Good morning, and welcome. Good afternoon and welcome back to mid-day on Minnesota Public Radio. I'm John Raby sitting in for Gary. I can see her to go. She ate as for Northwest Airlines and it's Pilots union meeting around the clock at the motel in Brooklyn Park without a deal to six thousand members of the Northwest airline pilots Association are scheduled to walk away from the carrier's 406 plane at 11:01 tonight a deadline and Union spokesperson says will not be changed Northwest already has canceled 400 flights today. And tomorrow that were to have carried 25000 passengers Minnesota Public Radio. Jansen is at the Hyatt Regency in Downtown Minneapolis where the airline pilots Association has its pressroom. Eric wants the latest Apollo Moc who is being airline pilots Association. Spokesperson is still in Brooklyn Park where the negotiations are actually being held this morning. He said that he expects to return here by noon to get report us an update.Also to Inn at the Union's executive Council to start getting here by now to look up any new proposals from negotiators to the fact that he's still at the negotiation site in there yet. Give us the rundown of the key issues or out of this morning to deposit Union spokesman said that negotiations last night and this morning that focused on retirement and job security issues, especially in relation to Regional commuter jet service and Northwest proposed alliance with Continental Airlines. He says the two sides have not reached an agreement on pay at least they hadn't as of this morning and that that is you have been put aside leaving a lot to discuss between a between now and 11. He also said that he expected today to be very fluid in his words. They have asked Northwest for trying for the executive Council look over a tentative agreement here rather than his self in Brooklyn Park.Office strike with only tentative agreement in Brooklyn Park if it's if it's the coast of the last minute tonight in Downtown Minneapolis. How did the airport ticket counters apparently empty looks like people are heating the Northwest ticket counters that is people heating the warnings and avoiding flying on Northwest. But if there's a strike the time May well come when you'll need to travel and you'll have to figure out how to do it. I have an airport where so many of the flights used to be from Northwest. We'll talk passenger strategy in this hour of midday with George Wozniak president Hobbit travel in Minneapolis call us with your comments and questions about flying through these cancellations and the possible strike 2276 thousand in the Twin Cities is the number to 276 thousand or toll-free 1-800 to 4 to 28281. 800-242-2828 should say later. This hour will get a sense of what might be happening in this.Jason sessions with professor John Bud of the Carlson School of Management, who knows what happens behind those closed doors? But dumbest why they I could have you back. Thank you day and I think then blonde with all the predictions about what's going to happen with Northwest. You said earlier and we are here so you're right. Well, I think that that's all the information that we got and we've been getting all the way along is that North this deal probably would go right till the end in the end and it probably will go till the 11th hour. I I believe that all the predictions across the country have been that the airline pilots do tend to deal with the situation in this manner that they they will go right to The Bitter End to make a decision that being said that it's kind of interesting to see how the customers have reacted across the board because I think all of the speculations been if in fact they do go on strike at 11 tonight.Going to be enough seats are the evening to be close to being enough seats for people to travel over the next 3 or 4 days and the most unbelievable thing that we're seeing right now. Is that many and I mean many of the flights right now to gateways out of the Twin Cities in the major carriers would by the way, if you add up all the flights they have we're still talking about about under a hundred that we're going to be able to choose from over. The next. Of time that Northwest is an operating and find out how we're going to get to Chicago and how we're going to get to Dallas and how we're going to get to Atlanta and all the gateways that these other carriers use to get you where you might actually want to go either to the east or the West End in you know, right now the best solution for passengers if they haven't found alternative travel arrangements are going to be through st. Louis and a little bit through Dallas don't look at Chicago for the next 4 days because there's very little available if people have booked it. It's all gone. I mean American and United are all gone in Vanguard has very little so even though some countries added.It's 2-2 Chicago there flights are are full to self Chicago being one of the biggest gateways. We have out of the Twin Cities as alternate service to Northwest isn't really an option right now for at least until the middle of next week. And then as you approach the end of the week, it's the same thing and it's not just out of the Twin Cities. It's coming into the Twin Cities to us when we're looking at return trips from Chicago back to hear. It's a big problem to show its this is not something we're all the predictions are. Well some of the airlines are going to be able to do certain things and it's not going to be as bad as we thought it was going to be the fact that matter. Is there anyone on strike yet? There's no seat. So it's a big problem.You said you expected it good to go down to the wire. He said the pilots are like that why the last three weeks that they will usually negotiate that method that they go right to the the end of the eleventh hour before they will say yes, this is so what are they get out of there? I think positioning toilets have taken that if they're positioning of of their strength as a negotiating group to look at an airline and say here is what we want to do in here that we're going to do in this is how we're going to get it. I also suspect that part of this side in this is just my opinion is that Northwest has been waiting two years. So why would they be in a big hurry to to say this isn't going to happen either I would guess that's their bed of Hobbit travel you have some contacts in the