Innovations in Travel Technology

Wireless Access
Northwest continues to lead the industry in wireless technologies, efforts that have contributed to numerous Web site awards. Northwest has customized its Web site, nwa.com, for hand-held computers and browsers, which means most Palm ComputingSM browsers and other handheld devices can easily view a condensed version of nwa.com. Through NWA’s Handheld WorldWeb, customers are able to display account information, download flight schedules and receive an instant link every Wednesday through Saturday to CyberSavers, Northwest’s low weekend travel deals and simplified airport maps for hub cities.

Northwest’s Web site, www.nwa.com, has received a host of awards and recognitions from some of the most prestigious and knowledgeable Internet researchers and surveyors:

Selected as one of ActivMedia Research’s top 100 consumer e-commerce Web sites;
Ranked one of the top 25 one-to-one Web sites by Peppers Rogers Group;
Received the award for “Best redesign of a Web site” by World magazine, and;
Received the #1 spot in customer confidence and finished overall in the Spring 2000 Airline Scorecard rankings from the Gomez Advisors.
These awards are in addition to the January 2000 selection of nwa.com as top airline site by ZDNet.com and the top airline site in customer service by Forrester Research.


Flight Information Paging
Using this system, an email is sent to a customer’s alphanumeric pager, PCS phone or email inbox prior to the scheduled departure or arrival time. The message contains current departure or arrival time and gate information. Customers can be notified one to four hours prior to the estimated departure or arrival time.

Internet Check-In
Among the most exciting initiatives is Internet check-in. Northwest will be the first major network carrier to launch the service that will allow customers to complete their entire check-in process – including printing boarding passes – directly from their PCs. Customers who don’t need to check luggage can go to nwa.com and enter one of the following: a major credit card number, a flight confirmation number, or their WorldPerks number. From there, they can change their seat assignment, upgrade themselves (if fare and space allow), confirm their seat, print out their boarding pass directly from their PC, bypass all check-in lines at the airport, and go directly to the boarding agent. The agent will scan the bar code on the boarding pass, ask the customer for ID, and then it’s on to the plane. Northwest began testing this new technology with a small number of corporate clients in March. Additional corporate clients will be added to the test group later this year, and Northwest expects a full rollout to all customers by early 2001.

Portable Agent
As an effective means of eliminating long lines, Northwest ticket agents in Minneapolis/St. Paul and Detroit are testing Portable Agent Workstations (PAWs). The PAW is a hand-held personal computer similar to those used by rental car companies. Customers can bypass waiting in long lines for the next available ticket agent, because the agent will come to the customer. With the PAW, agents can check in customers and give them their boarding passes. More than 3,000 customers have already been checked in using the PAW since testing began in December. Northwest is the only major airline to have the hand-held devices.

E-Service Centers
Self-service electronic service (E-service) centers enable passengers to check in, check luggage, and get boarding passes – all up to six hours before departure. Passengers also can confirm or change seat assignments, enter or change a WorldPerks number on a reservation, and arrange seating upgrades. In addition, if a flight is delayed or cancelled, passengers can use E-service centers to book an alternate flight; soon, qualified passengers also will be able to receive “service recovery packets,” including a prepaid phone card, amenity coupons, and credit certificates toward future flights.

Already a leader in airport self-service check-in technology – having logged over two million E-Service Center check-ins in 1999 – Northwest has increased the number of airports offering E-Service Center kiosks from 20 to 35 as of June 1, just in time for the busy summer travel season. During the first half of the year, the airline has more than doubled the total number of machines – from 114 to 240.

Aircraft Situation Display
Northwest uses this interactive graphic display for real-time aircraft tracking. This sophisticated system helps our pilots navigate around severe weather and turbulence, ensuring customer safety and comfort