Site Admin

Joined: 17 Jun 2005
Posts: 949
Location: Carmel, IN

I'm interested in feedback as people try the new nonstop services on NW to the non-hub cities. Please feel free to post a review of your experiences as you fly one of the new routes. Even if it's only new to you!

Here are some questions to guide your reviews:
1. What kind of aircraft?
2. Date/time/flight number/seat number
3. Fare you paid (if you want to disclose it) and fares on competing arilines that you may have considered before choosing NW
4. How was the service at the airport, including security lines?
5. What did you think of the crew/flight attendant(s)?
6. Baggage handling at the destination airport if you checked bags
7. Overall convenience of the service
etc, etc., etc., .....

Site Admin

Joined: 17 Jun 2005
Posts: 949
Location: Carmel, IN

I flew the new IND-MCI service roundtrip 2/28-3/1/2005. I travel to Kansas City four or five times per year, and this was the first nonstop I flew to MCI on an airline other than WN (moo!).

Even though this was a business fare for travel in the middle of the week, I paid only about $225 (actually, my company paid that!). I thought checkin at the airport using the self-serve kiosk was a smooth as expected. I checked a bag and the agent was very friendly. Security was a nightmare, though. I was on the morning flight, and it was very crowded at the airport that day. This was before the consolidation of NW flights into Terminal A, so there were several big WN 737s crowded full of vacationers (moo!) trying to get through the checkpoint. They only had 2 lines open despite the large numbers of people trying to get through.

I got through security with about 15 minutes to spare. The flight was right on time, and I sat in 2D. This was the full-size CRJ, not the version with fewer seats where 2C and 2D have a "footrest" in front of them. So I was packed into the tin can like a sardine. Longish flight for a regional jet at just over 2 hours. But we landed a few minutes early, the flight attendant was very courteous, I got my planeside bag fairly quickly, and my checked bag was first off the plane.

All in all, no complaints here. As I said, I used to fly WN on this route, simply because it was the only nonstop that existed between IND and MCI. I can't stand flying WN. Now I have a great alternative.