Tuesday, July 20, 2004
Elephant to NWA, GFY!
Independence Air Let's Elephant Escape NorthWest Airlines
Anyone who regularly visits Michigan or Minnesota knows what I'm talking about. Both cities are huge Northwest Airlines hubs and flying into either state usually requires flying Northwest. For years, we've had to deal with high prices (Elephant flew to Paris in April for less than it cost him to fly to Michigan for Christmas) and poor service. Here are some examples:
Flights from DC to Grand Rapids, MI frequently cost more that trips from DC to LA.
A few years ago, I was flying home for Christmas on or about December 21. My flight into Detroit arrived on time, but because there was no-one to operate the jetway, I missed my connection. The agent informed me that they'd rebooked me on another flight, for December 25! No hotel, no apologies, no compensation. I ended up renting a car and driving 4 hours to my destination.
Well, the good news is that DC just got a new carrier, Independence Air. This week they launched an all out fare war with Northwest by offering $58 round trip fares between DC and Lansing, Michigan, plus $25 off your first ticket. So, Elephant is will likely be flying home for his nephews birthday for roughly $33.
Competition is wonderful!
Anyone who regularly visits Michigan or Minnesota knows what I'm talking about. Both cities are huge Northwest Airlines hubs and flying into either state usually requires flying Northwest. For years, we've had to deal with high prices (Elephant flew to Paris in April for less than it cost him to fly to Michigan for Christmas) and poor service. Here are some examples:
Flights from DC to Grand Rapids, MI frequently cost more that trips from DC to LA.
A few years ago, I was flying home for Christmas on or about December 21. My flight into Detroit arrived on time, but because there was no-one to operate the jetway, I missed my connection. The agent informed me that they'd rebooked me on another flight, for December 25! No hotel, no apologies, no compensation. I ended up renting a car and driving 4 hours to my destination.
Well, the good news is that DC just got a new carrier, Independence Air. This week they launched an all out fare war with Northwest by offering $58 round trip fares between DC and Lansing, Michigan, plus $25 off your first ticket. So, Elephant is will likely be flying home for his nephews birthday for roughly $33.
Competition is wonderful!
