NW to charge for exit rows
Mar 15, 2006 | 5:29 am
#61
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Originally Posted by vincom
Hmmmm I thought I read about the Platinum waiver somewhere...
-Vincent
-Vincent
Mar 15, 2006 | 5:37 am
#62
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What about CO/DL elites?
I'm going to guess the answer is yes, the fee does apply to us but does anyone know for sure?
Also, check out his letter posted to Doug by RobertH:
to this exciting change from NW.
Also, check out his letter posted to Doug by RobertH:
Originally Posted by RobertH
My Letter:
Douglas M. Steenland
President and Chief Executive Officer
Northwest Airlines, Inc.
5101 Northwest Drive
St. Paul, MN 55121-3034
USA
Dear Mr. Steenland,
This morning I went on nwa.com to purchase a ticket to fly this afternoon from Milwaukee to Minneapolis. I found the flight I wanted at what I thought was a reasonable (B Class) [comparable to CO's H class] fare for a last minute purchase. I went forward and purchased the ticket. I was really surprised, however, that when I went to select a seat for the flight the only aisle seats available required me to spend another $15! I had not experienced that before and just picked a window seat. I then went online to check in
As I thought about this, however, I really got disturbed. After all, I was paying top dollar to purchase a ticket at the last minute for same day travel and Im a Platinum member of your WorldPerks program. And yet, to get an aisle seat in coach you wanted me to spend another $15. I called your elite telephone line and the agent confirmed that aisle seats in the select seating area of coach now require an additional $15 payment. I finally decided the heck with that. I cancelled my reservation and just booked a ticket on Midwest Airlines no additional charge for an aisle seat and 2x2 seating in coach.
Mr. Steenland, Im enclosing my unused boarding pass for todays flight. Please just throw it away just like you threw away the revenue you would have gotten from me today if it were not for your (in my opinion) ill advised policy to charge your elite frequent flyers an extra charge for aisle seats in coach.
Sincerely,
Douglas M. Steenland
President and Chief Executive Officer
Northwest Airlines, Inc.
5101 Northwest Drive
St. Paul, MN 55121-3034
USA
Dear Mr. Steenland,
This morning I went on nwa.com to purchase a ticket to fly this afternoon from Milwaukee to Minneapolis. I found the flight I wanted at what I thought was a reasonable (B Class) [comparable to CO's H class] fare for a last minute purchase. I went forward and purchased the ticket. I was really surprised, however, that when I went to select a seat for the flight the only aisle seats available required me to spend another $15! I had not experienced that before and just picked a window seat. I then went online to check in
As I thought about this, however, I really got disturbed. After all, I was paying top dollar to purchase a ticket at the last minute for same day travel and Im a Platinum member of your WorldPerks program. And yet, to get an aisle seat in coach you wanted me to spend another $15. I called your elite telephone line and the agent confirmed that aisle seats in the select seating area of coach now require an additional $15 payment. I finally decided the heck with that. I cancelled my reservation and just booked a ticket on Midwest Airlines no additional charge for an aisle seat and 2x2 seating in coach.
Mr. Steenland, Im enclosing my unused boarding pass for todays flight. Please just throw it away just like you threw away the revenue you would have gotten from me today if it were not for your (in my opinion) ill advised policy to charge your elite frequent flyers an extra charge for aisle seats in coach.
Sincerely,
to this exciting change from NW.
Mar 15, 2006 | 8:14 am
#63
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Originally Posted by J.Edward
I'm going to guess the answer is yes, the fee does apply to us but does anyone know for sure?
-Vincent
Mar 15, 2006 | 11:22 am
#64
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Originally Posted by socrates
me to, I believe it's in one of two really long threads on the topic....but because they are now so long I'm not going to search it out (sorry) since I'm only a silver it doesn't impact me either way
Mar 15, 2006 | 12:17 pm
#65
Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: NYC
Posts: 8,691
Originally Posted by ijgordon
I'm not going to search either, but is it possible people are confusing the "Premium Select" seats from the "Coach Choice" seats? Premium Select seats are all the seats toward the front and any exit rows not designated as Coach Choice, aka Elite Seating. This remains free for all elites. The "Coach Choice" seats are a small subset of Premium Select, including a few of the aisle seats up front and what looks like the second (reclining) exit row. These seats cost $15 for ALL passengers, based on what I've read.
