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your worst airline experience? (with a poll)

Reply from: Anonymouse
Date: 18 Mar 2008, 17:04
your worst airline experience? (with a poll)


Hi,

I've been flying internationally now for 48 years... and service has
been getting worse... but this last trip to Jamaica was the pits.

The trip down on Northwest Airlines was uneventful, no food of any sort
included (not even a bag of peanuts) but softdrinks.

Arrival in the new and improved Sangster International was quick and
efficient. The Couples crew at the airport was great, the trip to the
resort quick (improved roads) and the stay at Couples Negril was wonderful.

The trip home took a sharp turn toward HELL at Northwest Airlines's
Minneapolis hub.

We were supposed to be met by a wheelchair rep.... nope... we got our
own wheelchair... then the NWA rep showed up.... my new wife got our
bags... through passport control, customs with a full bag search, and
this is when the NWA agent told us to put our duty free in our bags
rather than just check the shipping boxes they'd been safely traveling
in (apparently to much theft by NWA baggage handlers)....

the re-screening by the TSA is just a horrible joke since we've already
been checked from head to toe including a background check.

then we arrive in Memphis... also a Northwest Airlines hub.

no luggage

at all

they take a report at the lost luggage desk but don't bother to give me
a copy of the report or the case # but tell me (that is to say "contract
with me") to deliver my intact bags in the morning.

the next day morning comes and goes

finally.... 22 hours after landing a courier service delivers the
remnants of my luggage... 1 bag... is totally trashed. riveted on handle
ripped off, the contents smashed, stained, and littered with shards of
glass. All the contents, including our wedding clothes stained/ruined.

NWA/Northwest hasn't bothered to get an agent on site to inventory the
damages... if they don't want to come here, inventory the remnants (they
should bring a tarp so they can do it outside... with all the glass
shards it'd be dangerous inside) attempt to dry clean them (and get all
the shards of glass out of them), replace the items that couldn't be
cleaned, replace the items destroyed, etc.... then I'm figuring they
want to settle for the 3000$/passenger their contract of carriage calls
for for this domestic MSP/MEM flight.

Northwest Airlines doesn't really like to make good on it's "mistakes"
(aka gross negligence) they seldom return calls, don't check their
answering machines.

so I've set up a poll at http :// hackamoretravel.blogspot,com /

what airline sold you your WORST travel experience?

so far NWA is winning (loosing) hands down... the worst ANY other
airline has done to me in 48 years of flying is delay 1 bag of 2 a day
going into Paris.


so again... visit the poll and let's see what airline is giving it's
customers their WORST experiences.

http :// hackamoretravel.blogspot,com /

Reply from: Brian K
Date: 18 Mar 2008, 22:14
Re: your worst airline experience? (with a poll)

