FNT problems
 

Does anyone regularly fly in and out of FNT?

I have noticed, since January - the're record is less than exemplary. I have constant cancelled flight from there - mostly due to "crew rest" and end up having to drive to metro - if I can get a flight at all to where i'm going. We had another one last friday where the 730 flight from dtw-fnt was cancelled due to crew rest and I had to rent a car to get home - they wanted to put me in a hotel for 2 days! because all flights to FNT were sold out and then fly me home (what a joke) They refused to pay for a car rental but will pay for 2 nights at the Westin (what kind of money saver is that???) Anyway, of course I rented the car and went home, but they need to get their act together on their FNT schedule or I may start flying Delta or Continental, NW service has gotten worse and worse and they don't seem to care about it all across the board. THE WC agent tried to have my luggage pulled that night and when I went to the LSO she told me 5 hours! so I had to go back to the airport saturday, return the car, get my luggage and my own car so that I could fly back out last night.


this is getting to be more of a hassle than its worth anymore! Even the Hertz agent said her buisness in FNT has gone up astronomically due to NW messing up flights for one reason or another.

I haven't used FNT recently because of road construction (on US 23 this time), but we routinely use it and like it. In the past three years, we've only had one flight canceled (and that was a mechanical problem, not one with crews). The TA put us on a flight out of DTW the next morning and changed our return flight so we'd come back to DTW where our car was.

We've also had luggage come in 'early' and have been paged to the ticket counter to come get it before any of the luggage from the flight we came in on appeared at baggage claim.

You can't ask for better service than that ---

The only negative about using FNT is you're out the end of a spoke and I haven't even gotten into issues like parking and security -- which also is much better at FNT than DTW.

Bob H

I haven't flown in/out of FNT since January, but never had problems in the past. My guess is that, since it is one of the shortest flights to/from Detroit, they select that segment as the one to cancel, rather than longer flights.

I routinely fly in/out of LAN and rarely is a flight cancelled -- although the last DTW-LAN flight is often delayed (I think the ontime stat is 40% on that segment).

Crazy that they would rather pay a hotel night for you and not a car rental.

I'm sorry to hear that you have had so much trouble flying to FNT recently. I tend to do most of my flying out of FNT (although I have been avoiding it lately due to the Hwy 23 construction) and have been very happy with it. I have only had 1 cancellation and that was mechanical. Sounds like you had a string of bad luck. However, reading your story, I think most of the problems you are having is with DTW, not FNT. The thing I really like about FNT is that the people are much more helpful when glitches arise than those at DTW (among other advantages such as easy in-and-out). It is always more of a risk flying out of a smaller airport than going directly to the hub. However, I have found the ease of flying out of FNT outweighs the occasional problems that arise.

Can you ask for a refund of your unused segment DTW-FNT? I would ask for this via ttu. Maybe that will cover the car rental.

I would think so since they never provided you transportation. It seems like you just got a really grouchy POS at the gate in Detroit. It seems like they should at least paid for a taxi or something as this was 'crew rest' which is within their control, gesh at a freak'n hub too.

A bit OT, but IMO if you live south of the US-23 construction, would not DTW be closer to a "home airport" than FNT? :confused: Those of us living in Genesee and adjacent counties would greatly appreciate your continued patronage down at DTW so as to not skew the UG percentages up here (FNT Bishop) by weighting FC down with your presence. ;)

Thank you. (End of public service message by FNT-based elites) :D

Back OT, I have only experienced two disruptions similar to the OP in flying out of FNT for the past four years. Once was due to inclement winter weather – and an in-op anti-skid system on the IB DC9 (which BTW never left DTW) – and once due to a mech on an Avro where NWA ops “stole” :( our DTW-bound ARJ and “gave” it to the MSP-bound pax with the bum BA bird. Other than those two occurrences I’ve managed to get to DTW just fine, although sometimes requiring hoofing it when the IB DTW-FNT-DTW turn was delayed and a tight connection had to be met.

I like FNT as a local airport (Holly is certainly local, same for Lapeer) and echo the aforementioned sentiments regarding parking, security, etc.

For outbound flights from FNT you don't need an upgrade to in the 'fast' security line because the line is always fast.

For a 16 minute flight, I'm not going to worry about upgrades, though I have had a FA offer me a drink while we were on final approach.

One technique we've used at FNT is for one of us to get the car from the remote lot while the other gets the luggage and brings it outside. No worrying about where it will come up or which door to meet at.

Usually the race is a tie even though it only takes five minutes to ride the shuttle to the remote lot, pay for parking, and drive across the street to the terminal.

