If you’ve ever worked at a large, profitable company that spends billions of dollars a year, you’ve probably thought about how easily one (but certainly not you!) could sneak fake charges through the system without anyone even noticing. And for nearly 10 years, an employee at Northwest (and then Delta) managed to make that daydream a reality, allegedly siphoning off $22 million through bogus invoices. [More]
northwest airlines
Supreme Court Rules Airline Had Right To Dump Frequent Flier For Excessive Complaints
By 4.3.14
It’s official: being a bad customer can get you booted from loyalty programs. On Wednesday, the U.S. Supreme Court unanimously decided it was within Northwest Airlines rights to dump a rabbi from the airline’s WorldPerks loyalty program for complaining too often. [More]
Pilots Who Missed Minnesota Were Too Engrossed In Laptops To Land The Plane
By 10.27.09
There is a reason that I am not a pilot and the reason is this: I am afraid I would get bored, start messing around with my laptop and miss Minnesota. Unfortunately for Northwest Airlines, they don’t hire people who utilize my rigorous program of self-doubt.
Northwest Air Pilot Misses Airport By 150 Miles
By 10.23.09
If you’re an airplane pilot, it’s important to try and land in the state customers paid you to fly toward.
Delta/Northwest Employees Wear The Same Uniform, Expect You To Be Able To Tell Them Apart
By 7.27.09
Reader Matthew writes in to tell us that Delta at Minneapolis/St. Paul airport is “still in Beta.” The employees all wear the same uniform, but they still work for different airlines — sorta.
Northwest Airlines Begins Charging $15 For First Checked Bag Today
By 8.28.08
Reader Colin says he just got charged for his first checked bag on Northwest Airlines:
TSA Martinet Claims Her Unpublished Rules Trump Real Ones
By 8.20.08
TSA, can you at least train your agents to do their jobs properly? We’d appreciate it even more if you’d discipline (read: fire) those who go all stupidly power-mad and think they have to “win” every encounter, even when it means making up new rules on the spot. Here’s a story of a soldier who lost a day of leave because one of your agents caused so much trouble. In the end, the soldier says he’s happy with the outcome—”Using standard Consumerist customer service doctrine (polite, patient, proper channels and then EECB), I won”—but we’re still floored by how difficult you made his trip home. Oh, and NWA, you were no help either.
By 7.10.08
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Northwest Airlines is cutting 2,500 jobs. Passengers may be asked to get out and push to help the plane taxi. [NYT]
Disgruntled Northwest Airlink Flight Attendant Sets Fire Inside Plane
By 5.16.08
According to the AP, 19 yr-old flight attendant Eder Rojas of Woodbury, Minn., was arrested on Wednesday for intentionally setting a fire inside a paper towel compartment in the rear bathroom of the plane. Rojas told officials that he was was upset at Compass Airlines for making him work that particular route. He allegedly boarded the plane that day with extra paper towels and a lighter. Details, inside…
Everyone But Northwest Matches $50 Fuel Surcharge
By 1.14.08
All of the legacy airlines, with the exception of Northwest, have matched United Airlines $50 roundtrip fuel surcharge announced Friday. Airfare maven Rick Seaney says that Northwest is usually the last one in when it comes to price increases, but if they don’t follow suit by tomorrow, then the other airline could begin to wobble and drop the surcharge.
Travel Tip: Avoid Northwest Airlines at End of Month
By 7.30.07
Northwest Airlines canceled hundreds of flights — about 10% of its schedule — this past weekend because of a pilot shortage. This isn’t a new problem: It’s been happening consistently at the end of the month, like clockwork.
All US Airline CEO's Contact Infos
By 5.2.07
This appears to be a giant list of all US airlines’ CEO contact info (for instance, the phone number for US Airways corresponds with the information listed on their SEC filing) Shoot your complaints to the top of the totem pole with this information. — BEN POPKEN
NWA Worker Ejaculates On Passenger
By 3.6.07
WCCO: An off-duty Northwest Airlines employee was arrested after a woman on a flight from Seattle complained that the man had ejaculated on her.
Copy of the complaint filed by, interestingly enough, an FBI agent assigned to the International Terrorism Squad, inside. Apparently, there might be some concern that a squad of these fellows could take over a plane with ejaculate. Think about it, the entire plane could be incapacitated by a clutch of capable gents, especially if they were violating the 3 oz rule.
NWA Boarding Pass Generator
By 10.27.06
UPDATE: Actually using this at an airport could get you arrested, so don’t.
NWA Scores Awesome Dumpster Dive Find: Shame
By 8.23.06
NPR covered the list of 101 money saving tips Northwest Airlines sent out to its 60 fired employees last week. You know, the one that advised the recently unemployed, “Don’t be shy about pulling something you like out of the trash.”
Northwest Airlines Dumpster Diving Booklet Revealed!
By 8.17.06
You don’t have to be a laid-off Northwest employee to appreciate these money-saving tips. We’ve uploaded the same booklet they gave their recently fired employees and they offer savvy savings for all of us.
Northwest Trimming Handlers Paychecks
By 5.23.06
As if baggage delays and maltreatment weren’t bad enough already, baggage handlers may soon even have less of an incentive for your luggage to arrive with all its Vuitons on its Louis.
AirTran Wins, Midwest Loses in Fastest Telephone Customer Service
By 4.17.06
Here’s the results of our week-long investigation into how fast it took airlines to pick up the phone.
