I have been a loyal leisure flyer with NWA for a few years now. My trips are usually for short periods (Fri-Sun or 1-2 weeks) and I like to travel to ski/nature destinations, major cities and international.
The amount of my travel allows me to make Silver with NW and enjoy the relatively nice domestic benefits; I am willing to look the other way as far as mileage redemption is concerned (which is many times more difficult than with AA and UA, trust me!) as long as I get domestic upgrades and mileage bonuses.
In the past 6 months, however, I have encountered a big problem with NW yield management out of leisure Florida markets (I fly out of TPA, MCO and JAX): low fares matching all other airline fare sales but no seat availability (no K class seats).
For example, I frequently fly to DEN for ski trips. NW had fares for $113, $123, $143, $153, $173 and $183 roundtrip from JAX/TPA/MCO at various points in time - very nice prices! Unfortunately, the only seats available were mostly on Tue/Wed and on weird itin. of DL operated flights (such as NW coded/DL op TPA-CVG-DEN!). So no upgrades, and more importantly, no way to do a 2/3/4 day weekend trip travelling on the peak days.
I know NW has to make money and their hope for breaking even is not in sub-$200 fares for weekend getaways; however, I have been able to book such trips on many of their competitors for the exact dates and times I want (for the same price that NW is 'offering' - without making seats available).
Examples are not limited to Florida-DEN. NW has offered similary attractive deals to SFO, SAN, LAS, PHX, SEA, ABQ from Florida - with zero K-class availability on the weekends (and we're talking trying to book 3-4 months ahead). Same situation to BOS/NYC/PHL/DCA/CHI/MHT/RDU.... great fares ($98-148 roundtrip) but no K-class except for an odd ERJ-ERJ CO-op itin via CLE!
Well, I am sick of it! I am very seriously considering switching to DL's SkyMiles and making status there. Of my past 10 domestic trips 8 have been on Delta or Song (no NW EQMs on the latter!) - because NW had the same price but no avail!... While the mileage bonus for DL Silvers is only 25% I would have been upgraded on a good 1/4 of my flights (not on TPA/JAX-ATL of course where there are about 70 Elites waiting for FC
).
I am tired of NW taking yield management to the extreme -
no one-way fares (CO, DL, UA, US, etc. all publish them ex-FL to leisure markets!),
Sat night stays frequently required,
limited timing of flights (NW's last flights from TPA leave around 5pm, DL has 7-8pm departures and a 1am return into TPA) and to top it all off -
no K class bucket avail even if plane is empty!