After the furor caused by CO's announcement that deeply discounted fares would only earn 50% OP EQM, CO then announced that at least through 12/31/04 if you buy a CO ticket on their website you will still get 100% *OnePass* miles. But as I now understand it from the above, if you buy the same ticket on the same website, you will only get 50% *WP* miles (UNLESS operated by NW metal, in which case you get 100% WP EQM).

Unfortunately I have a lot of routes I like that are NW-coded but operated by CO (e.g., SJC/SFO-wherever in the deep south or on east coast trans-con via IAH). How I won't be able to do these and get 100% EQM. If I fly Delta, a route-alternative, I'll get the EQM but then have to suffer in coach (no cost-free upgrades). Looks like if I want upgrades AND 100% EQM on NW I'll have to take longer flights, e.g., through MSP/DTW even if my ultimate destination is in the deep south!

But I'll still stick with NW for now. I flew 3/4 legs upgraded last week and one upgraded leg this weekend -- it's hard to go back (literally!) and worth the out-of-the-way routing to get the EUA and the miles, if it can be done reasonably.