RIP to old friends, old airline, old forum
Sep 30, 2009, 11:14 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Dec 2002
Location: Pleasant Prairie, WI USA DL FO (until 2/04), NW silver '03, NW gold '04+'05 Plat '06+ (thanks, Leo!), DL SkyClub
Programs: DL Plat/ Million Miler, AS, Hilton, Marriott Bonvoy, Piggly Wiggly Pig Points
Posts: 2,233
RIP to old friends, old airline, old forum
I apoligize that some of what I'll say I've said before.
This is a very sad day for us "red tails" as "Dulltification" will also mean the loss of this forum (at least the merger promises to be more of a real merger as opposed to DL's hostile takeover of NW).
I was on DL flights Friday -- MKE-ATL-DEN -- and there were stark reminders of what's to come. Dirty floors in the lavatories. Broken seat tables, malfunctioning lavatory faucets, dangling pieces of miscellaneous stuff. At ATL there was the usual chaos plus the SkyClub at B25 was dirty -- filthy walls, sticky floors and a general bad attitude.
A DL FF I was talking to demonstrated a lot of what we've seen on the DL forums -- a true lack of understanding about why so many of us are very upset (to be politically correct). As a forum veteran, and a DL veteran, I tried to explain.
As many of you know, I flew DL for 27 years before Leo Mullen decided frequent flyers weren't so important. I put up with the ATL/CVG hub hassles, dirty planes and the delights of Almost Southern Airlines and Communist Air. The one thing that was a costant though most of that era -- before Leo -- was the superb front line DL people. As bad as the airline was, most of the front line folks were pretty damn good. It was the only thing I really missed in going to NW.
That said, the late Beth Schulteis welcomed us DL exiles. Our upgrade opportunities were much better, planes cleaner and front line staff usually pretty good. No IFE, to be sure, and there were glitches along the way. I've made my share of complaints about NW but there was also one constant and that is that if NW did something really bad, you could always connect with Jim Cron or one of the other executives and get it taken care of. (You didn't pester the brass with petty stuff, but if it was a real boner, there was someone who could intercede...not so much at Delta which insulates itself from its customers.)
NW was also pretty much a constant as well. Its hubs were generally cleaner airports. Cleaner planes. More meals in first. The product was far from perfect but you usually knew what to expect.
Except for faster posting of mileage, NW's web site was far better than DL. And NW was better at being more flexible with its policies to accomodate customers. (Just this week I had an accomodation made because, quite frankly, we weren't sure how DL would handle the situation in the future.)
Over the past few months we've also seen some very dumb and costly "merger" milestones, such as unnecessary painting of planes, relabeling luggage carts and TUG vehicles, etc. We've seen slower checkins, downgraded amenities at the clubs and so on. Repainting a plane is like $60K-100K...money that could have been better spent on things that matter to paying customers.
As I've said before, the "merger" never really was a "merger" and it failed for the most part to take into account the dissimilar NW and DL cultures. In short, we drank Pepsi and in Atlanta it's Coke. This is not to say that a real "merger" could not have been effectuated but an intelligent one would have recognized the dissimilarities in the respective cultures and respected them as opposed to what amount to a forced hostile takeover of the DL way or no way.
The new airline certainly could have achieved cost savings by consolidation and collaboration whenever and wherever possible but any smart business person knows that consolidation isn't always the golden goose. There's a reason why states don't let cousins marry and the Justice Dept. scored another boner when it failed to block this one.
The late Sam Walton wrote that he learned an important lesson when Wal-Mart expanded out of the south and tried in vain to sell Moon Pies in Wisconsin. That lesson was a respect for the concerns and values of the customers in those markets and not trying to force a "one size fits all" model.
Too bad Richard Anderson never found the time to read Sam's autobiography.
I could go on and on but, once a red tail, always a red tail. Yes, there were times NW seemed like the proverbial Northworst, but on balance while DL may ostensibly offered more trinkets (such as IFE) the one thing NW gave us in greater quantity was respect.
Goodbye, red tail.
This is a very sad day for us "red tails" as "Dulltification" will also mean the loss of this forum (at least the merger promises to be more of a real merger as opposed to DL's hostile takeover of NW).
I was on DL flights Friday -- MKE-ATL-DEN -- and there were stark reminders of what's to come. Dirty floors in the lavatories. Broken seat tables, malfunctioning lavatory faucets, dangling pieces of miscellaneous stuff. At ATL there was the usual chaos plus the SkyClub at B25 was dirty -- filthy walls, sticky floors and a general bad attitude.
