TrayflowInUK

If I'm not mistaken, airlines specify the MCTs. If NW/DL allows a 30-minute legal cxn, then the onus is on the airline to best accommodate the pax. With good wx and without rwy const this is doable. If it wasn't, the MCT would be >30. When conditions on the day look poor and wx turns sour, then the logical thing to do is proactively reaccommodate the pax. Seems like a reasonable response by an empowered CSR. Unfortunately, reason largely seems to have gone out the window in this industry.

I've done sub 35-min scheduled cxns at MSP and a 26-min cxn at MEM, and not missed them. I wouldn't try this at ATL, or a lot of other airports. A reasonable thing to book when your next option is 2 extra hours.

Great to hear it worked out A-G! ^ to Chisholm.

WBurcham

15-20 minutes leaves you 5 to 0 minutes to get from aircraft to aircraft since they close the doors at T-10. So unless you are the first person off the plane, it's very uncomfortable.

GTITAN

I know a wise FT person that once advised me to correct a mistake I made in booking a 30 minute connect at JFK.:-: He was a wise person indeed.

Safe Travels

indufan

I appreciate the report of good service but what does Chisholm really have to do with it. It's the same type of service that I have got from many non-Chisholm Delta agents over the years.

ADLFO

While I was never a NW elite, I think the appreciation is because of the consistency of excellent service by the Chisholm agents. I have received excellent service from SMS/PSS, certainly a great majority of the time, but there have been a very few less than pleasant conversations. Also, Chisholm agents seemed to have been more empowered to help elites than SMS/PSS agents, but that is just my understanding from talking with NW elites and reading their posts.

fti

Domestic to domestic NW to NW is a published 30 minute MCT. Seems hard to believe actually when boarding starts 30 minutes before scheduled take-off and they want you on board at least 10 minutes before take off. So with Schmutzig's 20 minute B16 to F16 example (don't think it is unlikely - I have had LOTS of B10+ to F10+), the pax would barely make it.

Kudos to NW for helping the OP but really, if they didn't come through, I think both AL and pax bear some responsibility.

Jaimito Cartero

Wow, you praise Chisholm, and get grief for it.

I seem to recall even shorter than 30 minute connections before, 25, I think. Have I taken them? Yes. Would I normally? No. Even at DTW, which I consider the easiest to transfer, 35 would be my minimum.

I think this really tells you something about the reliability and ease with connecting was with NW flights in MSP/DTW. And if something came up, 90% of the time, you had your new tickets waiting for you as you exited the plane.

I know I won't schedule a connection less than 90 minutes in ATL or any of the NYC airports. 2 hours is better. 2 minimum for an intl connection.

SchmutzigMSP

I don't imagine you know the MSP airport very well, but B16 is the end of the satellite concourse for commuter aircraft. It is the absolute worst possible connection (perhaps similar to a T1 to E37 connection at ATL). This is where the Saabs and some of the CRJs come in. Very rarely would it work out that someone has a connection from the end of B to the end of F. Any other connection would take much less time (as in 10 minutes or less like I mentioned). If you're flying mainline aircraft, you'll never set foot in the A or B concourse at MSP.

The main point being, 30 minute connections are very reasonable at MSP, DTW, MEM, SLC, and CVG. I would not feel comfortable with a 30 minute connection at ATL or JFK, even in "perfect" weather. But that's just me. I think these are just some of the things that perhaps formerly DL-only flyers still need to experience with the inherited NW system.

mersk862

I'd have no issues with 30 minutes mainline-mainline at MSP/DTW - I'd probably throw in an extra 5 minutes at both airports if it was an RJ arrival just to make my way to the mainline gates (30 minutes works mainline-Connection just since those Connection flights don't start boarding until 15 minutes or so before departure). Same is true at SLC for me.

mnredfox

Whether it was the OP's mistake or not is more or less irrelevant. Yes, 30 min conx is a risk, but sound's like the OP was willing to take a risk.

Chisholm provided great CS regardless of who's mistake (if there was even one) it was. The point of this thread is ^ to the Chisholm folks.

Glad to see they are still providing the great service I've always been used to. I hope SMI is listening...

indufan

And, that EXACTLY is what I don't understand. How can they figure that Chisholm is superior to anything that Delta has ever offered. I guess your experiences show a different light because I have never had anything less than a pleasant conversation with SMS agents. And they have always been empowered to do whatever I have needed them to do. I will admit one thing, they can do a ticket reissue on irrops...has to be done at the airport. Can they pull that off in Chisholm.

I wasn't giving grief for anything, thank you very much.

RobOnLI

I think you meant "can't" instead of "can". And the answer is absolutely. NW almost never made you go elsewhere to get a ticket reissued. I say "almost" because I'm sure someone will chime in here and tell me I'm wrong but 99.99% of cases do not require you to do anything but call the WP line, get your new flights and be on your way - end of story.

This is one area I've read on the DL forums (before we were all one happy family) of DL falling below NW. Apparently you guys get to call SMS and then get transferred to the reissue desk. That is entirely unheard of for us NW folks. The NW agent may put you on hold but generally they had the power to do everything and the ticket reissue was instantaneous.

Just to point out - there is a big difference between the way DL and NW issue tickets when you have just purchased them. DL issues the ticket almost immediately and you are provided with a ticket number. NW almost never issued a ticket immediately because it had to be processed in either MN or Singapore (elsewhere sometimes).

It kind of breaks down like this:
Delta: immediate ticketing for new tickets; transferred phone call or at airport ticket reissue.

Northwest: delayed ticketing for new tickets; almost immediate ticket reissue when there's an issue.

You just have to know how the system works and accept it. I think it's crazy DL makes you go to the airport or tranfers your call but that's only because I'm used to the NW system; I've yet to have to use the DL system.

-RM

DiverDave

Well, he was willing to take the risk until the weather looked dicey.

We still don't know if OP's original connecting flights would have worked or not....

David

avidflyer

The fact that customers sent the Chisholm agents a buffet and cake on several occasions should say something. I am not for one minute doubting that you got great service from DL but I am saying that people just don't do what the FT community did for the Chisholm folks unless there is a good reason. That is just common sense. In-fact, if you go back through the NW forum I think you will find that dozens of posters have stated that one of the most important Plat benefits we had was Chisholm. It is one of those things where you have to experience it to appreciate it. Again, not doubting you at all but you can;t believe that all of the reports here are just over-inflated BS. Occam's razor.

WBurcham

I've had booked 35 minute connections @ MSP before and REALLY had to hoof it from the end of F to the end of G. I was in 4A and, by the time we were off the plane (parked on time, normal 2 minute wait for GA etc...), I had 25 minutes before the flight left and only 15 minutes before the door closed on the 753 that had been boarding for 15/20 minutes. I ran most of the way and it took almost 15 minutes (I'd say around 12 or so), I was one of the last 5 to make the flight and had I been in the exit row, I would have been overnighting at MSP.

I'd disagree, there's a real TREK if you are at the end of G.

I guess this is where we differ. I have no issues booking a 30 minute connection @ ATL. I guess it's because I know the airport well and even going from T1 to the end of E takes no more than 15 minutes (I did that route this weekend). JFK no less than 45 (just because of ATC) SLC/MEM 25 minutes.