<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by Yaatri:
One can't really blame NW for this. When people use creative routings to pile a ton of miles for low fares on another airline, something had to be done. For example, DCA-MEM-MSY would earn you about 1262 miles each way on NW. However on CO, one could do, DCA-EWR-IAH-MSY and earn 2400 miles. With 50% EQMS, you will still get 1200 miles. So all it does is reduces the value of MR to you. The revenue goes to the airline operating the flight, regardless of the code or who sold the ticket. I think, what NW is saying is that it will tolerate creative routings as long as it gets the revenue. </font>
I'm not sure that MR's really factor in to the move behind the EQMs. After all, you can still do pure NW mileage runs and earn 100% EQMs. And you can now do DL mileage runs and earn 100% EQMs. If they really wanted to discourage mileage runs, they would state that you only earn the miles between the origin and destination, and disregard any connections along the way.
My own feeling is that NW really wanted to make a statement to CO that it feels CO's policy is bad for business and that, while they'll treat WorldPerk's flyers on CO metal the same as CO NonePass members with regards to EQM, they have no intention of doing the same on their own metal. NW is more than happy to take the "riff-raff".