When did you begin to suspect you were flying NW a little too much?
#1
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Original Poster
Join Date: May 2006
Programs: DL SkyClub Lifer
Posts: 10,000
When did you begin to suspect you were flying NW a little too much?
Other forums here have "You know you fly (carrier) too much" threads, but I didn't see one for Northwest. Since we're going through the merger, I've chosen to title this one in a gentle past tense. But anyway... so, when did you begin to suspect this?
I've thought over a bunch of things I've encountered that were a little unusual. Not all of them were specifically due to "flying NW a little too much" - some could also be blamed on being a FTer, and others on doing things that gave NWA reason to believe I might have LTV that wasn't flat-out awful. But there are some that are really "familiarity breeds..." so I narrowed it down a little.
My first time: GA got on the plane to hand over the paperwork before closing the flight, pointed me out to the purser, told them to take good care of me, and gave me a hug goodbye.
My latest reminder: FA came by my seat and whispered how annoying it is to get the 2L jumpseat and have to listen to a silver elite in the exit seat gab about how they know everything and are all that. (On the same flight, at least 2 passengers asked me to help them with things, having apparently decided that I was just out of uniform...)
I've thought over a bunch of things I've encountered that were a little unusual. Not all of them were specifically due to "flying NW a little too much" - some could also be blamed on being a FTer, and others on doing things that gave NWA reason to believe I might have LTV that wasn't flat-out awful. But there are some that are really "familiarity breeds..." so I narrowed it down a little.
My first time: GA got on the plane to hand over the paperwork before closing the flight, pointed me out to the purser, told them to take good care of me, and gave me a hug goodbye.
My latest reminder: FA came by my seat and whispered how annoying it is to get the 2L jumpseat and have to listen to a silver elite in the exit seat gab about how they know everything and are all that. (On the same flight, at least 2 passengers asked me to help them with things, having apparently decided that I was just out of uniform...)
#2
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: DCA
Programs: NW Plat, DL Silver
Posts: 106
When I tried to login to my bank's website and realized, after many failed attempts, that I was entering my 9 digit WP number in the (also 9 digit) social security number field!
#3
Join Date: Nov 2002
Location: MSP; SM with status & many BIS miles
Programs: AA, WN & many Hotels... avoids UA like the plague!
Posts: 1,019
Pre-9/11, had a boarding pass from one segment, however no ticket stup (before etickets as we know today), was about to board and was pulled aside, GA or supervisor looked at me, typed something and said to the effect, "ah, Mr. Hooverer, not a problem, we will clear it up, please go ahead and take your usual seat and have a nice..."
Another, e-tickets were new, a GA could not find my reservation reservation, remembering what another GA had told me recently, mentioned a cryptic code + WP number + something else, and everything for my reservation came up including upgrade and all was well, needless to say, had to explain how I new the commands.
Another, similar to above however on DL, an agent had told me how to "hook" or when to mention the term to a GA, it worked, ah, the days before e-tickets as we know now.
On-board, woke up from a power nap to find white linen towel on my right shoulder as I was in the shakespere set, realizing that I may have been snoring and the FAs were concerned about my nap, after getting up and going to rest room to freshen up, saw the FA in FC sitting in 1B on break, went to gally and poured and served the FA Coffee as well as a few others in the near empty front cabin.
-H
Another, e-tickets were new, a GA could not find my reservation reservation, remembering what another GA had told me recently, mentioned a cryptic code + WP number + something else, and everything for my reservation came up including upgrade and all was well, needless to say, had to explain how I new the commands.
Another, similar to above however on DL, an agent had told me how to "hook" or when to mention the term to a GA, it worked, ah, the days before e-tickets as we know now.
On-board, woke up from a power nap to find white linen towel on my right shoulder as I was in the shakespere set, realizing that I may have been snoring and the FAs were concerned about my nap, after getting up and going to rest room to freshen up, saw the FA in FC sitting in 1B on break, went to gally and poured and served the FA Coffee as well as a few others in the near empty front cabin.
-H
#4
In memoriam
Join Date: May 2005
Location: DAL
Programs: SWA A list preferred and CP, Hilton Lifetime Diamond, Hertz President's club
Posts: 9,803
FA's stopping me in the MSP airport to see how I am doing and where I am off to this time..........the FA who brought me "my regular" drink without even asking what I would have...The Boston based FA who now keeps counts how many times we have flown together!
My favorite used to be when I was flying out of BGM (before moving to MSP) and the ground crew who would wave to me if they saw me looking out the window when they were marsalling the plane/bringing in the jet bridge.
Know its not NW but my favorite yet is when the TSA folks at the Skyway at MSP noticed I got new luggage and told me they liked the pattern on the old one better...
Gag my life is sad!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
My favorite used to be when I was flying out of BGM (before moving to MSP) and the ground crew who would wave to me if they saw me looking out the window when they were marsalling the plane/bringing in the jet bridge.
Know its not NW but my favorite yet is when the TSA folks at the Skyway at MSP noticed I got new luggage and told me they liked the pattern on the old one better...