A DL FF I was talking to demonstrated a lot of what we've seen on the DL forums -- a true lack of understanding about why so many of us are very upset (to be politically correct). As a forum veteran, and a DL veteran, I tried to explain.
As many of you know, I flew DL for 27 years before Leo Mullen decided frequent flyers weren't so important. I put up with the ATL/CVG hub hassles, dirty planes and the delights of Almost Southern Airlines and Communist Air. The one thing that was a costant though most of that era -- before Leo -- was the superb front line DL people. As bad as the airline was, most of the front line folks were pretty damn good. It was the only thing I really missed in going to NW.
That said, the late Beth Schulteis welcomed us DL exiles. Our upgrade opportunities were much better, planes cleaner and front line staff usually pretty good. No IFE, to be sure, and there were glitches along the way. I've made my share of complaints about NW but there was also one constant and that is that if NW did something really bad, you could always connect with Jim Cron or one of the other executives and get it taken care of. (You didn't pester the brass with petty stuff, but if it was a real boner, there was someone who could intercede...not so much at Delta which insulates itself from its customers.)
NW was also pretty much a constant as well. Its hubs were generally cleaner airports. Cleaner planes. More meals in first. The product was far from perfect but you usually knew what to expect.
Except for faster posting of mileage, NW's web site was far better than DL. And NW was better at being more flexible with its policies to accomodate customers. (Just this week I had an accomodation made because, quite frankly, we weren't sure how DL would handle the situation in the future.)
Over the past few months we've also seen some very dumb and costly "merger" milestones, such as unnecessary painting of planes, relabeling luggage carts and TUG vehicles, etc. We've seen slower checkins, downgraded amenities at the clubs and so on. Repainting a plane is like $60K-100K...money that could have been better spent on things that matter to paying customers.
As I've said before, the "merger" never really was a "merger" and it failed for the most part to take into account the dissimilar NW and DL cultures. In short, we drank Pepsi and in Atlanta it's Coke. This is not to say that a real "merger" could not have been effectuated but an intelligent one would have recognized the dissimilarities in the respective cultures and respected them as opposed to what amount to a forced hostile takeover of the DL way or no way.
The new airline certainly could have achieved cost savings by consolidation and collaboration whenever and wherever possible but any smart business person knows that consolidation isn't always the golden goose. There's a reason why states don't let cousins marry and the Justice Dept. scored another boner when it failed to block this one.
The late Sam Walton wrote that he learned an important lesson when Wal-Mart expanded out of the south and tried in vain to sell Moon Pies in Wisconsin. That lesson was a respect for the concerns and values of the customers in those markets and not trying to force a "one size fits all" model.
Too bad Richard Anderson never found the time to read Sam's autobiography.
I could go on and on but, once a red tail, always a red tail. Yes, there were times NW seemed like the proverbial Northworst, but on balance while DL may ostensibly offered more trinkets (such as IFE) the one thing NW gave us in greater quantity was respect.
Goodbye, red tail.
Sep 30, 2009, 11:31 am
#2
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: CLT
Programs: AA EP, AA AC
Posts: 4,268
Prolific and eloquent Dick (as always).^ I was going to do a similar thread on what may be the eve of the end of WP and the Forum (as I did for last flights as a WP member), so please let me if I might piggy back ever so briefly on OP's sage words.
Given the changes in the world, the "new realities" of the economy, etc. we are never likely to see another airline program that rewarded loyalty the way that WP rewarded loyalty. Perhaps, it was as a consequence of that mid-western belief that a person did right and was honest with those that stayed loyal, and sometimes in a relationship one side in a particular instance may give, but overall it was a "win-win." Maybe not though either.
In any event, for me personally it was great fun to be a WP member, and I recount my years with great fondness. Our forum also played a huge role in that.
Accordingly, let the record reflect and let all frequent travelers from all walks of life know, that NWA, NWA WP and NWA WP's corner of FT were a trifecta that you could bet for a win each and every time.^
GT
Given the changes in the world, the "new realities" of the economy, etc. we are never likely to see another airline program that rewarded loyalty the way that WP rewarded loyalty. Perhaps, it was as a consequence of that mid-western belief that a person did right and was honest with those that stayed loyal, and sometimes in a relationship one side in a particular instance may give, but overall it was a "win-win." Maybe not though either.
In any event, for me personally it was great fun to be a WP member, and I recount my years with great fondness. Our forum also played a huge role in that.
