"It's not flushing properly"

When you will get to where you are going is up in the air these days.

For the second summer in a row I succeeded in getting a reasonably priced high season airline seat across the Atlantic by booking close to the 4th of July, when loads are lighter.

What has changed this year are the delays and cancellations at Northwest. To solve the problem NWA decided to cut back the flight schedule until furloughed pilots can be recalled. Don't look now, but NWA cut two of the daily flights from MSP-FAR-MSP. The gate agent was told this would be for one week only. Add to that the fact that Pinnacle/Mesaba are now covering more of that daily fight load with fifty passenger jets. There were thunderstorms east of Fargo the afternoon I was to leave. The 430 flight was cut from the schedule leaving only the 630 flight to connect to the last MSP-Amsterdam flight of the day at 930. "Remember, NWA will not pay for your hotel room if you miss the connection. It's weather."

Arriving at Hector I found out the flight was already an hour late. This turned into a ninety minute delay giving me thirty minutes to connect from the NE end of MSP (A14) to the SW end (G6). Without the tram I would have been toast. Not just me, but the other three connecting passengers who relied on me to get them there. Another change I am still getting used to is the outsourced ground staff at Hector in Fargo. I used to know some of the NWA ground staff and appreciated them. I am just starting to appreciate the newbies. The cancellations and delays have the ground staff stressed.

The single flight attendant on the Pinnacle flight was on her first flight since completing flight school. The pilot asked the customers to take it easy on her. "Due to expected turbulence please remain in your seats with your seat belts fastened. There will be no beverage service and don't think about using the toilet either, it's not flushing properly."

It was reassuring to recognize one of the cabin staff, Sheri Schmidt, on the flight to Amsterdam. Her service was as attentive as the last time I flew with her this spring. She is a hard-working attentive, intuitive Flight Attendant.

The new Airbus A330s NWA now flies across the Atlantic are quickly making amends for the years of flying the antiquated though usually reliable DC10s. The ten year old French boy sitting (with iPod Shuffle and digital camera) next to me and who had just come from Coors Field, was visibly proud of his country's Airbus as we hurtled down the runway. He was proud to have his own personal tv screen with all the instructions in French, German and English. He watched movies (in French?) until conking out after about six hours. His aunt was seated four rows back on the other side. I said au revior to Etienne as he pointed out to his aunt the direction of the gate for Paris.