Trip Reports - Wiirachay's Mother's comments on her recent WBC experience

My mother came back from MNL today after visiting some relatives there over the holidays. She and I have flown "classic" WBC between DTW and MNL the past few years. For the first time, she flew in new WBC. I, myself, haven't had a chance to experience new WBC yet. Below were some of her comments.

(Note she's just thankful not to be flying Y and really isn't that picky, especially since she flew in Y between DTW and MNL until I got into college.)

12-10

DTW-NRT: Since she's just a NW base member, I couldn't reserve a seat for her in the nose section, so I got her a seat second lower deck section. On the day of departure, all the nose section seats were taken. I pre-ordered the Japanese meal for her. Unfortunately, she absolutely HATED it. The last time she flew WBC, it was just post 9-11, and she was also disappointed with it. (The few times she and I flew WBC before 9-11, she and I loved the Japanese meals. The quality of the Japanese meal has declined a lot.) Outside of the meal times, she watched 5 movies and was really impressed with the video-on-demand. As usual, she didn't sleep at all on this flight.

NRT: No real comments.

NRT-MNL: No comments.

1-1

MNL-NGO: When she checked in, there were seats available in the nose section, and she snagged one of them faster than a heartbeat. Definitely, she prefers the nose section. WBC had under 10 people while Y was packed. She slept most of the flight but had time to enjoy the meal service.

NGO: This was the first time using the new NGO terminal. She was shocked at the large size of the new terminal and had to ask around to find the Sakura (?) lounge, operated by JAL, that NW has a contract with. Not the small, cozy (according to her) terminal that she was used to. (The new NGO terminal opened recently.)

NGO-DTW: The first thing she noticed was that she was one of two women in WBC. The rest were Japanese businessmen. Because of her bad experience with the Japanese meal on the outbound flight, she ordered a western meal and enjoyed it. Her seatmate ordered the Japanese meal, and she thought it looked better and more appetizing. She was absolutely impressed with the seat (more on that at the bottom) and slept throughout most of the flight, only waking up for meal services. Like "classic" WBC, the mid-flight snack basket consisted of Kit Kat, bananas, Toblerone chocolates, and apples. For her, the meal quality was excellent, and NW provided more than enough food to keep her full.

DTW: She was proudly the first passenger out of the plane but was one of the last passengers to leave the customs area . . . because her bag was one of the last to come out in the baggage carousel, despite the fact there was a WBC priority tag on it! :mad: (This is one of the very few things that really gets on her nerves.)

Her impression of the seat: She absolutely loved it and thought it was very comfortable. But then, she's 5'3". I think a basketball player would have had another opinion. Even though she had a window seat, she didn't have any problems getting into the aisle even though her seat opponent's and person in front of the seat opponent's seats were fully reclined.

She couldn't believe how much she slept, especially compared to her previous trips in WBC back to the US. I think the seat was the reason why she was able to sleep a lot. In the past, when she flew "classic" WBC or Y on the return trip from MNL, she slept right after getting home from the airport, typically between noon and 3p, because she really didn't sleep that much on the flights.

This time, it was different. After my father and I picked her up at the airport, we went to grab some lunch at a nice Chinese restaurant, and I was surprised that she wasn't sleepy at all!!! When we got home, she did her finances, checked her e-mail, did her (and my father's) laundry, just like any normal Sunday. At around 9pm Detroit time, she started getting sleepy. The new WBC did its job. ^

It'll be my turn and my father's turn to try out new WBC in a few months, as he and I will be going to BKK; we're both excited.

- Pat

Good story! You've inspired me to treat my mother to WBC the next time we fly to India!

I did a WBC trip last week to TPE. On both flights, I ordered Japanese meals. I did notice that the quality of Japanese meal on the U.S. bound flight was much better than the Japan bound flight.

DTW: She was proudly the first passenger out of the plane but was one of the last passengers to leave the customs area . . . because her bag was one of the last to come out in the baggage carousel, despite the fact there was a WBC priority tag on it! :mad: (This is one of the very few things that really gets on her nerves.)


Exactly the same thing happened to me at DTW. I was worried that they might have lost my bags. I hope NW will improve on that.

Wiirachay,

Your mother's trip report should be posted in FT's trip report's Forum. Here you will find trip reports on all carriers.

Radiocycle
NWA Moderator

Wiirachay,

Your mother's trip report should be posted in FT's trip report's Forum. Here you will find trip reports on all carriers.

Radiocycle
NWA Moderator

Since I am flying WBC for the first time next week, I found this thread very informative and can not understand why it is being moved?????

It relates to NW and a NW flight, why not move some of the threads that only offer pure gossip, conjecture and seem to be written by the NW customer service department? (Like the recent one from an un-named moderor, hummmmm???? ;) )

And now that it's in the Trip Reports forum, could you please consider changing the title to make it clearer from the outset what 'WBC' is and which airline it refers to (for the uninitiated)?

Thanks.

And thanks to the OP for posting -- always interesting to read these sorts of experiences from the point of view of a non-FTer!

I did a WBC trip last week to TPE. On both flights, I ordered Japanese meals. I did notice that the quality of Japanese meal on the U.S. bound flight was much better than the Japan bound flight.

i guess that there should be some level of consistency when it comes to WBC meals, but is it really anyone's surprise that the japanese meal leaving the japanese catering dept is better than the one leaving an american one? :D

I've had the Japanese meal ex-SEA, HNL and LAX and can't say I found them substantially different from the ex-NRT meals. I guess the west coast caterers have access to competent labour pools that DTW and some other port may not have?

The new WBC seats are better because you can sleep in some position other than one your back (which works great if you'r tired, have eaten a big meal, and/or had a little bit too much to drink).

TRVLRZ,

The trip report forum is the proper location for detailed information about a trip and/or the aircraft, meals served, AVOD, etc.

This trip happens to have been flown on NW, however this is the forum at FT where reports from all airlines re: trips are located.

Please post your trip report here.

Radiocycle
NWA Moderator


Since I am flying WBC for the first time next week, I found this thread very informative and can not understand why it is being moved?????

It relates to NW and a NW flight, why not move some of the threads that only offer pure gossip, conjecture and seem to be written by the NW customer service department? (Like the recent one from an un-named moderor, hummmmm???? ;) )

This is all getting me excited to try the new NWA A330-330s and all the new stuff! I was kind of crestfall not to fly British in FC but I really don't see the difference between 15K and 2650K as far a value for money goes....

I did a WBC trip last week to TPE. On both flights, I ordered Japanese meals. I did notice that the quality of Japanese meal on the U.S. bound flight was much better than the Japan bound flight.

I guess that's due to the fact that the US bound meal was prepared in Nippon. :cool: