taylorjets

Copyright 2007 USA TODAY, a division of Gannett Co. Inc. All Rights Reserved.
2007-06-29 11:15:48

"They have to step up to the plate and answer the questions and admit to a problem," said airline watchdog Terry Trippler, who is based in Minneapolis. Trippler added that Northwest should be out front with bigger overtures, like hiring extra staff.

As of 8 p.m. Wednesday, the airline had canceled 204 flights, the most of any day so far in June. There have been more than 1,000 cancellations since Friday.
Northwest has blamed the weather, pilot absenteeism and traffic control as reasons for cancellations.

The carrier began canceling a large number of flights last week as pilots reached flight-time maximums. The Northwest pilots contract sets flight time limits at 90 hours a month. The Federal Aviation Administration sets limits at 100 hours.

The Air Line Pilots Association has said it's been warning the airline of the upcoming shortages and Northwest did nothing to avoid the situation.

"The pilots have been out front; they have been answering questions," Trippler said. "You can't run and hide."

Meanwhile, passengers are incensed over the inconvenience.

Numerous cancellations and rebookings on Mike Hicks' itinerary on Saturday caused computers to label him a high flight risk, which led to further delays and luggage checks.

At one point, he was rebooked on a trip home that would have had him traveling for 16 hours from California to New Jersey, Florida and finally Detroit. He was taken off the flight and rebooked on an overbooked flight from which he was bumped.

He was sent to Delta without paperwork, only to be sent back to Northwest to get proof that he was legitimately sent that way.

Eventually, he took a flight to Salt Lake City, where Northwest staff compensated him with a free ticket.

"Hopefully they'll get this situation straightened out," he said. "It does affect so many people's lives."

Northwest, for its part, has asked ticket agents to accommodate passengers by booking them on different airlines.

"We have relaxed travel restrictions, we are letting people know about changes through our flight rebooking systems and through our technology notification systems," said NWA spokesman Dean Breest.

"We are working to remedy the situation," Breest said. "We hope to return to normal soon."

Pilots' monthly flight-hour restrictions under their labor contract will be reset next week. In addition, pilots and Northwest management met Wednesday to discuss possible solutions, said Air Line Pilots Association spokesman Wade Blaufuss. He would not elaborate on what was discussed.

Northwest also raised the ire of many air traffic controllers, who balked at the company's statement Tuesday that they were a cause of the cancellations.

"Responding to Northwest's appallingly inaccurate new reason for canceling flights ... air traffic control is most certainly not the reason for canceled flights. Period," said Doug Church, director of communications for the National Air Traffic Controllers Association.

captjns

Just a fews years too late. The message would have been received loud and clear back when when NWA chopped the employees off at the knees when their pensions were vaporized and their pay was cut. All of that is too far down stream to recover.

pilotrod

Here is a link to another article concerning NWA saying they may recall those furloughed and hire additional pilots.

http://www.av8r.net/

FliFast

captjns,

I agree with you...I wonder how the dumpster diving campaign from HR is going. I think I'd rather chew tin foil.

bobnwa

The NWA pilots did not lose their pensions as did those at other carriers.

Pay was cut at all legacy carriers. No more at NWA than others.

The NWA pilots have called in sick 80% greater than June 2006.

Short Bus Drive

REALLY?!!!
Did NOT lose pensions?
No more pay cut than other "Legacy" carriers?

Would you please educate us on these "facts"?

And if the pilots weren't working so much, they would probably "feel better", and be less FATIGUED!!! But the company is short staffed, and short sighted!

fireman0174

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe NWA pensions were "frozen" and not terminated, right? There's a significant difference between the two.

astrojet

by looking at the summer...payscales here in this same website...narowbody capt. pay at nwa seems to be among the lowest of legacy, LCC, or even ULCC....who will win the race to the bottom????

pullup

Basicly the management at NWA is CRAP! They bully labor very well but they don't know how to deliver a quality product, or care for that matter. You can't flex up to 90 hrs indefinitely, guys will time out or burn out. With the morale of some of my buds still there, they should use the sick call. Even at half pay and three doctors notes and one from your mommy..... or whatever it takes to call in sick at NWA.

filejw

SBD , All correct except the pensions. Pilot defined benefit pension was frozen and now they have a defined contribution plan.What that means is you get what you earned up to the point the plan was frozen.