Pros

- Somewhat cliche, but hard work gets recognized and rewarded
- Overall compensation is decent relative to peer companies and industries
- Vital industry to global economy
- Constant crisis / firefighting creates opportunities to prove your worth

Cons

- Constant crisis / firefighting, particularly with unions, gets tiresome
- Negative public image never subsides; constantly defending yourself with neighborhood friends
- Many lifers get into upper level positions and never leave. Some seem to get title inflation based on seniority in the position. Must be the heavy unionism influence on management decision making

Advice to Senior Management

- Too late, but don't sell out to the saps in ATL. Or maybe do sell out and let the world see how well they can deal with unions.

Pros

Great benefits, ample time off, good ability to choose schedule.

Cons

Currently a very volatile industry. If you are at the bottom seniority wise, you will be very vulnerable to layoffs and mandatory base transfers for quite a long time. You had better be flexible about that.

Advice to Senior Management

Just listen to the rank and file regarding the staffing levels and products we should be offering our passengers. We know what they want and what is possible to deliver.

Pros

Great flying benefit!
Great people to work with!
Never boring working at the airport!
Work schedule is flexible as you can trade days off with others!

Cons

Working hours suck!
No advancement what so ever!
Union protection (I like the protection, but it just protect alot of lazy people and I ended up getting punished by doing their jobs too.

Advice to Senior Management

Stop micro manage people who has been there hell a lot longer than you are. WE KNOW WHAT TO DO! Other than that, you guys did great!

Pros

Some flexibility for trading your work hours or days off. There are flight benefits however it is becoming increasingly difficult to use them. They sometimes offer "convenience leaves of absence" where employees can take anywhere from one day to six months off without pay , sometimes getting to keep medical benefits and travel benefits.

Cons

There always seems to be negative morale, because the company always seems to be in a crisis requiring pay cuts, concessions or layoffs. Many positions require membership to a union even if you prefer to to be a member. They sometimes have forced overtime where you have to stay up to four hours more on your shift. It is very difficult to get holidays off.

Advice to Senior Management

Treat all employees the way you want the external customer treated.

Pros

In the past, the reason for working for Northwest Airlines was the travel benefits. Since 1980 there has been a marked decline in the travel benefit. Today, in 2009 most employees travelling standby (i.e. non-revenue) find it nearly impossible to get on flights because of newly increased over-booking policies. Thus, the standby travel benefit is no longer a actual benefit.

Cons

Some of the downsides of working for Northwest Airlines are:

1. Job insecurity
2. Non competitive/Low wages
3. Incompetent Management Staff
4. Insensitive Management Staff
5. Out of tune Management Staff
6. Management by Intimidation
7. Non-diverse workplace

Advice to Senior Management

Dear Senior Management,
Please take this letter with the sincerity that it was written. You're facing a very serious internal problem with your employees. Internal descension is impeding your ability to progress. Incompetent, insensitive, and out of tune management has a direct effect on your employees moral. With the Delta merger there needs to be a complete house cleaning. This cleaning needs to start at the very top management level. Longevity does not equate to competence. This is 2009 and a global diverse economy and world. Your business and business model must reflect this. As I walk around here in Eagan, Mn in NW Building A, I see no diverse management in the upper levels of the company. What a shame when we call ourselves a global company. Does anyone speak spanish or cantonese or represent those nations? Why are your employees so unhappy? Unhappy employees are not as productive as happy employees. Spreadsheet statistics have proven this. The old days of non-communication, and management by intimidation are OVER. Get serious about making Northwest Airlines a better place/good place for people to work.

Signed,
A current employee

Pros

The people you work with. The flexible lifestyle and travel opportunities. The incredible opportunity for personal growth. You are exposed to many points of view and lifestyles by virtue of who you work with. You passengers too add to your knowledge should you take the opportunity to engage them in conversation. There is no better education than travel . It stimulates an individual to learn more about every aspect of a destination be it cultural or political It stimulates one to read and reflect on every nation's influence on the greater global community. In essence, travel promotes world peace and understanding.

Cons

The flexibility in the job comes at the price of jet lag and being gone holidays. The pull of gravity on the body as one ages is challenging as is being exposed to the levels of radiation as a result of flying over the pole. In actuality, being a member of a flight crew is hazardous. We are expected to handle a multitude of situations graciously yet successfully and flawlessly at thirty thousand feet. All without offending anyone! We are exposed to communacable diseases and the threat of terrorists. It seems the obnoxious drunk is the least of the worries and responsibilities in todays world.

Advice to Senior Management

Stop setting the company and the employees up to fulfill unrealistic public expectations based on some flamboyant add campaign or price war. And stop apologizing for the lack of food service and other extravagances. Most passengers complained about the food anyway. Airline management needs to remember that they are in the business of getting their passengers to their destination safely and as close to schedule as possible. The price wars came at the price of labor taking pay cuts. If you pay your people what they are worth, they will be loyal to you to a fault..If not, everyone suffers.

Pros

A flexible work schedule allows for choices with regards to family.

Cons

Depending on your position you are either the bug or the windshield. Generally neither is great but the windshield goes on without much change. Interesting how employees within the same company have totally different experiences. I am not only "Just a number" but even less. I KNOW that I give more than 90% of the work force. There is no way to get respect or recognition. Those who do, have generally found a way to get what they don't deserve. Almost 30 years and it means nothing and those rewarded played somebody.

Advice to Senior Management

You show no signs of wanting the truth.

Pros

The flight benefits are great. If you like to travel, and are willing to put forth a little time and effort learning how to use the travel benefits, it is well worth it! Being a smaller company, management knows many of the employees, so you're not just a number as in many bigger companies.

Cons

A very competivie industry right now, so pay remains lower than outside the airline industry. But you can far more than make up the difference with flight benefits if you try. There is also uncertainty right now about what will happen as Delta takes over NW, the parent company of Mesaba.

Advice to Senior Management

I think management is doing a good job given the curves that have been thrown, i.e. Bankruptcy a couple years ago, takeover by Northwest Airlines, and then takeover by Delta Airlines.

Pros

For Days off, health insurance.

Cons

Management is cut throat, not worried about employee moral.

Advice to Senior Management

They would be surprised at how much better their employees would perform w/basics like respect, acknowledgement and better quality of life issues

Pros

Travel benefits, health benefits, ability to make a part-time job pay as a full-time job, ability to work in my hometown, ability to work around my schedule, able to work as a union employee, ability to work domestic or international flights.

Cons

Management--some of the worst in the industry. Good 'ole boy management rotating between all airlines. Inability to see the problems that might bite you in the ass. Inability to see the forest for the trees(can't go hunting for dollars when you are on the ground looking for pennies). Headquarted in the "frozen trundra".

Advice to Senior Management

Get the hell out --so someone else could give it a try