industry. Are you hearing anything? You can share with us major?Things have already been taken care of and those are the ones that take a lot of legal opinions and writing that can't be done final hour. And that one of the stumbling blocks is this Regional Jet issue and that has to do with Northwest replacing jet service that Northwest Pilots are performing with Regional Jet service that masaba is performing and obviously if you were a pilot that's flying a dc-9 is being replaced with a regional piece of equipment not being flown by Northwest pilot. Your concern is how many how fast and where are we going to be in this issue? So I think that we're working at what's the difference between those two kind of Pilots welder paid got completely different than the shop of pilot is quite quite a bit less than a Northwest pilot and they're flying different equipment. So there's a reason why God there's not the equity and pay on those two pilots. But American had the same issue when they were the pilots were going to strike American in that had to do with their computer service to so this is an unusual what's going on in the industry.Northwest is not doing anything that the other airlines haven't tried or are trying to do also and that is to find a more effective and efficient in the inexpensive way to operate from point A to point B, so there has to be a balance somewhere and American obviously figured it out. So hopefully Northwest and the pilots I hear we'll figure the same thing out. The strike deadline is letting will take calls and just 71101. So you'll ever know what exactly we're going to get a settlement. But hey, it's it's hard to say because I think there's Eagles involved in that when you have egos involved. You never know exactly what are clear heads will prevail you. Hope they would a New Hope someone would be over there like mr. Dad's Berg to come in and be the White Knight. Will they lost everything up and push off the strike that line they say they won't but no, I don't think so. I'm hearing that they don't have an agreement tentative or otherwise there. They will go on strike and this is when we're in for something that I don't think anybody clearly can put their finger on just exactly how bad this is going to be. It's going to be bad. But there's so many different looks at who's going to do what what service could or couldn't be added in the end. It's just a is going to be a big mess regardless. It's a quarter past noon. You're listening to midday on Minnesota Public Radio on John raabe filling in for the resting. Actin and would love to take your calls. If you're trying to figure out a strategy for traveling with this potential strike looming give us a call to 276 thousand in the Twin Cities to 276 thousand or one 800-242-2828 1 800-242-2828 Augustine this hour of midday is George Wozniak president of Hobbit travel in Minneapolis and go to the phone's we've got Fred on the line hybrid. Thanks for calling up. You mentioned about your people coming into the Twin Cities. I've got to my mom is scheduled to come in next weekend Labor Day weekend on a cheap Northwest ticket and I was wondering what might be the best strategy if the strike it does extend the next weekend of getting her on another airline with that check where she's coming from going to have coming from the East are going to be as I spoke to me over all coming in from the East Coast. They have about 10 flights a day from St. Louis to the Twin Cities and from the Twin Cities to St. Louis. So look at the TWA system to get you from the East Coast via Saint Louis into the into the Twin Cities Continental also isn't bad because they are running for flights a day to Newark where you can connect also from the Easton to Newark and then here should have buy that ticket today though. Well, I think as the strike if the strike goes in this is the interesting part about this there is no strike right now people are still on. Fancy as far as traveling there holding tickets. They haven't done much changing except for the 25,000 people that were affected over the these two days on the 400 flights Northwest canceled and we still are seeing that many many of the flights are sold out and I'm not just talking about a few I'm talking about like 90 to 95% that we're looking at over the next 3 days have no seat. So if they do go on strike statistics, I saw this morning our minimum 25,000 people will be stranded per day. So that Northwest has signed an agreement with about it looks like at least 35 Airlines all of the majors are part of that system that they will honor tickets. Now, here's the big question what ticket will they honor if you're Continental or if you're American or if you United and you have the opportunity to take at 8? The opportunity and they look at the opportunity of taking a full coach class ticket to the West Coast at 14 15 16 hundred dollars as opposed to an Excursion ticket at $200. My guess is the business passenger that's paid the high dollar for the ticket is going to get on that airplane and the Excursion passengers. And by the way, that will include anybody that has a frequent flyer tickets aren't going to get on an airplane and any type. So again, what does he do is it makes sense? I would buy a ticket and buy a ticket Airline right now. I would buy a ticket and obviously looking at the cancellation policies of Northwest if they go on strike the tickets are going to be refundable without penalty if they can't find service and that's going to be the case for most people if they don't go on strike and you bought this other ticket which possibly could be non-refundable depending on what type it is. Then you're going to have an option to reuse the Northwest ticket without a penalty in the next 30 to 60 days or even further or take a refund on every part of it. 450 or $75 and then apply that for a future ticket on Northwest so I don't think anyone that's holding a Northwest ticket is going to be stuck with 100% non-refundable anything you're going to be able to get your value back plus Bank whatever the cancellation fee could or could not be if they decide to do that and then use that at a later date. But where are you going to find tickets that are inexpensive coming here on a one-way basis what airlines have the best policies for Advance purchase requirements not Advance purchase requirements and none of the carriers have come out