Gag my life is sad!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
#5
In memoriam
Join Date: May 2005
Location: DAL
Programs: SWA A list preferred and CP, Hilton Lifetime Diamond, Hertz President's club
Posts: 9,803
Oh yeah and when I educated the WC staff a couple weeks ago about being able to gift someone Silver Elite once you cross a certain number of miles in a year..........
#6
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: Upstate, NY
Posts: 3,359
Similarly when the NW staff at ELM and BGM started asking me how quickly I had made the drive from ITH! Catching the 6 am flights out of either I can make some REALLY good time from ITH since no other road traffic!
#7
Suspended
Join Date: Apr 2008
Programs: DL Platinum, Delta Reserve, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 191
Once I flew on a A319 from LAX to Mem. That's when I knew I flew NW way too much.
#8
Join Date: Aug 1999
Location: Alexandria, VA, USA NW Platinum Elite Since 1999, United GoldMM, Hyatt Plat, SPG Gold, Hilton Gold, Hertz #1 Gold, IC Ambassador, Avis Chairman's
Posts: 7,445
I know I'm flying to much when I come in the door to my favorite WorldClub and the agents there greet me by name... and then ask how my mom is doing
and another when the Purser asked me if I'd like my usual White Russian... which he remembered from a month or two previous...
and another when the Purser asked me if I'd like my usual White Russian... which he remembered from a month or two previous...
#9
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Verdi, NV, SFO & Olympic (aka Squaw )Valley.
Programs: Ikon Pass Full + AS Gold + Marriott Titanium + Hilton Gold. Recovering UA Plat. LT lounge AA+DL+UA
Posts: 3,815
Where do I start? Was it when the agents at my home airport said they would just "trust me" for my China visa? Or when I started asking agents about which crew members would serve which section of BF? When an agent at PVG started recognizing me by name? All I know is that for me it is the people that made the red tail the best way to cross the Pacific.
#10
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: SFO
Programs: UA Silver
Posts: 1,155
Several times I intended to visit nba.com for the latest basketball news, and I ended up at nwa.com.
#11
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: SJC/SFO/OAK
Programs: NW-PE (ret.) DL-Diamond & 1M, Hertz #1, UA-1P
Posts: 837
1) the time my MSP-SDF was cancelled and I recited from memory the alternate connections with times for my preferred re-route.
2) when I joined a conversation between a GA and another pax who was also taking a VDB (SFO-MSP); after a minute or two the GA said to the pax something along the lines of 'this gentleman can help you decide what you want to do while I finish closing the flight.'
2) when I joined a conversation between a GA and another pax who was also taking a VDB (SFO-MSP); after a minute or two the GA said to the pax something along the lines of 'this gentleman can help you decide what you want to do while I finish closing the flight.'
#12
In memoriam, FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: May 2005
Location: PIT
Programs: DM life is over 2MM PM now & NW MillionAir Wyndham Rewards Plat -Hotels.com Silver -Accor Silver
Posts: 15,408
Once, I was rerouted - VDB, I think - and when the GA tried to get me an exit row seat on the later flight, she said that her computer wasn't allowing her to assign the exit rows, since she wasn't handling that particular flight. I had my laptop booted up - I said - nevermind, I can get the exit row seat online - hang on a second. She said - WOW! - you did it! - and she printed out my new BP!!!
Last week, leaving PIT for MEX, one of the GA's I know - FROM MEX - I handed her my BP and said, "Do you see where I'm going?" - She replied - "I know, say hi to my kids!!"
CO story - but, oh well . . .
PIT/EWR - monitor at gate showing on time. My Blackberry showing a delay, I asked the GA about the delay - she said, there isn't a delay - it's on time, but let me make a call. After the call, she said - you're right, it's delayed!!!
I'm sure I have a hundred other stories, but these are the first few that come to mind! (I'm known as a storyteller, so I'm sure I'll add to this when I remember more!)
Last week, leaving PIT for MEX, one of the GA's I know - FROM MEX - I handed her my BP and said, "Do you see where I'm going?" - She replied - "I know, say hi to my kids!!"
CO story - but, oh well . . .
PIT/EWR - monitor at gate showing on time. My Blackberry showing a delay, I asked the GA about the delay - she said, there isn't a delay - it's on time, but let me make a call. After the call, she said - you're right, it's delayed!!!
I'm sure I have a hundred other stories, but these are the first few that come to mind! (I'm known as a storyteller, so I'm sure I'll add to this when I remember more!)
#13
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Original Poster
Join Date: May 2006
Programs: DL SkyClub Lifer
Posts: 10,000
I've got quite a few too, but didn't want to list them all, so I only went with the first and latest for starters.
#14
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: DTW
Programs: NW Platinum Elite, *Wood Platinum, HHonors Diamond, Hertz PC, National Exec Elite
Posts: 1,644
That I can recite the entire safety speech, and when I fly other airlines, I get upset that it isn't the same as NWA
#15
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: DCA
Posts: 3,395
I know I'm flying to much when I come in the door to my favorite WorldClub and the agents there greet me by name... and then ask how my mom is doing
and another when the Purser asked me if I'd like my usual White Russian... which he remembered from a month or two previous...
and another when the Purser asked me if I'd like my usual White Russian... which he remembered from a month or two previous...