Anonymouse wrote:
>
> Hi,
>
> I've been flying internationally now for 48 years... and service has
> been getting worse... but this last trip to Jamaica was the pits.
>
> The trip down on Northwest Airlines was uneventful, no food of any
> sort included (not even a bag of peanuts) but softdrinks.
>
> Arrival in the new and improved Sangster International was quick and
> efficient. The Couples crew at the airport was great, the trip to the
> resort quick (improved roads) and the stay at Couples Negril was
> wonderful.
>
> The trip home took a sharp turn toward HELL at Northwest Airlines's
> Minneapolis hub.
>
> We were supposed to be met by a wheelchair rep.... nope... we got our
> own wheelchair... then the NWA rep showed up.... my new wife got our
> bags... through passport control, customs with a full bag search, and
> this is when the NWA agent told us to put our duty free in our bags
> rather than just check the shipping boxes they'd been safely traveling
> in (apparently to much theft by NWA baggage handlers)....
>
> the re-screening by the TSA is just a horrible joke since we've
> already been checked from head to toe including a background check.
>
> then we arrive in Memphis... also a Northwest Airlines hub.
>
> no luggage
>
> at all
>
> they take a report at the lost luggage desk but don't bother to give
> me a copy of the report or the case # but tell me (that is to say
> "contract with me") to deliver my intact bags in the morning.
>
> the next day morning comes and goes
>
> finally.... 22 hours after landing a courier service delivers the
> remnants of my luggage... 1 bag... is totally trashed. riveted on
> handle ripped off, the contents smashed, stained, and littered with
> shards of glass. All the contents, including our wedding clothes
> stained/ruined.
>
> NWA/Northwest hasn't bothered to get an agent on site to inventory the
> damages... if they don't want to come here, inventory the remnants
> (they should bring a tarp so they can do it outside... with all the
> glass shards it'd be dangerous inside) attempt to dry clean them (and
> get all the shards of glass out of them), replace the items that
> couldn't be cleaned, replace the items destroyed, etc.... then I'm
> figuring they want to settle for the 3000$/passenger their contract of
> carriage calls for for this domestic MSP/MEM flight.
>
> Northwest Airlines doesn't really like to make good on it's "mistakes"
> (aka gross negligence) they seldom return calls, don't check their
> answering machines.
>
> so I've set up a poll at http :// hackamoretravel.blogspot,com /
>
> what airline sold you your WORST travel experience?
>
> so far NWA is winning (loosing) hands down... the worst ANY other
> airline has done to me in 48 years of flying is delay 1 bag of 2 a day
> going into Paris.
>
>
> so again... visit the poll and let's see what airline is giving it's
> customers their WORST experiences.
>
> http :// hackamoretravel.blogspot,com /
I regularly fly NorthWest and Continental. My only inconvenience was
events outside the control of either airlines. A NWA trip to Minneapolis
was delayed at Newark Liberty International Airport. Construction crews
had accidentally severed communication lines to the control tower. It
was chaos with a majority of flights being instructed not to move an
inch on the tarmac. Arriving flights were diverted to Kennedy and La
Guardia. Departing flights were moving at a snails place. Our NWA
flight sat on the tarmac for 9 hours. Once we had to return to the gate
area to refuel. The really bad part for me is that I take meds that
cause me to need to urinate frequently. When I could not contain myself
any longer after 7 hours, I unbuckled and made a dash for the bathroom.
I was accosted by an older female flight attendant in my face telling me
that I was in violation of some federal law. As I pushed past her, I
said arrest me...I gotta pee. Would you prefer that I unzip and do it
on you? I did my business and was back in my seat before you could
whistle "Dueling Banjos".

The Co-Pilot came back to see what all the fuss was about. I told him
about my medical condition. I also told him that it was the holidays
and the plane was full of senior citizens many with weak bladders. If
they didn't give us some kind of official bathroom break it would be one
soggy flight. Apparently if the engines aren't on you can go to the
bathroom. Seeing how we weren't taking off anytime soon -- we got our
bathroom break.

With Continental it was an act of God. We were hunkered down in Ft.
Lauderdale's airport for 7 hours because a major storm had parked itself
between FLL and Newark. The airline bent over backwards and had pizza
and ribs brought in from some of the better places near the airport.

Airlines flights from Hell are the exception rather then the rule in my
opinion.

--

To email me, Edit "blog" from my email address.
Brian M. Kochera
"Some mistakes are too much fun to only make once!"
View My Web Page: http :// home.earthlink,net /~brian1951

Reply from: Anonymouse
Date: 18 Mar 2008, 22:50
Re: your worst airline experience? (with a poll)