with a policy towards north one ticket holder saying yes, if you want to buy a ticket will give you the least expensive 21-day Advance purchase a half fare. No one's done that yet. I don't think they're going to either so what we're going to see is You have to look at the vanguards of the world coming from the East you have to look at Frontier Airlines coming from the West Sun Country from the East and the West that all have very very good policies towards Advance purchase and the restrictions on their airline tickets in those three carriers in themselves right now are your best bet flying either out of here or on the way back as far as having the best price. Our phone numbers are 2276 thousand in the Twin Cities to 276 thousand or one 800-242-2828 1 800-242-2828. Give us a call and talk with George Wozniak president of Hobbit travel Hobbit Hobbit travel in I got to have it for us to travel for a child to go to gudrun in Duluth. Good afternoon. I'm really in a pickle because I'm supposed to go to my son's wedding. And I have an awesomest ticket for September 4th going to Boston and then to Halifax Nova Scotia. Now, I did purchase a second ticket with Air Canada. And I heard that Air Canada is supposed to go on strike on September 1st. I don't know if you got this now. What am i options? Certainly you've done the right thing and that's by another ticket to avoid Northwest in case was try cuz you have to get a place that you have to go to. I have not heard of the Air Canada strike and maybe it's because the Northwest strike has taken such a huge position here. However, I believe I would have seen something faxed to us on that and I and I can't, not because you may be right. I just haven't seen it. There are other options up into that area both on Continental and I believe I don't think TWA gets to Halifax, but I know Continental does that's another option again going in to Newark and then from there to Halifax and actually bypassing Boston completely different route, but you're going to have to pick your gateway. I don't have a schedule in front of you but my I would think that you could also use Delta through Atlanta or Cincinnati and those are the options that you're really going to look at because all of the passengers that fly out of Minnesota don't have a lot of options on the gateways are you you're going to use because we have approximately eight or nine other airlines that fly besides Northwest most of which only have two hubs they fly to out of the Twin Cities and one has three. So you're looking at maybe 25 to 30 different possibilities that you could get two then to go wherever your final destination Maybe. You know Northwest now and the other one for Air Canada just came out today that are specific on what they plan on doing. At least at this moment. If you're holding a ticket for travel between August 21st and September 5th, you can switch anything you want do anything you want not stay over Saturday night. It becomes an absolutely unrestricted tickets and you can book anything you want if there's a seat available without any rebooking fee or any charge whatsoever for changing the ticket. That's from the 21st to the 5th. So obviously today till the 5th of September if you want to travel from now until the 30th of September you can do pretty much the same thing except you have to follow the rules and that is if it requires a Saturday night stay that's at your ticket has you have to have that and the booking class has to be there also. Well, let's say you're so fed up with all of this that you don't even want to travel for the next 30 days, but you want to do something maybe this winter you can take that same. Northwest ticket and you can re block after September 30th if the space has the same in other words the class of service if you voted in Karm review, whatever it might be and rebook it in that class of service and then if the fair is a little bit more you have to pay the difference, but if it's a little bit less than there is no charge and you can use it from this point on so Northwest actually is being a pretty good guy on all of this is far as the ticketing goes. However, they have not come out and said guess what if you're so tired of it and you don't want to do any of the above. We're going to give you your money back in the in the way that the rules are right now is that if you decided I'm not going at all. I don't want to travel cuz I can't stand all this then you can elect to cancel your ticket and then get a refund less the rebooking fee and then the rebooking fee can be used on a future trip also sell it really isn't all bad. As far as what the options are on the money side of it except if you have to buy $1,000 ticket to get there we're before it was $200 and that's the bad deal. Children, thank you very much for calling. Good luck. Maybe go visit your from your son in 5 months or so and see how you're doing. So you're saying Northwest being good guy on this. What are they trying to get to Green Bay and tenure open at they might be accommodating. You know, Green Bay the flight this morning was canceled. They didn't react, date those people on anything and one of our passengers called me from his car as he was driving to Green Bay to do whatever he had to do. We works for General Electric guy and his men large Imaging Imaging equipment and he had to go to the hospital. He had no choice and so here he is driving and he's going to drive back late tonight get in sometime early in the morning and that was a cancellation without noticing without rebooking prop possibility why they do that to him. Well, apparently this is the information he gave me and sometimes when they're looking what we're looking at can be quite different that the flight was not going to operate due to the shut. Call the airline and this was one that was on the list. But my list is not show that flight this morning. So, you know, they're there their position wasn't working operate anything into that area for the whole day. However, we are seeing some operation. So there is also a whole bunch of misinformation spinning around all this is what's going to operate what's not going to operate and maybe as the day goes on. I'm some things that were planned on being operated are not going to be all. So let's go to Peggy in Minneapolis. Thanks for calling Peggy again from International destinations able to come through