This is the most frustrating website I've ever worked with.

Paid Tickets - This is the one they should get right, yet it's so slow so often I've generally changed to buying tickets on Orbitz or Priceline. Yeah, I know there's a fee, but at least I'll get the tickets in a finite period of time.

The website doesn't seem to remember who I am or where I'm going as it bounces back and forth, so I'm constantly re-entering my data. The flights I get are very often not the ones I wind up buying -- does Orbitz/Priceline have access to secret inventory?

Also -- when I'm given a selection of flights, the fare classes are all spelled out. However, when you pick an outbound/return flight, the choices for the other leg don't show the classes. I often have to make several selections until I get the class I want.

Award Tickets -- OK, inventory sucks, but there is stuff out there --- if I could ever get to it. I haven't been able to look at award travel for at least two days now. It just sits there and then times out. Doesn't seem to have any relation to time of day or anything. Extremely frustrating.

I compare this with the AA or BA sites (real joys to use -- very fast, everything laid out for you) and it's like another world.

Are they using 220v servers on 110V? I can't imagine how they can be happy with the performance (and it's been this way for at least two years in my personal experience).

If I didn't have to fly NW, I'd certainly look for another carrier.