Brian K wrote:
> Anonymouse wrote:
>>
>> Hi,
>>
>> I've been flying internationally now for 48 years... and service has
>> been getting worse... but this last trip to Jamaica was the pits.
>>
>> The trip down on Northwest Airlines was uneventful, no food of any
>> sort included (not even a bag of peanuts) but softdrinks.
>>
>> Arrival in the new and improved Sangster International was quick and
>> efficient. The Couples crew at the airport was great, the trip to the
>> resort quick (improved roads) and the stay at Couples Negril was
>> wonderful.
>>
>> The trip home took a sharp turn toward HELL at Northwest Airlines's
>> Minneapolis hub.
>>
>> We were supposed to be met by a wheelchair rep.... nope... we got our
>> own wheelchair... then the NWA rep showed up.... my new wife got our
>> bags... through passport control, customs with a full bag search, and
>> this is when the NWA agent told us to put our duty free in our bags
>> rather than just check the shipping boxes they'd been safely traveling
>> in (apparently to much theft by NWA baggage handlers)....
>>
>> the re-screening by the TSA is just a horrible joke since we've
>> already been checked from head to toe including a background check.
>>
>> then we arrive in Memphis... also a Northwest Airlines hub.
>>
>> no luggage
>>
>> at all
>>
>> they take a report at the lost luggage desk but don't bother to give
>> me a copy of the report or the case # but tell me (that is to say
>> "contract with me") to deliver my intact bags in the morning.
>>
>> the next day morning comes and goes
>>
>> finally.... 22 hours after landing a courier service delivers the
>> remnants of my luggage... 1 bag... is totally trashed. riveted on
>> handle ripped off, the contents smashed, stained, and littered with
>> shards of glass. All the contents, including our wedding clothes
>> stained/ruined.
>>
>> NWA/Northwest hasn't bothered to get an agent on site to inventory the
>> damages... if they don't want to come here, inventory the remnants
>> (they should bring a tarp so they can do it outside... with all the
>> glass shards it'd be dangerous inside) attempt to dry clean them (and
>> get all the shards of glass out of them), replace the items that
>> couldn't be cleaned, replace the items destroyed, etc.... then I'm
>> figuring they want to settle for the 3000$/passenger their contract of
>> carriage calls for for this domestic MSP/MEM flight.
>>
>> Northwest Airlines doesn't really like to make good on it's "mistakes"
>> (aka gross negligence) they seldom return calls, don't check their
>> answering machines.
>>
>> so I've set up a poll at http :// hackamoretravel.blogspot,com /
>>
>> what airline sold you your WORST travel experience?
>>
>> so far NWA is winning (loosing) hands down... the worst ANY other
>> airline has done to me in 48 years of flying is delay 1 bag of 2 a day
>> going into Paris.
>>
>>
>> so again... visit the poll and let's see what airline is giving it's
>> customers their WORST experiences.
>>
>> http :// hackamoretravel.blogspot,com /
> I regularly fly NorthWest and Continental. My only inconvenience was
> events outside the control of either airlines. A NWA trip to Minneapolis
> was delayed at Newark Liberty International Airport. Construction crews
> had accidentally severed communication lines to the control tower. It
> was chaos with a majority of flights being instructed not to move an
> inch on the tarmac. Arriving flights were diverted to Kennedy and La
> Guardia. Departing flights were moving at a snails place. Our NWA
> flight sat on the tarmac for 9 hours. Once we had to return to the gate
> area to refuel. The really bad part for me is that I take meds that
> cause me to need to urinate frequently. When I could not contain myself
> any longer after 7 hours, I unbuckled and made a dash for the bathroom.
> I was accosted by an older female flight attendant in my face telling me
> that I was in violation of some federal law. As I pushed past her, I
> said arrest me...I gotta pee. Would you prefer that I unzip and do it
> on you? I did my business and was back in my seat before you could
> whistle "Dueling Banjos".
>
> The Co-Pilot came back to see what all the fuss was about. I told him
> about my medical condition. I also told him that it was the holidays
> and the plane was full of senior citizens many with weak bladders. If
> they didn't give us some kind of official bathroom break it would be one
> soggy flight. Apparently if the engines aren't on you can go to the
> bathroom. Seeing how we weren't taking off anytime soon -- we got our
> bathroom break.
>
> With Continental it was an act of God. We were hunkered down in Ft.
> Lauderdale's airport for 7 hours because a major storm had parked itself
> between FLL and Newark. The airline bent over backwards and had pizza
> and ribs brought in from some of the better places near the airport.
>
> Airlines flights from Hell are the exception rather then the rule in my
> opinion.
>

so you're saying NWA kept you on the ground for 9 hours, ordered you
into your seat without legal justification, harrassed and abused you.

let me guess... they didn't give you food or drink either?

sounds typical for NWA these days.

