fetchem, are you aware that KLM and CO just signed a partnership deal?

KLM and CO are partners now, not competitors. They want you to fly CO just as much as they want you to fly NW, and their codeshare/partnership arrangement is designed to underscore that. It gives CO a better European / African network, and gives KL a better US/Latin American network.

But when I connect domestically, you'd better bet it'll be to a NW plane. No way I'm giving CO the revenue if they're going to make me sit in the back. And when I book a domestic US flight -- sure enough, it'll go to NW, not CO, for exactly the same reason.

What does CO get out of this? Well, it gets high-revenue, frequent travellers who are loyal to CO for their domestic US requirements. Which is exactly the same reason it rewards a lot of its CO members.

Besides, with all the recent changes in the CO program, and all the recent defections of CO top-tier frequent flyers, it'll only be KL guys sitting up front anyhow!!!