so I'm side and then it for the Nets kind of a confusing thing to it when you look at a display or you're buying an airline ticket sometimes not even sure what you're going to be on because of all this codeshare area that's been Introduced throughout the country, but if you are on a KLM jet operated by KLM, they're going to operate and by the way, I think they're also going to do everything they can to take Northwest passengers on those airplane. Here's the big problem with all this we're talking about the busiest travel time of the summer right now the Labor Day week before in a little bit after before everybody goes back to school. Probably one of the brightest sides of this is that school started early this year in Minnesota and many people who would ordinarily be on vacation this week on airplanes flying out of here flying back aren't because school started yesterday or today or door on Monday when Labor Day is still over a week away. So but the international travel is big big business right now. Go to Amsterdam and then going home to nice in November two of us are going with us. Finally after years and years. We have frequent flyer miles to do this trip, but we're also going with art with twin daughters who are two and a half so they had to pay for their seats and we're going free, but does this mean that any of us really are going if we're looking at November Zoom? It'll be it'll blow over but I wouldn't I've heard that if they go on strike if it would never go till November. That's what we've heard that it wouldn't wouldn't go that long if it went that long. We might not have to worry about much I would think that the flight you were talking about the person coming from Italy that if they're flying on a Northwest flight from Amsterdam to Minneapolis and it's not a KLM flight. You should look for alternative service right away Continental flies Italy to Minneapolis. They have a codeshare partner ill Italia, which also does it goes to in themselves? I would look at right off the Bad because they they're operating widebody aircraft three or four times a day all coming into Newark where there's a bunch of airplanes coming Newark to the Twin Cities that I still saw. Okay availability not great, but it was there so I would look at that Dwayne. What's up with you this morning this afternoon, very frequent traveler. I've been World perks Goldmember for 10 or 11 or 12 years. Now, you know fly hundred plus thousand miles a year. So I'm not one of those people who travel for a living and I just a common is I think even if a strike those settle or before they settle before they go on strike what side you're going to have a lot of makeup work to do with a very disgruntled and disgusted the traveling public Northwest has not been known as the great service provider and I understand that some of the you know, the workers. I mean, I understand the issues with Unfortunately, however think sometimes they take it out on the on the passenger or the service is less than Stellar some it's a travel experience not very pleasant flies over a hundred thousand miles a year and I'm also the guy who's paying eight nine hundred thousand $1,400 for a ticket. It makes me want to take my frequency and go to another airline. What can you do for me? Let me ask you why don't you well partly because I live in the Twin Cities and I have the you know, I have the great luxury be able to take direct flights to most places in the country. But on Northwest controls, you know, 3/4 of the traffic out of here. So scheduling you don't make that a little bit more make that a little bit more difficult, but I don't think John dasburg on the plain fact, I very infrequently co-pilot on the plane and it's the you know, it's the Time I guess then the question here is are the sides going to make nice with the public after a strike or after this and when I went to settlement bridge, I think the standing comment on what Northwest has to do to get loyalty back from their passengers is double or triple World perk miles and everything is Forgiven and forgotten and in a way we go and we're okay with $1,800 per ticket to the East and the west coast and I agree that there is a huge value to non-stop service out here. I think that it's a it's an enjoyment that maybe because we've had Northwest around so long that some of us even take for granted more than we should however the flip side of that is what is the passenger willing to put up with to have that service available and interesting Northwest offers all these non-stop flights. They don't control the non-stop flights American Delta United Continental, they could all go non-stop anywhere. They wanted to anytime they wanted to out of the Twin Cities. They won't because they can't compete against the world perk system here and it's very expensive to try to penetrate that market. So there's other issues involved in that but but we have the ability as a as a group of people to help the sun countries out in to help the vanguards out all those Airline by at least looking at their service and seeing if it makes sense in trying it out to make sure there is some competition in the Twin Cities. If we don't do that we will always be talking about what if and why not and when is this going to change and it won't Midday on Minnesota Public Radio 12:32 news headlines coming up at the top of the are one of the top stories today is that Boris Yeltsin says he will not resign as President of Russia and so give you details on that also looks like the the Dow and the NASDAQ have calmed down both were way down. The the Dow actually one point down as much as a hundred and ten points in the NASDAQ down or I think almost 60 at one point, but now looks like the NASDAQ down about forty some in the Dow down about fifty some details on business news. Also coming up. Midday my Minnesota Public Radio George Wozniak is our guests in the studio. He's president of Hobbit travel in Minneapolis, and we're on the line now with professor John but who teaches industrial relations at the University of Minnesota Carlson School of Management Professor. Thank you very much for joining us a small hotel in Brooklyn Park and that's where the two sides are meeting right now. They've been meeting round-the-clock the management and the alpha. What do you imagine is is going on you can have an idea what what happens in negotiations like this. What's