I will be dropping a note to Northwest thanking them for not gutting their program and hope others do the same. The first paragraph of the announcement almost reads like a stab at CO for their changes, see below. Thank You Northwest!!

WorldPerks will maintain its industry-leading Elite qualification structure. To keep Elite qualification realistic and attainable, Northwest will continue to award Elite status based on either Elite Qualifying Miles (EQM) earned OR Elite Qualifying Segments (EQS) flown in a calendar year. Northwest will continue giving full mileage credit towards Elite status on most discount fares. Members traveling on Full Y fares will continue to earn a 50% bonus towards Elite status. Members who purchase business fare types and/or travel short distances can earn Elite status with as few as 20 Elite Qualifying Segments. Our flexible options for Elite qualification include the following:

(edited for spelling)

[This message has been edited by OutOfOffice (edited 10-24-2003).]