging, and generally pissed that NWA has succeeded in providing me with a travel experience worse than I could have imagined, and I've experienced some awful ones.

Sincerely,
William Snyder