Northwest Airlines to raise frequent flier fees, reduce frequency of Portland-Amsterdam service temporarily

With effect from January 15, 2009, Northwest Airlines, headquartered in Eagan, Minnesota, the United States, will charge most passengers fees to redeem frequent flier miles for tickets issued less than 21 days before departure.

In a statement, Northwest Airlines explained that the move to impose the new charges was aimed at bringing the airline’ fees in line with those charged by Delta Air Lines, which bought Northwest Airlines recently.

Northwest Airlines will, starting from January 15, 2009, charge $150 per ticket to redeem frequent flier miles on tickets issued three days or less prior to departure; and $100 for 4-7 days and $75 for tickets booked just 8-20 days ahead.

However, the airline will not charge for award tickets issued 21 days or more prior to departure.

Members of Northwest Airlines’ WorldPerks Platinum Elite programme have been exempt from the fees to redeem frequent flier miles.

Northwest Airlines’ said in the statement that the airline would also raise its fee from $50 to $100 for reissuing award tickets or re-depositing miles. Delta Air Lines charges the same fees.

Meanwhile, Northwest Airlines is temporarily reducing service between Portland in Oregon, the United States, and Amsterdam in the Netherlands, from five flights a week to four flights a week, starting January 11, 2009.

The schedule of five flights a week will resume on March 23, 2009.

As in the past, Northwest Airlines will continue to offer daily flights to Amsterdam throughout the summer months from July.

A press release from Delta Air Lines, the new corporate parent of Northwest Airlines, said the changes in the flights frequency are a result of “matching capacity to demand in the light of the current economic climate.”

Northwest Airlines, the principal subsidiary of Northwest Airlines Corporation, is a major United States-based airline. It has three major hubs in the United States: Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport, Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport, and Memphis International Airport. Northwest also operates flights from a small hub in Asia at Narita International Airport near Tokyo, the capital of Japan, as well as trans-Atlantic flights in cooperation with partner KLM from Schiphol Airport in Amsterdam. Additionally, Northwest Airlines maintains focus city operations at Indianapolis International Airport, Honolulu International Airport, and Seattle-Tacoma International Airport.