Accordingly, let the record reflect and let all frequent travelers from all walks of life know, that NWA, NWA WP and NWA WP's corner of FT were a trifecta that you could bet for a win each and every time.^
GT
Sep 30, 2009, 11:50 am
#5
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: IND
Programs: DL DM, UA & AA Peeon, Hilton/Starwood Gold
Posts: 875
I'll jump on the bandwagon just for a moment. I'm not as seasoned as many here, especially those who've posted before me, but your candor, insight and perspective made the NW FF program really top notch for me. I fly primarily for work and we're a small non-profit organization, so getting the most bang for your buck, so to speak, has always been important to me. Whether it was being tipped off on a new promo or publicly praising the treatment a gate agent gave us, I've thoroughly enjoyed checking in and being just a small part of this dialogue.
There is one story I will share and it is the reason why when it came time to decide about who to fly for work, NW was atop my list.
In 2002 I was flying home for the holidays. I had a ticket from ORF-BWI on US, then BWI-DTW-IND. This was much cheaper than booking ORF-IND and a college student does what they have to do.
That afternoon, my airport shuttle arrived late and got me to the airport long after my ORF-BWI flight had boarded. Because my BWI-IND trip was on NW, I visited the desk there just to see if there was anything that could be done. Naturally, US just told me they could only get me to BWI, and nothing else.
The gentleman at the counter listened to my story and said he'd see what he could do. He went over and had US endorse my ORF-BWI ticket over to NW and told me to meet him upstairs. The flight was full (just before Christmas) so all I could do was wait and hope that someone didn't show. The flight began to board and I was thinking I might be hitching a ride home when instead of paging me, the gentleman came up to me and handed me a boarding pass.
"Merry Christmas. I looked and saw you've flown 75,000 miles with us and that's not easy for a college kid. Enjoy."
Of course I had no status and lots of those miles probably came from any kind of promotion NW sent my way back then. But that flight, and my recollection of what that agent did for me, will be my foremost memory of The Red Tail.
There is one story I will share and it is the reason why when it came time to decide about who to fly for work, NW was atop my list.
In 2002 I was flying home for the holidays. I had a ticket from ORF-BWI on US, then BWI-DTW-IND. This was much cheaper than booking ORF-IND and a college student does what they have to do.
That afternoon, my airport shuttle arrived late and got me to the airport long after my ORF-BWI flight had boarded. Because my BWI-IND trip was on NW, I visited the desk there just to see if there was anything that could be done. Naturally, US just told me they could only get me to BWI, and nothing else.
The gentleman at the counter listened to my story and said he'd see what he could do. He went over and had US endorse my ORF-BWI ticket over to NW and told me to meet him upstairs. The flight was full (just before Christmas) so all I could do was wait and hope that someone didn't show. The flight began to board and I was thinking I might be hitching a ride home when instead of paging me, the gentleman came up to me and handed me a boarding pass.
"Merry Christmas. I looked and saw you've flown 75,000 miles with us and that's not easy for a college kid. Enjoy."
Of course I had no status and lots of those miles probably came from any kind of promotion NW sent my way back then. But that flight, and my recollection of what that agent did for me, will be my foremost memory of The Red Tail.
Sep 30, 2009, 12:00 pm
#6
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Sep 2003
Location: HH Diamond, Marriott Gold, IHG Gold, Hyatt something
Posts: 33,533
There were many small things that NW did over the years that indicated that they cared about their elite members. These created quite a bit of loyalty capital, which made me stay through the strike, and the bankruptcy. DL managed to blow all of this in January.
I will miss all the great NW folk. I'm sure I'll fly on DL on occasion, at least while I'm getting rid of the miles I have left over. As in any divorce there are stages of grief and anger, and I think I've worked my way through most of them.
Perhaps Delta will survive, and all the sheeple will stay happy and fly. If not, then hopefully they'll wait until I've blown all my miles before they bite the big one.
I will miss all the great NW folk. I'm sure I'll fly on DL on occasion, at least while I'm getting rid of the miles I have left over. As in any divorce there are stages of grief and anger, and I think I've worked my way through most of them.
Perhaps Delta will survive, and all the sheeple will stay happy and fly. If not, then hopefully they'll wait until I've blown all my miles before they bite the big one.
