>>>>>>Actually, overall the percentages should stay pretty much the same, if you factor in that elites would be getting upgrades on airlines they currently don't get them on. Seriously. You'll have the same total number of elites, and the same total number of seats, so...


Except maybe for the preponderance of CRJ's in the DL system. A DL elite would probably readily jump to NW mainline aircraft avoid them at any opportunity (I think of my beloved MSN, where NW is the only airline flying anything but uni-class cigar tubes). DL is cheaper, but the net effect would likely be for NW to pick up more elites and able to keep fares high, and drain some $ from DL.