happening right now, do you think break it down into three major possibilities one? We can Envision them working frantically to finalize all the contract language necessary to avert a strike this evening very opposite end of the spectrum two sides are sitting here waiting for the other side the blank in this scenario. We can Envision Sir James Dean in Rebel Without a Cause racing towards the cliff. I waiting for the other one to to give in and third maybe the negotiators become so frustrated, they're probably mentally and physically exhausted with the around the clock to go stations for last couple weeks that and things are already beginning to the March towards a strike at the third possibility. Is that a strike is a fait accompli in there. Just waiting for 11 tonight to to occur. What do you think is most likely? Yeah, that's The $64,000 Question. It's fairly obvious with the with the consequences with the impact of a strike would be so I would Envision that they're they're working to avert 1-hour. We've also seen from all of the the ads that both sides have been running that they're they're very entrenched and believe very strongly in their position. So I imagined right up to the wire. There's going to be a large amount of brinkmanship. But if if we look at that last scenario where folks are really mad that have you seen outward signs that they're toxic just going to break down horribly. The major sign would be the ads and a continued harshness of the ads. They're just I think it's name is sort of to build up their own image of being entrenched and possibly inflaming the other side. I think they'll be the major indication that talks breakdown negotiating room outside. And if we don't know exactly what's going on behind closed doors to to a certain extent, it plays out of negotiating Roman and to a certain extent. I think it it reflects what's going on in negotiating room. If the two sides were we're really working towards progress and really felt that they were on the same wavelength that I don't think they continued right up to the last minute to really trash each other in public. The same side at the same time both sizes understand that the magnitude of the situation and realize that the damage that is going to do in Northwest bottom line to Northwest reputation of the things that earlier crawlers were talking about. So at the same time I would see them still trying to work towards averting a strike. I think you might have a question or two for you professor professor. What about President Clinton getting involved in this in the final hour or the early in the morning like he did with American Airlines where I believe they're on strike about 5 minutes. I'm is there any information that you have or you've heard of that that is a possibility the indications suggest that the Clinton Administration isn't really a actively looking at the situation which would seem to suggest that you know, immediate Sorina 4 minutes as you mention the American Airlines case that type of quick in Pension isn't coming. I would be very surprised if the president let it let the strike go on if the strike does occur. I'll be very surprised at the present let the strike go on for more than 7 to 10 days. But why why would it be different in this case? Why would you let it go on a few days? There's a number of differences Northwest is smaller. You probably have a better sense than I do that even though they're smaller. Maybe they do suck more market. So, you know, we can start a counterbalance these things and argue round and round on the political side A lot has been made of the fact that help is part of the AFL-CIO. Whereas Pilots Union at American is an independent Union. So maybe doesn't have the same political Cloud that might be the biggest difference right now. And that's exactly what I think if it happens once you can try to convince people that this was just one specific set of events that and not really have to worry about the president as much now if it happens two times in a row, and I think the other parties are really going to view this as a precedent. I think it would be how much you weigh. Your decision at Clinton would have to make this time rather than the other time to go back to the physiology of the negotiators who have been Associating round-the-clock. This kind of reminds me of the end of the legislative session in Minnesota where stuff does get hammered out people get mad and then they reach resolution and compromise why couldn't that happen to folks or when I'm really tired and butt facing facing this deadline. That certainly that's certainly is possible. But I think one difference with the legislature is that the legislature doesn't necessarily steak out such public positions and might not say such intense pressure from their constituencies legislature doesn't typically are you know, what individual legislature wouldn't wouldn't bars that are constituents with a week for a week with your house. This is our position and we're not budging and then budget the last second at the University of Minnesota Carlson School of Management van vleck behind closed doors. And again the management and the pilots are negotiating a hotel in Brooklyn Park right now. I seem to have reached agreement on some issues but there are others that remain unresolved and we still got that strike that line of 1101 tonight. It's now 21 minutes before 1 midday on Minnesota Public Radio. I'm John raabe. We're taking your calls or George Wozniak president of Hobbit travel in Minneapolis. And we've got Huerta on the line from Rochester High Huerta. I'm afraid I'm holding a frequent flyer tickets in New York over Labor Day. Is there any chance whatsoever that I will get there leaving on the 4th and returning on the 7th if the airlines on strike, I I doubt it very seriously. I would think that those will be the last tickets that are accepted by other carriers or as a matter of fact that Northwest is even putting people on and in rescheduling there flights. I think the first ones to go in my opinion will be the higher price tickets and then they'll do window down into the Excursion tickets or the lower Fair tickets. And then finally if there is a seat on an airplane flying out of here to the destination were frequent flyers is being It was then you'll get on but I just can't imagine that happening looking at just the flights that right. Now