Thanks -- did so, and received a reply in 48 hrs. They've matched my BA silver status (OW sapphire) to NW silver -- so a bit of a disappointment. They also offered a gold challenge, with 5 qualifying (i.e. expensive) flights in 90 days. Now, I've often been happy to shell out a bit extra for BA, but not sure if NW is worth it for me...

However, I see this one as a relative freebie, since NW will cease to exist before long and that will still give me opportunity for delta down the road.

tb