Sep 30, 2009, 12:08 pm
#7
Join Date: Dec 2002
Location: Washington, DC, Chapel Hill, NC (RDU)
Programs: DL Plat (won't hit DM again) 2MM (2.5), HH Gold, PC Gold, Hyatt Plat
Posts: 5,626
I have stories like that, too. I had booked a flight from MSP to New Orleans -- out and back in a day to visit a relative who was dying -- before he died. About 11 pm the night before I got a call from NW telling me that my 6am flight to MSY had been cancelled but that I was protected on a later flight -- that wasn't going to work. I would have missed visiting hours in the hospital. I explained this to the agent on the phone who put me on hold and came back to let me know that I had been protected on a Midwest flight that would get me to New Orleans in time for hospital visiting hours.
And this was on free ticket that I'd gotten for a bump.
Or the night that I missed my connection to ONT. I was handed a boarding pass for the next morning and a hotel voucher as I got off the plane, but figured I'd just check. The ONT flight had already pushed back, but the agent at the next gate said "let me see what I can do" and got me on the last LAS flight of the day with a connection to ONT on an HP flight.
I'm sure there are folks at DL who will treat us that way as well, but I will miss the good treatment from NW.
tom
And this was on free ticket that I'd gotten for a bump.
Or the night that I missed my connection to ONT. I was handed a boarding pass for the next morning and a hotel voucher as I got off the plane, but figured I'd just check. The ONT flight had already pushed back, but the agent at the next gate said "let me see what I can do" and got me on the last LAS flight of the day with a connection to ONT on an HP flight.
I'm sure there are folks at DL who will treat us that way as well, but I will miss the good treatment from NW.
tom
Sep 30, 2009, 1:03 pm
#8
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2001
Location: Some place in this wonderful world (usually at 39,000 ft in seat 1C)
Programs: CO Gold Elite / NW Gold Elite
Posts: 13,747
I'll jump on the bandwagon just for a moment. I'm not as seasoned as many here, especially those who've posted before me, but your candor, insight and perspective made the NW FF program really top notch for me. I fly primarily for work and we're a small non-profit organization, so getting the most bang for your buck, so to speak, has always been important to me. Whether it was being tipped off on a new promo or publicly praising the treatment a gate agent gave us, I've thoroughly enjoyed checking in and being just a small part of this dialogue.
There is one story I will share and it is the reason why when it came time to decide about who to fly for work, NW was atop my list.
In 2002 I was flying home for the holidays. I had a ticket from ORF-BWI on US, then BWI-DTW-IND. This was much cheaper than booking ORF-IND and a college student does what they have to do.
That afternoon, my airport shuttle arrived late and got me to the airport long after my ORF-BWI flight had boarded. Because my BWI-IND trip was on NW, I visited the desk there just to see if there was anything that could be done. Naturally, US just told me they could only get me to BWI, and nothing else.
The gentleman at the counter listened to my story and said he'd see what he could do. He went over and had US endorse my ORF-BWI ticket over to NW and told me to meet him upstairs. The flight was full (just before Christmas) so all I could do was wait and hope that someone didn't show. The flight began to board and I was thinking I might be hitching a ride home when instead of paging me, the gentleman came up to me and handed me a boarding pass.
"Merry Christmas. I looked and saw you've flown 75,000 miles with us and that's not easy for a college kid. Enjoy."
Of course I had no status and lots of those miles probably came from any kind of promotion NW sent my way back then. But that flight, and my recollection of what that agent did for me, will be my foremost memory of The Red Tail.
There is one story I will share and it is the reason why when it came time to decide about who to fly for work, NW was atop my list.
In 2002 I was flying home for the holidays. I had a ticket from ORF-BWI on US, then BWI-DTW-IND. This was much cheaper than booking ORF-IND and a college student does what they have to do.
That afternoon, my airport shuttle arrived late and got me to the airport long after my ORF-BWI flight had boarded. Because my BWI-IND trip was on NW, I visited the desk there just to see if there was anything that could be done. Naturally, US just told me they could only get me to BWI, and nothing else.
The gentleman at the counter listened to my story and said he'd see what he could do. He went over and had US endorse my ORF-BWI ticket over to NW and told me to meet him upstairs. The flight was full (just before Christmas) so all I could do was wait and hope that someone didn't show. The flight began to board and I was thinking I might be hitching a ride home when instead of paging me, the gentleman came up to me and handed me a boarding pass.
"Merry Christmas. I looked and saw you've flown 75,000 miles with us and that's not easy for a college kid. Enjoy."
Of course I had no status and lots of those miles probably came from any kind of promotion NW sent my way back then. But that flight, and my recollection of what that agent did for me, will be my foremost memory of The Red Tail.