I book travel for other people.

I no longer book travel on NWA.... it's just not worth the grief to me
or my clients.

but I'm still asking for readers to participate in the poll on
http :// hackamoretravel.blogspot,com

so far NWA is leading the loosing race at about 6 to 1.


--

Hackamore
http :// www .hackamore,com
http :// hackamoretravel.blogspot,com

Reply from: Jeff
Date: 19 Mar 2008, 16:04
Re: your worst airline experience? (with a poll)


"Anonymouse" <nobody@nowhere.org> wrote in message
news:G_KdnbJbvYSipH3anZ2dnUVZ_vqpnZ2d@comcast,com ...
> Brian K wrote:
>> Anonymouse wrote:
>>>
>>> Hi,
>>>
>>> I've been flying internationally now for 48 years... and service has
>>> been getting worse... but this last trip to Jamaica was the pits.
>>>
>>> The trip down on Northwest Airlines was uneventful, no food of any sort
>>> included (not even a bag of peanuts) but softdrinks.
>>>
>>> Arrival in the new and improved Sangster International was quick and
>>> efficient. The Couples crew at the airport was great, the trip to the
>>> resort quick (improved roads) and the stay at Couples Negril was
>>> wonderful.
>>>
>>> The trip home took a sharp turn toward HELL at Northwest Airlines's
>>> Minneapolis hub.
>>>
>>> We were supposed to be met by a wheelchair rep.... nope... we got our
>>> own wheelchair... then the NWA rep showed up.... my new wife got our
>>> bags... through passport control, customs with a full bag search, and
>>> this is when the NWA agent told us to put our duty free in our bags
>>> rather than just check the shipping boxes they'd been safely traveling
>>> in (apparently to much theft by NWA baggage handlers)....
>>>
>>> the re-screening by the TSA is just a horrible joke since we've already
>>> been checked from head to toe including a background check.
>>>
>>> then we arrive in Memphis... also a Northwest Airlines hub.
>>>
>>> no luggage
>>>
>>> at all
>>>
>>> they take a report at the lost luggage desk but don't bother to give me
>>> a copy of the report or the case # but tell me (that is to say "contract
>>> with me") to deliver my intact bags in the morning.
>>>
>>> the next day morning comes and goes
>>>
>>> finally.... 22 hours after landing a courier service delivers the
>>> remnants of my luggage... 1 bag... is totally trashed. riveted on handle
>>> ripped off, the contents smashed, stained, and littered with shards of
>>> glass. All the contents, including our wedding clothes stained/ruined.
>>>
>>> NWA/Northwest hasn't bothered to get an agent on site to inventory the
>>> damages... if they don't want to come here, inventory the remnants (they
>>> should bring a tarp so they can do it outside... with all the glass
>>> shards it'd be dangerous inside) attempt to dry clean them (and get all
>>> the shards of glass out of them), replace the items that couldn't be
>>> cleaned, replace the items destroyed, etc.... then I'm figuring they
>>> want to settle for the 3000$/passenger their contract of carriage calls
>>> for for this domestic MSP/MEM flight.
>>>
>>> Northwest Airlines doesn't really like to make good on it's "mistakes"
>>> (aka gross negligence) they seldom return calls, don't check their
>>> answering machines.
>>>
>>> so I've set up a poll at http :// hackamoretravel.blogspot,com /
>>>
>>> what airline sold you your WORST travel experience?
>>>
