missterious9,
Northwest isn't going away anytime soon. They were forced into bankruptcy by high fuel prices and the odds are well in favor of the airline that they will be around in five years. If you don't want magazines, try using them for upgrades to first class. They go for as low as 5,000 miles if you buy a full-fare ticket and 15,000 if you don't. You can get enough miles quicker than you think. Remember, you can earn 1,000 bonus miles for subscribing to their newsletter for two months. There are plenty of ways to get there.