I'll be flying this sometime soon, and was wondering whether there will be any food or entertainment during the flight?

Stupid question, but I haven't been on an US airline in quite a while. Thanks!

Food Options:
1. Pay $1 for a snack mix.
2. Buy something at the airport
3. Bring food from home

Entertainment Options:
1. WorldTraveler magazine in your seat pocket
2. Bring an ipod/DVD player/laptop/other
3. Read a book

It is sad to see that inflight service has been reduced to such a pathetic level. And the flight is 2-3 hours?

PS: I made a mistake, I'm doing JFK-DTW and back instead of the other way round. Oops.

The flight from JFK-DTW is about 1:15 to 1:30; really, it's not that bad. The return DTW-JFK is just over an hour. Take a nap.

I think I'll read the inflight magazine, I'm a slow reader.

If you are on the nonstop, JFK-DTW is 2hrs 7min and DTW-JFK is 1hr 45min, plus or minus 5 minutes depending on time of day.

The only way to get "free" food on this route with any airline (forget entertainment) is to fly F and connect via MSP, ATL, etc. Or Y on CO via IAH, at roughly double the nonstop price.

Huh? JFK-DTW is a non-stop of approximately 500 miles. Flying east, with a tailwind, can result in a flight of little more than an hour.

I was going to say, nwa.com shows it as 507 miles, 1:50 DTW-JFK, 2:07 back. I'm sure a lot of that time is spent on the tarmak. DTW-ATL is 595 miles and takes a few minutes less each way. I figure you're at cruising altitude only about 60 minutes or less (anyone know for sure?), which really is a "short" flight by most yardsticks...

Steve B.

The only way to get "free" food on this route with any airline (forget entertainment) is to fly F and connect via MSP, ATL, etc. Or Y on CO via IAH, at roughly double the nonstop price.

You can also go CO through CLE and get free soft drinks and pretzels or peanuts . However, you do get to fly a Kenjet but they are clean and do provide pillows and blankets ^

I don't have issues with flying through MSP, but won't it take too much time?

Visit flightaware.com and type in NWA#### (#### is the flight number) and see what it says for flight times. These are actual wheels-up-to-wheels-down timings as recorded by radar.

I looked at several when I replied earlier today and I'll stand by my statements that "the flight from JFK-DTW is about 1:15 to 1:30; really, it's not that bad. The return DTW-JFK is just over an hour."

I just did, and it looks like you were indeed correct.

All the times that I used to fly LGA-DTW and back, the flight time information that was broadcast over the PA system was about 1:10 or less. If you look at the flight schedule, just as with any other airline flying in and out of LGA, it's padded to take the waiting and cruising time around the tarmac to get in the takeoff line up into consideration.
JFK is more or less similar distance so it should not take much more than that.

HJ

Is it worth the money to upgrade (I know there isn't a food service, but are the seats that much better?), and how much would it be?

If there's 1st class availability, which is possible on DTW-JFK depending on days/flights, the cost would likely be $50. You'd only be offered this at the airport... you wouldn't be able to call to secure the upgrade.

The $50 would buy you:
- Early boarding
- Quick deplaning
- About 4 more inches of pitch and 2.5" of width
- Guaranteed window or aisle
- Complimentary alcohol and probably a salty snack in a shiny package
- Pre-board beverage (most likely, depending on time)
- Use of the 1st class lavatory
- Personalized service from the 1st class FA
- Less competition for overhead bin space
- That "feel good" feeling of avoiding the riff-raff in coach

For a short DTW-JFK flight, you'd need to decide if it's worth it for you.
If you've never flown in 1st before, and $50 isn't an issue, then heck, go for it (just keep your expectations relatively low).