NWA computer problems ground hundreds
Passengers rebooked online, on phone
July 26, 2006
A computer problem at Northwest Airlines shut down many of the check-in systems at Detroit Metro Airport on Tuesday, causing massive lines for passengers, many of whom were delayed or missed their flights.
The airline was still trying to fix the problem Tuesday night. According to Northwest spokesman Kurt Ebenhoch, 285 of Tuesday's scheduled 1,364 flights were delayed. The delays averaged 21 minutes, he said.
The problem, which started at about 1:30 p.m. Tuesday, hampered traffic at the airline's Minneapolis and Memphis hubs and affected smaller airports "to various degrees," the company said Tuesday.
Hundreds of Northwest passengers waited in snaking lines at Metro Airport wondering when they'll make it to their destinations as Northwest ticket agents tried to manually check in passengers.
It was hit or miss for the company's electronic kiosks, with some of them working and others unable to print boarding passes. Still others were unable to check in bags.
The problem caused "the delay and cancellation of some Northwest and Northwest Airlink flights in some locations in the U.S. and Canada," Northwest said in a statement Tuesday afternoon.
The airline suggests that customers check the status of their flight on www.nwa.com or on the airline's automated phone line 800-441-1818. The airline also encouraged passengers to check in and print their boarding passes online.
"Northwest apologizes to its customers for any inconvenience this issue has caused, and thanks them for their extraordinary patience. The airline's information technology department is working to restore the system to its normal operating level as quickly as possible," the company said in a statement.
Northwest also will waive fees to change travel plans scheduled for Tuesday and today. Passengers will be able to reschedule their plans on or before Aug. 1 with no fees.
Flights were departing at Detroit Metro, where Northwest operates more than 500 flights a day, but many passengers were left waiting after missing their flights because they couldn't check in.
"It's been a nightmare," said Peter Johnson, 48, of Raleigh, N.C. Johnson expected to catch a connection to Des Moines, Iowa, at 3 p.m. "It looks like I'm going to get routed through Minneapolis tomorrow and I might get there at 12," he said.
The lines for domestic travel started to shorten after 8 p.m. as passengers trying to rebook left the airport to book over the phone.
Marian Reynolds, 44, of Harrison Township was waiting in line trying to rebook her daughter's flight to visit her aunt in Phoenix. Karen Jones, 14, missed her 7:30 flight because her mother, Marian, needed a pass from the airline's computer system to walk Karen to her gate. "We're still standing in the bloody line. We've been standing in it since 10 minutes after four."
The Reynolds left shortly after Karen's father, Neal, while at the airport, booked a flight for her on Wednesday using his cell phone.
The computer troubles at Northwest ended up affecting passengers at other carriers. Passengers waiting for a 7 p.m. Air France flight headed to Paris waited among more than 100 people because of the affiliation between KLM, owned by Air France, and Northwest.
"I have no idea what to expect," said Hosn Assaf, who drove from Cleveland to catch her flight from Detroit to Paris. After that, she, her two children and husband were supposed to be off to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Then, at around 9:20, the flight was canceled. Some passengers took the wait and the frustration in stride, making new friends with those around them in line and listening to the 25-member African Children's Choir sing. They were waiting for the Air France flight.
"People are so nice and so patient," said Joan Sutherland of Waterford, waiting in line to send her 16-year-old exchange student, Jennie Lalliard, off on the Air France flight.
Passengers rebooked online, on phone
July 26, 2006
A computer problem at Northwest Airlines shut down many of the check-in systems at Detroit Metro Airport on Tuesday, causing massive lines for passengers, many of whom were delayed or missed their flights.
The airline was still trying to fix the problem Tuesday night. According to Northwest spokesman Kurt Ebenhoch, 285 of Tuesday's scheduled 1,364 flights were delayed. The delays averaged 21 minutes, he said.
The problem, which started at about 1:30 p.m. Tuesday, hampered traffic at the airline's Minneapolis and Memphis hubs and affected smaller airports "to various degrees," the company said Tuesday.
Hundreds of Northwest passengers waited in snaking lines at Metro Airport wondering when they'll make it to their destinations as Northwest ticket agents tried to manually check in passengers.
It was hit or miss for the company's electronic kiosks, with some of them working and others unable to print boarding passes. Still others were unable to check in bags.
The problem caused "the delay and cancellation of some Northwest and Northwest Airlink flights in some locations in the U.S. and Canada," Northwest said in a statement Tuesday afternoon.
The airline suggests that customers check the status of their flight on www.nwa.com or on the airline's automated phone line 800-441-1818. The airline also encouraged passengers to check in and print their boarding passes online.
"Northwest apologizes to its customers for any inconvenience this issue has caused, and thanks them for their extraordinary patience. The airline's information technology department is working to restore the system to its normal operating level as quickly as possible," the company said in a statement.
Northwest also will waive fees to change travel plans scheduled for Tuesday and today. Passengers will be able to reschedule their plans on or before Aug. 1 with no fees.
Flights were departing at Detroit Metro, where Northwest operates more than 500 flights a day, but many passengers were left waiting after missing their flights because they couldn't check in.
"It's been a nightmare," said Peter Johnson, 48, of Raleigh, N.C. Johnson expected to catch a connection to Des Moines, Iowa, at 3 p.m. "It looks like I'm going to get routed through Minneapolis tomorrow and I might get there at 12," he said.
The lines for domestic travel started to shorten after 8 p.m. as passengers trying to rebook left the airport to book over the phone.
Marian Reynolds, 44, of Harrison Township was waiting in line trying to rebook her daughter's flight to visit her aunt in Phoenix. Karen Jones, 14, missed her 7:30 flight because her mother, Marian, needed a pass from the airline's computer system to walk Karen to her gate. "We're still standing in the bloody line. We've been standing in it since 10 minutes after four."
The Reynolds left shortly after Karen's father, Neal, while at the airport, booked a flight for her on Wednesday using his cell phone.
The computer troubles at Northwest ended up affecting passengers at other carriers. Passengers waiting for a 7 p.m. Air France flight headed to Paris waited among more than 100 people because of the affiliation between KLM, owned by Air France, and Northwest.
"I have no idea what to expect," said Hosn Assaf, who drove from Cleveland to catch her flight from Detroit to Paris. After that, she, her two children and husband were supposed to be off to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Then, at around 9:20, the flight was canceled. Some passengers took the wait and the frustration in stride, making new friends with those around them in line and listening to the 25-member African Children's Choir sing. They were waiting for the Air France flight.
"People are so nice and so patient," said Joan Sutherland of Waterford, waiting in line to send her 16-year-old exchange student, Jennie Lalliard, off on the Air France flight.