>>> so far NWA is winning (loosing) hands down... the worst ANY other
>>> airline has done to me in 48 years of flying is delay 1 bag of 2 a day
>>> going into Paris.
>>>
>>>
>>> so again... visit the poll and let's see what airline is giving it's
>>> customers their WORST experiences.
>>>
>>> http :// hackamoretravel.blogspot,com /
>> I regularly fly NorthWest and Continental. My only inconvenience was
>> events outside the control of either airlines. A NWA trip to Minneapolis
>> was delayed at Newark Liberty International Airport. Construction crews
>> had accidentally severed communication lines to the control tower. It
>> was chaos with a majority of flights being instructed not to move an inch
>> on the tarmac. Arriving flights were diverted to Kennedy and La Guardia.
>> Departing flights were moving at a snails place. Our NWA flight sat on
>> the tarmac for 9 hours. Once we had to return to the gate area to refuel.
>> The really bad part for me is that I take meds that cause me to need to
>> urinate frequently. When I could not contain myself any longer after 7
>> hours, I unbuckled and made a dash for the bathroom. I was accosted by
>> an older female flight attendant in my face telling me that I was in
>> violation of some federal law. As I pushed past her, I said arrest me...I
>> gotta pee. Would you prefer that I unzip and do it on you? I did my
>> business and was back in my seat before you could whistle "Dueling
>> Banjos".
>>
>> The Co-Pilot came back to see what all the fuss was about. I told him
>> about my medical condition. I also told him that it was the holidays and
>> the plane was full of senior citizens many with weak bladders. If they
>> didn't give us some kind of official bathroom break it would be one soggy
>> flight. Apparently if the engines aren't on you can go to the bathroom.
>> Seeing how we weren't taking off anytime soon -- we got our bathroom
>> break.
>>
>> With Continental it was an act of God. We were hunkered down in Ft.
>> Lauderdale's airport for 7 hours because a major storm had parked itself
>> between FLL and Newark. The airline bent over backwards and had pizza and
>> ribs brought in from some of the better places near the airport.
>>
>> Airlines flights from Hell are the exception rather then the rule in my
>> opinion.
>>
>
> so you're saying NWA kept you on the ground for 9 hours, ordered you into
> your seat without legal justification, harrassed and abused you.
>
> let me guess... they didn't give you food or drink either?
>
> sounds typical for NWA these days.
>
> I book travel for other people.
>
> I no longer book travel on NWA.... it's just not worth the grief to me or
> my clients.
>
> but I'm still asking for readers to participate in the poll on
> http :// hackamoretravel.blogspot,com
>
> so far NWA is leading the loosing race at about 6 to 1.
>
I'm not surprised that "NWA is leading the loosing [sic] race. . . ." Your
survey is flawed. You only list a few airlines, one of which (Southwestern)
does not exist. A survey that only includes Northwest, KLM, Air France, and
"Southwestern" is fatally flawed. You might compare apples and apples with
flights of similar length (a 4 hour flight on Northwest with a 4 hour flight
on another North American carrier, for example). I suspect you probably are
one of those that expects first class service at LCC prices.