before the strikes even occurred. I'm also the rules on frequent flyers for those who are interested. They will allow you. If you don't use the frequent flyer ticket already booked URI Bank your miles and use them at a later date that Northwest has already announced that so other won't be a penalty for the frequent fliers. Obviously, that's her that day there shouldn't be but they have announced that you can re re Bank them and reuse them later on. But if you have to get there, I would look at numerous carriers that almost all go Easter their hubs because they all have Eastern hubs going out of the Twin Cities and there are of there's a will there's availability probably the best auntie. Wa II would be probably continental and United and American are very full over the next week. So I would probably not even look at those two specifically for Eastern travel how badly It's not an absolute necessity but it would be very desirable is the Vanguard. I've never heard of that Vanguard flies nine flights. Actually, excuse me, eight flights a day out of the Twin Cities 5 to Midway and 3 to Kansas City where they are there to their Big Hoffa's Kansas City and they have a minor Hub in Chicago Midway and then from Midway, they fly to New York from Kansas City. They go to Dallas and Denver and Omaha, I believe and I think a couple of other cities but they're big movement out of here is East to JFK and to Denver and Kansas City. They have they have seats available. It would just depend on how close one of their destinations would be. They don't have a real widespread system. So it's not really an option unless you're Going to Denver you're going to get to New York or you're going to Kansas City or you're going to Dallas that would that would make sense. But if you're looking at those five or six destinations, then they are definitely an option and they also have probably the most lenient of all of the advance purchase requirements for any Airline fly out of the Twin Cities that you know, they just really don't have them. It's their their fairies are pretty much an expensive without any restrictions whatsoever when you buy them or Twin Cities lines are filled up right now, but there's room for you on the toll free line one 800-242-2828 1 800-242-2828. If you're trying to work out a travel strategy and Andrew is online from Minneapolis with my favorite question. I Andrew mama freaking business travel and first of all with a comment phone and all the different major airlines, so I continued not to understand why Minnesota Travelers exhibit loyalty to Northwest. It has the most abusive not ballistic practices at their magical. I just continues to get harder and harder to deal with them. But my question is considering the fact that by next week and I'm wondering about a possible scenario that some people are talking about which is that if the tri-strike actually doesn't to go ahead then all of a sudden there are going to be a bunch of spaces on Northwoods flights that people are avoiding booking. This is that possible to double yourself as a result of this. I think they'll be a huge sale northwest anything about it, but it has to make sense. It don't know Wade Airlines have marketed over the last 10 years. They have decided that you know, there was a real Philosophy for a long time that inherent part of running an airline was you were going to have empty seats that we are going to run it 50 or 60% and that's the way it was going to be about 5 years ago. They shifted out of that way of thinking and decided we're not going to have empty seats on airplanes anymore. We're going to run and flooring to make a Money, so thinking about that Northwest obviously has to look at not only this weekend or next weekend, but probably 30 days worth of activity and walking away by the travel community and they're going to have a lot of seats to feel so if in fact tonight they announce we aren't going to be on strike or 5 days from now or ten days from now, it's over they will have a welcome back. We love you sale. I believe I don't know if they'll actually called that but we're going to see some dramatically reduced pricing for specifically the business Travelers and the Leisure travelers to have those people travel on Northwest again, and you're going to see triple and double bonus miles all of those things that that have made Northwest what they are in this community to wear. To wear everywhere back here. And how big is Ceylon magic in the fly internationally because it's bad enough to think about being stuck in a we always talk about getting out of here and there are all kinds of people that are on vacation right now with their families with their loved ones sitting in a hotel with a credit card almost maxed out because they bought too many world passes at Disney World or hopper passes and they have two supposedly fly back on Sunday or on Monday after their their vacation and they're going to have no money. No flight back max credit cards car has to be returned. What are they going to do? Those are the people I actually have my heart goes out to because I'm not quite sure we have in place yet be a way to make sure that those people are accommodated to return back to the Twin Cities or to Detroit or to Memphis or to wherever they're there. When was and I and I and I think that that's where companies like ours and other agencies that are open 24 hours are really looking at we want to make sure that those people are stranded get ahold of us in at least we can try and figure out something to get him back like what the well other airlines because I promise that you're going to run into is a different Airline doesn't accept that ticket. If in fact our theory is correct and that's the old the higher price tickets are going to go first. The lower price tickets are going to watch seats available but not get on. So how do we buffer that and get people on those those flight by virtual booking them and having them have a reservation some Airlines have now told us that they want a reservation by us for those people before they walk out. They don't want him doing it at the airport. So those are the airlines that we're going to use first because they're requesting that we put information in the in their what's called a passenger record so that they know what the ticket is what the value and we can switch that information around electronically. So