By Gerardo R. Partido
Variety News Staff

NORTHWEST Airlines announced yesterday that it will introduce its Airbus A330 wide-body aircraft from Guam and Saipan to Tokyo starting on September 2.
The airline will continue to offer same day connections from Guam and Saipan to U.S. and Asia markets through Japan.
Phil Haan, executive vice president of international, alliances and information technology and chairman of NWA Cargo, said the introduction of A330s between the resort markets and Japan brings a new level of passenger comfort and in-flight service to these routes.
“From seat comfort to in-flight entertainment, our A330s provide customers with the foremost travel experience,” he said.
Northwest began taking delivery of new Airbus A330 aircraft in August 2003 and currently has 26 aircraft in trans-Atlantic, trans-Pacific and intra-Asia service. Its A330 fleet includes 14 298-seat A330-300s, and 12 longer-range, 243-seat A330-200s.
With an average fleet age of two years, Northwest’s A330s are one of the youngest international fleets in the airline industry, the airline said.
Northwest has an additional six A330 aircraft scheduled for delivery between now and the end of 2007.
Northwest’s A330s are equipped with the airline’s World Business Class lie-flat seats, new seats in economy class, and an in-flight entertainment system in both cabins.
The fully interactive in-flight entertainment system offers travelers a choice of 40 movies, four short-subject video programs, 56 different audio selections, six games and in-flight information, all available “on demand,” giving customers the freedom and flexibility to start, pause or stop their selection at any time.
The gateway to all of these features is a convenient retractable controller, making it easy to access from any sitting positions.
In World Business Class, Northwest customers are able to view any of these features on a 10.4 inch/26.4-centimeter video screen, 50 percent larger in size than the screens found in business class seats on a number of international airlines.
Northwest customers traveling in economy class are able to view these features on a personal video screen located in the back of the seat in front of them.
World Business Class travelers also enjoy an array of features including a seat that reclines 176 degrees, a leather-wrapped privacy canopy, 60 inches of space between seats, 110-volt personal laptop computer power, cycling lumbar support, a six-way adjustable headrest that slides along a track so it can be adjusted to a traveler’s height, and four seat-back storage pockets.
Northwest’s A330s also feature a completely new economy class seat, offered in a two-seat, aisle, four-seat, aisle, two-seat configuration throughout much of the aircraft. As a result, no seat is more than one seat away from an aisle.
The new economy seat, which offers more personal space than any other seat in the airline’s fleet, features a “winged” headrest, with bendable sides, allowing the customer to rest his head or sleep toward the side of the seat.