Reply from: Shawn Hirn
Date: 20 Mar 2008, 14:08
Re: your worst airline experience? (with a poll)

In article <_X9Ej.32609$J41.27998@newssvr14.news.prodigy,net >,
"Jeff" <jrhpc1@gmail,com > wrote:

>
> I'm not surprised that "NWA is leading the loosing [sic] race. . . ." Your
> survey is flawed. You only list a few airlines, one of which (Southwestern)
> does not exist. A survey that only includes Northwest, KLM, Air France, and
> "Southwestern" is fatally flawed. You might compare apples and apples with
> flights of similar length (a 4 hour flight on Northwest with a 4 hour flight
> on another North American carrier, for example). I suspect you probably are
> one of those that expects first class service at LCC prices.

I have been flying two or three times a year since I was age nine.
That's 37 years of flights, most United States domestic and a few to
Europe from PHL.

The best flight I had was with my sister to Italy via NWA. The night
before the flight, I had to work late and I only got a couple of hours
sleep. I ended up sleeping for a few hours on the flight to Amsterdam,
until my sister woke me up to eat the food she ordered for me. At that
point, they were playing one of my favorite movies, so I watched it and
my sister dozed off. This was in coach. The flight was on time, our
luggage arrived fine, decent food on the flight, no hassles checking in,
no luggage problems, and the same was true on the trip home.

The worst flight was last May. I had a conference in Orlando so I
figured I would arrive the Thursday before and spend a long weekend at
Disney World and roaming around the area. I flew US Airways because my
employer's travel agent insists on using them.

A shuttle picked me up at my apartment at 5:30am. We pulled up at PHL
about 45 minutes later. Terminal C was absolutely packed. I waited in a
long line to check in my suitcase. The lady behind the counter told me
in a completely unemotional flat voice that my flight was canceled. As I
was riding there, I received pages that my flight was on time.

So the agent stands there waiting for the next passenger. She offered me
nothing until I asked her what my options were to get to Orlando. She
said all the other flights that morning and afternoon to Orlando were
full. The next available flight was at 6:00pm. It was just after 6:00am.
I paid $36 for a shuttle to get there and the airport web site said the
flight was on time before I left home, and the same with the status
pages I got on my cell phone on the way too the airport.

I asked if I could be booked on another airline's flight. No go with
that request. I actually like PHL, so I got a seat on the much later
flight. I walked around the airport several times, ate breakfast, and
lunch there. I had my laptop, so I put in a few hours of work. I also
did some pleasure reading, but I lost a full day of my vacation for no
good reason. Other flights were on time, the weather that day in PHL was
fine and there were no major weather events elsewhere in the country
that day. I heard from another US Airways employee that they simply
didn't have a pilot for my original flight. Sigh!

Reply from: Mr. Travel
Date: 19 Mar 2008, 07:45
Re: your worst airline experience? (with a poll)

Anonymouse wrote:
>

>
> the re-screening by the TSA is just a horrible joke since we've already
> been checked from head to toe including a background check.
>

No, all they don't run a full background check. They check to see if you
are on the terrorist watch list.

You seem a bit lost, since you posted this to rec.travel.asia.
I thought you traveled to Jamaica.

Reply from: SMS
Date: 19 Mar 2008, 17:44
Re: your worst airline experience? (with a poll)

Anonymouse wrote:

> so again... visit the poll and let's see what airline is giving it's
> customers their WORST experiences.

My worst experience was with TWA when they canceled a flight I was on
and tried to transfer everyone to a different flight that had returned
to the airport after the unfortunate death of a passenger.

They told the passengers on my flight to just get on and find an empty
seat, but the gate attendants knew that there weren't nearly enough
seats for everyone. There were people standing in the aisles unsure what
to do, and then they told everyone with no seat to get off the plane,
even when this would split up families with children. People refused,
and the flight attendants were screaming at them and the passengers were
screaming back.

Then they changed tactics and started reading names of passengers, and
told them to get off the plane, but no one got off when their names were
read. The passengers were threatened with arrest if they did not get off
when their names were read.

TWA used the unfortunate death of a passenger on one flight to try to
save the cost of sending a totally unrelated normally scheduled flight
on its way. They should have just sent both flights on as scheduled,
even though each was just slightly over half full.

Terrible poll that was set up, as it left out so many airlines, even
currently operating airlines.

Reply from: Andy P. Jung
Date: 20 Mar 2008, 07:05
Re: your worst airline experience? (with a poll)

"Anonymouse" <nobody@nowhere.org> wrote in message
news:44edneDVGMeZdULanZ2dnUVZ smnnZ2d@comcast,com ...
>
> so far NWA is winning (loosing) hands down... the worst ANY other airline
> has done to me in 48 years of flying is delay 1 bag of 2 a day going into
> Paris.

http :// tinyurl,com /33wu83


--
Andy P. Jung
Metairie, Louisiana U.S.A.
(on the Western side of the now infamous 17th Street Canal)
http :// www .JungWorld,com /

To reply via e-mail, please visit my web site.





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