Mar 15, 2006 | 12:26 pm
#66
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"Coach Choice" -- NW takes nickle-and-diming to a new level!
Originally Posted by ijgordon
The "Coach Choice" seats are a small subset of Premium Select, including a few of the aisle seats up front and what looks like the second (reclining) exit row. These seats cost $15 for ALL passengers, based on what I've read.
This is not a good way to foster customer loyalty.
Last edited by Xyzzy; Mar 15, 2006 at 12:37 pm
Mar 15, 2006 | 12:36 pm
#67
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Also, CoachSelect is in test phase....if it does well, it *will* be expanded and you can bet virtually all the current PremiumSelect seats will go for sale and they will find a new set of less desirable seats to toss into the Premium pool, or maybe eliminate it altogether.
When it came to balancing the need for premium coach seating for Elites with an opportunity to raise abit more revenue from each flight, UA got it right. E+ for all elites, and E+ for sale per flight or per year for non Elites.
When it came time for NWA to do the same thing, they got it dead wrong.
Sometimes it amazes me how two companies in the same business can go to opposite ends of the spectrum when attempting to achieve the same result.
When it came to balancing the need for premium coach seating for Elites with an opportunity to raise abit more revenue from each flight, UA got it right. E+ for all elites, and E+ for sale per flight or per year for non Elites.
When it came time for NWA to do the same thing, they got it dead wrong.
Sometimes it amazes me how two companies in the same business can go to opposite ends of the spectrum when attempting to achieve the same result.
Mar 15, 2006 | 12:41 pm
#68
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The fun doesnt stop here potentially!
http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll.../BIZ/603140400
Who knows what the future holds anymore...
-Vincent
http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll.../BIZ/603140400
Terry Trippler, an airline travel expert with CheapSeats.com in Minneapolis, predicted weeks ago that airlines would start charging for exit row and aisle seats. He said charging for soda, juice and bottled water likely is on the horizon, along with a $2-per-bag check-in fee.
-Vincent
Mar 15, 2006 | 12:42 pm
#69
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UA got it right from a customer perspective. From a business perspective it's not clear this is a good move. I do not think that NW or CO could remove a row, add a few inches to some Y rows, and then pay for that by selling the E+ section seats to non-elites. Removing a row of seats can be quite costly to an airline, which is why CO at least is loathe to do it. Look at what happened to AA and MRTC turning into LRTC. CO doesn't see this as being good for their business.
Mar 15, 2006 | 1:01 pm
#70
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Location: NYC
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Originally Posted by xyzzy
The "Coach Choice" seats in general represent the most desirable seats in coach, not just a "small subset of premium seats."
See my analysis here:
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/showt...50#post5466950
Mar 15, 2006 | 1:08 pm
#71
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Are they giving a discount for the non-reclining seats at the rear of the aircraft. And Oh, I also heard that they were going to hold everyone on the plane after landing until those that paid the new $15 expedited exit fee had deboarded the plane.
Mar 15, 2006 | 1:16 pm
#72
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Originally Posted by ijgordon
I'm not going to search either, but is it possible people are confusing the "Premium Select" seats from the "Coach Choice" seats? Premium Select seats are all the seats toward the front and any exit rows not designated as Coach Choice, aka Elite Seating. This remains free for all elites. The "Coach Choice" seats are a small subset of Premium Select, including a few of the aisle seats up front and what looks like the second (reclining) exit row. These seats cost $15 for ALL passengers, based on what I've read.
Mar 15, 2006 | 1:19 pm
#73
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Originally Posted by socrates
(I do know Jim Cron's been extremely busy personally responding to emails the last few days)
Mar 15, 2006 | 2:12 pm
#74
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Originally Posted by themicah
And by "personally responding to e-mails" you mean "writing a bunch of sentences that people in India can rearrange into 'personal responses' to e-mails."
Mar 16, 2006 | 6:47 am
#75
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BUMP ... anybody?
Originally Posted by fortuna
Uncle, I give up, I surrender ... please stop beating me over the head.
I'm just going to have to switch FF programs from NW to OP. I just wanted to ask if there are any special bonuses for signing up for OP ... I did a search but I didn't find anything.
Thank you in advance for any input you can give me.
I'm just going to have to switch FF programs from NW to OP. I just wanted to ask if there are any special bonuses for signing up for OP ... I did a search but I didn't find anything.
Thank you in advance for any input you can give me.