I'm gonna have to agree here... I think Anderson has done his homework, and having headed both companies knows the strengths and wekanesses of both. From the sounds of it, if the HQ is in ATL... then there will have to be some give-backs to keep the folks in MSP happy... I'm betting IT will stay in NW's domain, and I'm really hoping SkyPerks will as well...
That said, if SkyPerks goes to being run by DL, myself and alot of others will be looking for another carrier... and fast!
And yes, I've got several WBC tix booked for the Thanksgiving / Christmas time frame... gives me time to see what shakes out with the merger and if I don't like it, I've got places to go, before the run on miles begins... if it appears we won't be in DL's RPU / crazy award scheme clutches, then I'll just refund them. Either way, I'm preparing myself now.... are you?
Originally Posted by
motytrah
For me, the writing on the wall will be who will head up overall FF operations. Anderson knows all the players involved. We know, from what Swoop has said, the direction of NW's FF was to buck the trend of nickel and dimming PAX at redemption time. We know DL's direction, from the changes they have made, have been the exact opposite. In fact, I would contend it's way worse than a lot of you have seen. Just look at DL's FF Promotions. There are hardly any. Mystery Miles, Miles Safari, Great Race, etc. Nothing even close.
I guess I'm reserving final judgment until we find out who's taking the reigns of the combined FF program. If it's a DL exec the writing will be on the wall.
However, at the same time I'm not going to invest in NW either. Until then, I'm banking spending and air miles into Thank You network. While I'll almost have NW GE by April and I won't be heartbroken if I don't make it (I don't do a lot of Domestic travel). I'm only going to keep my NW Sig Visa if they waive the annual fee. Perhaps I'll fly some Sun Country this year if the price is right.
Point is, we're going to be back to square one, and NW/DL is going to have to earn my business. Right now, DL's FF doesn't even come close.