Just some food for thought for those complaining about NWA's
abysmal service:
NWA emerged from Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection today.
Operational and fiscal restructuring during the period of
bankruptcy has, according to industry analysts, made NWA into the
most cost-competitive airline currently operating in North America.
In fact, NWA reported a $100 million net profit in the most recent
quarter.
However, it has not been an easy path. Employees were forced to
make huge wage and salary concessions and work longer hours to keep
the airline afloat. Just to give a couple of examples: a senior
flight attendant with 15 years of experience at NWA saw her salary
drop from $45,000 to $34,000, and she had to work longer hours. My
good friend Jim, who's a senior captain on the 757 fleet, was
forced to take a 39% reduction in his total compensation package as
a result of the deal struck between the pilots' union and the
airline.
The airline is solvent, but you won't find a lot of happy employees
there.