the carrier that were rebooking these people on already know what that fair is then We can advise these people here is what the extras going to be here is what they're going to charge you or it's the same. They're not going to charge you anything there except in the coupon. At least we know we can do that at the very least you're talking about being in a motel room someplace wasting all your vacation time calling the airline the other the travel agent. That sounds horrible Magda from St.Paul questions for me. I'm flying going to 14th to Vienna via Amsterdam, and I'm going for the conference. I cannot change a date. What should I do? You're on Northwest Northwest you are on Northwest on the 14th of September that I would probably wait to see because we're now within hours of the strike anyway, so I would wait till tomorrow morning and if they go on strike, then I would immediately find another airline. By you know any any many airlines that are through Chicago to Dallas American or United or Delta that will get you there and get you back and do it, you know tomorrow as quickly as you possibly can because once Northwest goes on strike all of the seats that they have even when they come back on or going to first while they're not going to open up the first day with all 1700 flights a day either. It's going to take awhile to get their system back up and moving again. So there's going to be weeks in there where there's going to be all kinds of people that are bar on their their system that have to be a comedy especially people that are stuck places. But anyway, I would wait till tomorrow because you've already waited till hours before the strike and if they don't go on strike, you don't have a problem that I cannot do anything about the tickets. Kill, they are physically on the strike on the day. I fly so they might go in the strike tonight. And then I'm flying for teens. Can I still change it anytime you want whether or not the airline you're changing it to and Northwest will sign that coupon over to that Airline or that are reliable even accept the coupon if Northwest signs and over is the issue of do they have to be on strike first for that the happened did this get back to those rules that you rather than earlier right that they have a rear accommodation agreement with every airline that you can think of. I I don't want to read all of them because there's about 45 what they they include all of the major carriers that are flying and internationally. Also the question though is that it is Dick does a ticket become refundable if she buys another ticket prior to strike and no it doesn't Northwest has not come out and said, hey, we feel bad that you're all being. Run around like this and you have to figure out how you're going to get from point A to point because we're not sure we're going to fly today or we might not be sure we're going to fly tomorrow. They haven't come out and said go ahead they're saying if we go on strike, then you can do that. But prior to that you still have to deal with it. Like they're going to fly how much how much really would they rack up and losses if they allow that to be the policy and they just said Magda. You know what we appreciate the just the thought that you bought a ticket on our Airline and we hope you're going to do in the future and just go ahead and and turn in to know the ticket that you've got by one another airline will cover it. They wouldn't do it. How much money would they lie? I have an impossible to say I think they're looking at 7 hundred fifty thousand to a million passengers over a 10-day period of time that they would have to all different levels of purchase because when you look at a display of what seats cost it can range from a very very large amount of money to a something that is probably 10% of the highest Fair of that of that seat. So if a narrative Northwest said go to any Airline and told that are aligned whatever you charge us, we will pay which is what they do. They aren't very friendly with each other bottle saying we're just going to give you our best deal. They say we're going to give you I think it's now I want to say seventy-five or eighty percent of the coach fare is what the negotiated system usually is. The coach has very high. So those tickets would be very expensive Northwest would never do that. If it were the John and George Airline Maga we let you do. It wouldn't be a problem. Let's go Rachel and thanks. Mr. Wozniak for taking your time to try and help these folks. Well, thank you. I've got a different sort of question. I've been listening the past couple days to the show when you've been on and offering people suggestions and recommendations and giving us insights into how what alternatives are but strategically for the Twin Cities in this whole consumer base in the Upper Midwest hear that surrounds the Twin Cities that you use and have to use on Northwest this question kind of DuckTales Inwood where Andrew the previous car was and their monopolistic approach to business and monopolistic manipulation of of the consumers hear. What can you offer us as insights into the hurdles that we have to jump to try and get them more competitive airline industry are working out of the Twin Cities international airport or the Saint Paul Airport. And if you can kind of give us a thumbnail. I know that there is not only do the airlines offer consume. Discounts and incentives to fly there their particular aircraft, but they also give that to companies like yours Abba travel for for booking so many things on there. So, you know, there's different incentives that are offered what are some of those kinds of hurdles that we is consumers have to get through to try and make this a more competitive environment so that we can get more flight miles. This is a very very long and involved answer that would take that. I'd have to do it to do this question Justice because you touched on how they Market who they Market to and the way Airlines in General market to the systems that we sell tickets to and it's very different for the Way Northwest does in the Twin Cities in the way. They do it on the West Coast there. They're just at the whole different marketing approach the West Coast, they need traffic in Minneapolis. And st. Paul they don't sell retreated totally different than my counterpart outwest there and there's an interesting story that can go along