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As many expected, Delta announced it will terminate the two pilots who overshot Minneapolis Airport by 150 miles last week. Pilot Timothy B. Cheney and First Officer Richard I. Cole each told the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) they were using their laptops in the cockpit, which caused them to miss multiple alerts and messages indicating they were passing their destination. Both pilots may also have their licenses stripped by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).
According to Delta, "Using laptops or engaging in activity unrelated to the pilots' command of the aircraft during flight is strictly against the airline's flight deck policies and violations of that policy will result in termination." I'm sure completely missing one's destination doesn't help either. The two pilots are currently suspended and will remain inactive throughout the investigation.
Delta will be offering $500 to each passenger onboard, even though the flight arrived safely.
I have a quarrel with the best/worst airlines results. I live in Alaska and use other airlines infrequently, but I believe I'm an authority on Alaska Airlines. However, due to the relatively smaller number of customers, versus the legacy carriers and Southwest, it's no surprise that Alaska fared so poorly in the ratings. They are skewed toward the bulk of passengers using the larger airlines. Alaska is a great airline, and while they have a monopoly in Alaska, they are competitive in the Lower 48. Try them - you'll like them. No, I don't own any stock in any airline.