I have 20K or so booked on NW/DL this year. Will hit silver with my DCA-DTW roundtrips, booking only when there is some deep discount K fare out. From here on out everything else I fly on NW/DL will be burning through my remaining miles aiming to be at zero or so by the end of the year. It is so freeing to just not have to worry about status anymore. I remember thinking several times over the years "Oh well, Northwest is only a hundred dollars more than everyone else, the miles and the upgrades will even out." Now I can just focus on whomever is the cheapest.

It is really not worth earning NW/DL miles by actually flying anymore. That being said, it is the best car rental, hair restoration, and water delivery loyalty program in the world.

Toward the end of this year I will parlay my expiring gold status via a match to UA or CO and maybe AS, thus get status through the end of 2010 at their respective mid-tier level.