with this answering That is about a year ago. The Metropolitan airports commission wrote a letter to Southwest Airlines because the obvious always as why isn't Southwest in the Twin Cities. They wrote a letter to Southwest Airlines inviting them to fly out of the Twin Cities. I think it was about the same time. They invited the Icelandic and they offered them guaranteed gate space and time slots and all of the things that on airline would need to competitively fly out of the Twin Cities with the schedule that would make sense for a carrier like Southwest Southwest decline. They said it is we aren't interested. It isn't something that makes sense to us to come in and try and compete against Northwest and we have other areas that we feel money spent would make more sense. So I think strategically you have to look at where Minneapolis and st. Paul are placed in the whole scheme of work travel patterns are in high corridors of travel to really have a sense of how important the Twin Cities is to any Airline besides North West and unfortunately, To the Deltas in the Americans in the United. They're not looking at the Midwest as a place that has expandability. I mean are airport in the Twin Cities as a hub is growing but it's not there's not a huge potential here for growth. Like for example, Continental Houston base is considered a very underutilized Hub right now it is and what that means is there's all kinds of areas for growth more flights more seats. Does it mean to spit more places that are closer that are high in the Eastern Corridor the Western Corridor Southwest to spending all their money flying from LA to San Francisco in from Oakland to Sacramento and boycott Northwest or just try to fly on the other airlines out of here more'n and let Northwest know that they sure they could but I think that we had that experiment 3 or 4 years ago with renal. Are we Make a man with an operation. I think two or three flights a day to Reno and then beyond Reno is their Hub to Seattle and Los Angeles and San Diego and San Francisco and they they came in with $125 One Way fares to all West Coast cities bought in one way segments. No Advance purchase required and first-class ticket actually over 100 coach 125 and first class or $250 round-trip to all the Western cities including Reno for a first class seat unrestricted no Advance purchase and you can change whatever you want at the time if my memory serves me Northwest closest fair to that was over $1,000 so they were actually 75 to 80% less for the same thing Northwest match them with non-stop service for the same thing. They couldn't compete because the consumer made the choice do I want to fly to Reno to get there or do I want to fly nonstop on Northwest and get will perk miles and believe it or not. Those World perk miles are a huge huge. Area and it would causes a carrier is what they consider as a barrier to entry and that's all the airline's look at is what is the barrier to enter the Twin Cities and it's a big expense. They got to call Naveen. Thanks for taking my call. My question is about Detroit is affected badly as Minneapolis because of the strike of work and in looking at the cancellations for today and tomorrow Detroit has more than Minneapolis and st. Paul and Detroit has more Northwest flights to Minneapolis. And st. Paul does they also sell a Detroit will probably be the most affected from a standpoint of numbers of passengers affected they will be as far as the percentage of population. It probably will be quite the same as a twin cities in Memphis will be a little bit less but still alive how they're going to have a problem and it it's basically domestic if we look at what's going on if that in the last two days, it's been a mess. Cancellation 9 international flights on today and there's going to be 16 International tomorrow and the rest are all domestic are the four hundred. So obvious Detroit will be very much affected when specific question is like my brother is supposed to come to Detroit from India and on September first week and I'm not sure about the airline and the not affected by the strike know it was coming from Amsterdam being fed from India. Is that right? Okay, so I would suspect that if he was on Northwest you very much affected but if he's on KLM a KLM airplane, then he's not going to have a problem but there's a lot of confusion when you when you look at a codeshare partner like Northwest and KLM. You don't know what you're on most of the time. You don't know if it's a KLM operated airplane or Northwest. So make sure he's out. A KLM plane. Okay. Are you worried about Naveen Woods have a minute left you worried about maybe having to drive to Detroit to pick him up after he comes so I was wondering what are the options available to me if Marcus indeed goes for the strike like from Minneapolis to Detroit. I would look at them for sure first. They have nonstops. They're going to start in about 2 or 3 weeks to a day how you're going to see Sun Country kick up their hubing both in Minneapolis and Detroit, which is very interesting cuz they're right there Northwest hubs to but look at those at that Sun Country if they can't do it then look at t w h St Louis. If they can't do it fly to Chicago on take Southwest from Midway to there one way or another you'll get to Detroit George Wozniak. Thank you very much for your time. Thank you. And I hope that Northwest doesn't go on strike. Wozniak president The Hobbit travel in Minneapolis. Thanks to the professor John, but who joined us earlier in the hour from the Carlson School? Of management, that'll do it for Midday. In fact for this week. Midday produced this week by Mike McCall pangra. Our thanks also to Clifford Bentley Randy Johnson, Robb have zinsky Cara fig and shoe and to Bill Catlin to for Gary eichten. I'm John Raby. Enjoy your weekend. Coming up on sound money this week many donuts corn dogs. And for that should have ice on a stick when Chris Farrell at Erica Whitley her join me Bob Potter at the Minnesota State Fair stop by or to attend for somebody Saturday morning at ten public radio FM 91.1 You're listening to Minnesota Public Radio. sunny and 77 at k n o w FM 91.1 Minneapolis Saint Paul and the Twin Cities partly cloudy today 85° the high down to 58 overnight and mostly clear partly cloudy Saturday 80° Sunday through Tuesday partly cloudy with highs in the mid to Upper 70s its 1