<lol>

Bob H

Welcome to United Express in MKE! Unless you have a long connection in ORD, I wouldn't plan on making it because the flights seem to be the first to be canceled or pushed back an hour plus. It makes sense...they can tell everyone to pay $20 to take the bus and get there faster, saving the slot for more important flights at ORD. Fortunately you're not stranded, but I always think a few times before booking MKE-ORD on UA (no experience with AA). Here in MKE, you can always count on NWA, and those flights are under an hour...on good days, it can be shorter than getting to ORD from gate to gate.

Not really related, but had to rant...

Glad you saw the humor in my post. :D I was only kidding, well, maybe just a little. Guess I still remember being #2 on the UG waitlist and #1 - who got the last battlefield UG - and I got to talking before FC pre-board. He was from Ann Arbor, which I guess is closer to Flint than DTW. :rolleyes:

Anyway, yes, most of the hops are to DTW, but on occasion I'm on the morning MSP flight. Sure, still "only" an hour-and-a-half but I value the UG nevertheless. You never know when you may be held on the ground or diverted and that extra few inches makes for all the comfort in the world.

But, I digress, as I'm only looking out for your (and other's) best interests. Think about it... departing from DTW would give you more opportunities to maximize use of your WC membership. Those 25-50 minute connection hassles would be a thing of the past. ;)

FNT probs
 

ok, well - I hate to tell you but I have travelled out of flint every week since the first of the year (Except for one) usually sun-fri or mon-fri. And I do in fact live in Genesee county (Grand Blanc) that I why I use Bishop all the time. Overall the airport is great but its these last few weeks on NW that has been a problem.

I will tell you all what I tell most of the Platinums that "question" my upgrade if they look at my boarding pass while in line, and that is that I usually book P,B or Y fares due to the craziness of my schedule, so my upgrades are paid for and that is why I get them.

I had one guy argue with me that I was not entitled to an upgrade even if I paid for it.


on another note - I can't stand driving to metro paying 100 bucks to park and deal with all that mess getting through security. The FNT personnel overall are very nice and helpful. I just wish NW could clean up their act as far as their flight in and out of there.

Im a Washtenaw FNT regular. It tacks on an extra 15 minutes to my drive vs. DTW, but I make it up easily in parking and security. I fly a FNT route at least once per month but have yet to experience a canceled flight. However, ive had a few crew rest issues as well, although they have resulted in delays, not cancellations :confused: Comair/ASA makes NW look like saints compared to the amount of problems they have....

I use FNT often and don't usually have a serious problem.

Last one I remember was from sudden dense fog at DTW that diverted planes to FNT and caused the usual 6 AMish flight to not leave until 1 PM. On that one, the GA was marvelous in his use of the gateway to onload two planes back to back that arrived at the same gate since the diverted planes were blocking the other one. Had them pull in on either side of the gate and moved the gateway from one plane to another as soon as the first was done. Quick thinking chap.

Often I'm on the 1:30ish flight out of FNT to DTW... and that often with a less than 60 minute connect to the next leg out of DTW... that has lead to some nervious moments with small delays on the FNT side but so far, no missed connections.

Fares are sometimes lower to final destination starting at FNT instead of DTW... and of course the extra EQM and EQS are nice and help maintain status levels.

And this leg either way really can show differences in FA performance. Some will serve preflight drinks, some will not. Every once in a while, someone does a drink service while in flight... that's pretty amazing given the really short air time. And sometimes, nothing at all. And once this winter, the lead FA refused to take any coats because the flight time was too short. That's only happened that one time.

And as others have said, you do have to love the really short security "lines"... I almost never have one at all. Parking costs less (much less!) and service from the remote parking is almost always very fast.

All in all, a nice place.

"The horror, a Silver actually thinking he can purchase FC and enter the exclusive Platinum club cabin. Humph!" ;)

It's amazing that someone actually had the ***** to say that to you. Hello, McFly! You don't even need a WP account or status of any kind to buy a FC ticket. :rolleyes:

A couple of nights in a hotel certainly costs more than a car rental.

Perhaps they would not pay for a car due to potential liability if you were involved in an accident?

A few weeks ago, my buddy was flying FNT-DTW-NRT in business on a $9000 ticket.

FNT-DTW was cancelled and the agent told my friend that only one 12 passenger bus was available and he couldn't guarantee my friend would be let on!

My friend called his wife to come back and she drove him and another passenger to DTW.

$9000 doesn't buy the level of service it used to! :confused: