Aug. 24--We're not alone.
That's the very important news that came out of Tuesday's meeting in Bismarck between Northwest Airlines and six regional airports, including Grand Forks.
A one-hour to three-hour drive separates North Dakota's biggest cities, so it's easy for people in, say, Grand Forks to ignore Bismarck or Jamestown's local concerns. But we probably should pay more attention on certain issues because it turns out that where Northwest Airlines is concerned, everybody's got a beef.
"Bismarck Mayor John Warford said the company staffing Bismarck's NWA counter has had a 37 percent employee turnover rate since it took over last year, and the result is a dramatic drop in customer service," reported Forum Communications' Janell Cole.
In Jamestown, meanwhile, Northwest at one point canceled all its flights for two days in a row, according to the story. But some passengers didn't get the word, and when they showed up, Northwest had no agent at the airport to help them, the airport manager in Jamestown said.
Even Fargo and its airport, North Dakota's behemoth, has serious complaints.
And that's news here in Grand Forks. The Grand Forks airport has had problems with Northwest for years. The airline almost seems to go out of its way to raise prices, cut service and otherwise slight Grand Forks travelers. But most of those travelers (and a good many public officials) probably would say that small-market Grand Forks has too little clout to do anything about it.
As for asking other airports for help -- are you kidding? Those airports are competitors, not allies. When Grand Forks loses, they win.
That probably was a shortsighted attitude, it turns out. Because all six of the airports represented -- Grand Forks, Fargo, Bismarck, Jamestown, Minot and Devils Lake -- have serious problems with Northwest.
And together, the six of them carry a lot of weight. For travelers who've missed too many flights and spent too many hours cooling their heels in the Minneapolis airport, it was vicariously satisfying to read about Northwest's executives sweating in their seats while getting roasted by complaints from North Dakota's airport managers and mayors.
Two further points: First, North Dakota's cities should learn Tuesday's lesson well. Where there's unity, there's strength, and the cities and their airports should find some way of speaking with one voice to Northwest on certain issues.
Second, congratulations to Sen. Byron Dorgan, D-N.D., who set up the meeting.
Dorgan -- who recently brought the heads of America's four national energy labs to UND and North Dakota State University -- is proving very adept at getting the right people together in the same room. That's a valuable skill, especially in a state such as North Dakota, where distance and isolation are problems. The senator deserves the state's thanks.
- Tom Dennis for the Herald
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