There are a lot of excuses you can make - late catering, full flights, lots of carry-on, but in my experience the Delta crews almost never miss the PFD, while the NWA crews got it done maybe half the time pre-takeover and almost never now. I'm at about 25% in the last month (3 for 13) on NWA flights and at 100% on DL.

I have spent hours sitting on a fully-catered plane, watching the FAs congregate in the forward galley chatting while the pax in FC sit drinkless and holding their coats in their laps. As a NWA-loving, Detroit based flyer, I can only say that if this was MY airline to run, I would be raising hell and making it manditory except in the case of extreme delays in boarding or catering.

IMO it has nothing to do with OPS and everything to do with the attitude of the crews. I hate to be so blunt, but in hundreds of flights I have come to the conclusion that most Delta crews know the meaning of service, and provide it to the passengers, while most NWA crews do the minimum if you are lucky, and usually less than that...... Too much work, and it interferes with reading US magazine and gossiping!!!

There are many exceptions to this rule, but I have to say that when I get on an NWA flight, I am not counting on that drink. Is anybody from management paying attention? Do they even know?