"The New Northwest" is the headline in the business section of the Star Tribune, May 31, 2007. Is a new Northwest Airlines better? I doubt it.
My wife made a reservation for Toronto-Duluth because she would be able to stay on the same plane through Minneapolis-St. Paul. The previous time she made the trip her luggage didn't make the MSP-Duluth leg of the trip and had to be delivered the next day. So, thought she, having the same plane should solve that problem.
When she checked in at Toronto, she was told that she would have to change planes at MSP. This also meant she would have to walk to another concourse when she got there.
When she boarded the plane, the captain announced the plane would be flying through to Duluth. The crew hadn't even been told of the flight change!
When I checked for her arrival time prior to picking her up, the plane had left the gate about 25 minutes late but hadn't taken off. Just before I left the house I left the house 20 minutes later, the web site said the plane took off eight minutes after it left the gate.
When she got to Duluth I met her at baggage claim. We waited and watched for her bag to come down the chute. The baggage handlers stopped the chute and her bag wasn't there.
We are now at one hour after the original arrival time. We went to the checkin counter staffed by one person and waited our turn. The bag would probably arrive on the next flight which should arrive any minute. It was on that flight. We arrived home one hour and ten minutes after we should have.
My wife's advice for all fliers: always take a book.
