Ask a QuestionCommitment - Allow Reservations to be Held or Cancelled
| Northwest Airlines will allow our customers to refund a ticket without penalty for up to 24 hours in order to give customers an opportunity to check for lower fares through other distribution systems, such as travel agents or the Internet. |
Northwest Airlines offers many fare types within two major fare categories of refundable and non-refundable tickets. Refundable tickets will remain fully refundable whenever the customer chooses to exercise that option as long as the ticket is valid.
Northwest has introduced the following rule for non-refundable tickets.
Rule: When a ticket with a cancellation penalty is purchased on the same day the reservation is made, the ticket will remain fully refundable through midnight the next day.
This rule allows customers who meet the fare ticketing requirements, to guarantee their reservation and fare if they choose to purchase their reservation when it is made, with the option to receive a refund if they decide to cancel their reservation by the end of the following day.
In most cases such as with "Instant Ticket" fares, a customer is required to make the purchase at the same time they make a reservation, but are also allowed the option of a full refund if they cancel the next day.
- Northwest's Reservations Agents will advise customers of this rule during the recap of their reservation or earlier in the discussion to ensure that customers fully understand the new policy.
- Tickets by Mail, which are usually processed immediately, will be held during the "holding period" to allow easier processing of a refund if the customer decides to cancel the tickets.
- If a customer decides to seek a refund during the holding period, they will not be allowed to re-use a discount certificate (paper or E-ticket) that has been redeemed for the purchase of a ticket, or upgrade fees paid will not be refunded.
Training
- Northwest Reservations has updated the agent new-hire training manual to explain this rule on non-refundable tickets.
- Northwest has conducted 2-hour classroom training sessions for all Reservations Agents and supervisors to discuss the Customers First initiative and the company's action plan and the initiatives specific to Reservations.
- Northwest Reservations conducted an awareness campaign through memos, handouts, posters, and incentives to reinforce the new Customers First concepts.
Measurement
- NWA uses both existing internal and new external audits to track Reservations Agents' compliance with the Customers First initiatives.
Internal Audit: Each month, Northwest coaching supervisors listen to each Reservations Agent to assess the quality and accuracy of their interaction with customers. To facilitate the call review, the supervisors use a standard "Call Review Form." Following each monthly call review cycle, the supervisor holds a one-on-one coaching session with each agent. The calls are discussed and agents are coached for improvement.
When the Customers First initiatives were implemented, Northwest amended the Call Review Form to incorporate the specific Customers First elements and trained the supervisors to listen for the Customers First areas on every call review. The results are reviewed monthly and training/coaching adjusted accordingly.
External Audit: Northwest contracts a third party to place "mystery calls" to our five Reservations centers to test DOT mandates and other issues of compliance. We expanded this service to include 100 calls per center per quarter (500 calls/quarter) to test Customers First compliance and have adjusted training/coaching accordingly.