Sep 30, 2009, 1:10 pm
#9
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: YYZ
Programs: NW/DL GE, CO GE
Posts: 286
Just have to chime in and agree with all that's being said. I've only been with NW for about 5 years. Become a loyal red-tailer was actually by accident ... the travel agency at a new job booked my transpac with NW and I never looked back.
I've matched to CO and only have one DL flight left in November. I'm sad to see it go, as I have truly found this to be a great airline, and loved the folks in this forum who made it even better!
I've matched to CO and only have one DL flight left in November. I'm sad to see it go, as I have truly found this to be a great airline, and loved the folks in this forum who made it even better!
Sep 30, 2009, 1:43 pm
#10
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Verdi, NV, SFO & Olympic (aka Squaw )Valley.
Programs: Ikon Pass Full + AS Gold + Marriott Titanium + Hilton Gold. Recovering UA Plat. LT lounge AA+DL+UA
Posts: 3,823
I'm a big fan of the Red Tail...but feel that this should be more of a graduation than a funeral. As the airline business continues to mature it is truly great that NWA merged with a company as compatible with the values and aspirations. Do I miss many of the distinctive traits of NW? Hell, I miss the distinctive traits of PSA whenever I fly US and it's been twenty years. I know we've had some grumbling over the past few months, but seriously as big airline mergers go DL has done a great job executing. I for one will always toast NW whenever I visit a SC courtesy of my lifetime WC membership. Let's have a great future as part of the world's largest airline!
Sep 30, 2009, 1:50 pm
#11
Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: BDL
Programs: NWA Platinum, HHonors Diamond, SPG, YX, AA
Posts: 5,351
RIP to Dick, Jaimito Cartero, MikeMpls, NWAFA, and the rest of you here in the NWA fourm.
I'll miss all of you just as much as I miss the good old days of flying NW. I know we'll all still be around, but it won't be the same.
I'll miss all of you just as much as I miss the good old days of flying NW. I know we'll all still be around, but it won't be the same.
Sep 30, 2009, 2:01 pm
#12
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: LAX
Programs: Fallen DL DM (PM) 2MM
Posts: 4,783
I can sum up my years of NW flying on one sentence: in over 20 years and over 1MM BIS miles I have been stranded overnight exactly once. And that once was a cascading sort of thing as my first flight thru MEM was canceled and I was rerouted thru MSP -- and there were problems there. And I was put up in a hotel (as a Gold)
They always did what they needed to, to get me there or get me home. When you boil it all down, that is what is important; not IFE, not whether they serve your meal from a cart or not what brand of drinks they pour.
I'll miss the folks here and I already miss the folks at LAX (like the lounge ladies, who I haven't ever seen at the SkyClub).
They always did what they needed to, to get me there or get me home. When you boil it all down, that is what is important; not IFE, not whether they serve your meal from a cart or not what brand of drinks they pour.
I'll miss the folks here and I already miss the folks at LAX (like the lounge ladies, who I haven't ever seen at the SkyClub).
Sep 30, 2009, 2:24 pm
#13
Join Date: Oct 2005
Programs: DL 2MM PM;VSGld;EKGld; HilDia; HrtzPC; AvisPC; PP; AmbPlt; JumeiGld; MeliaPlt; TajPlt; ShangriDia
Posts: 953
I will deeply miss Northwest. I feel like I am losing a family member. It did not consciously hit me that the account merger is happening NOW until I clicked today on the Elite Extra Perks web site and received the notice that it is closed while they convert to Skymiles.
NW always offered reliable service and a consistently high level of upgrades. I liked their policy of rewarding those who actually flew rather than everyone who games the system with elite qualifying bonuses. I became Preferred in the early 90's, made NW Gold, subsequently Gold Elite in 98 and then Plat starting in 2005. Not sure if I simply grew with the airline but in 11 years as gold or plat, I don't think I had more than 5-10 segments that did not upgrade. I've really never cared about the miles I earn other than for international upgrades, so I'm unfortunately sitting on a huge hoard of miles which will undoubtedly devalue. However, NW really gave me what I cared about-- superior customer service on the Elite Line, consistent upgrades, great lounges and an overall excellent travel experience.
I'll cross my fingers I remain happy with Delta, but I don't think the experience will ever fully be what it was with Northwest. I've had more luggage delayed or damaged in the last two years on DL flights than I ever had with NW over the past 20 years. NW/DL added M class to upgradeable fares for miles and coupons, yet M class to European destinations I fly is significantly higher than some B fares I was able to net last year so the new policy is not attractive. The elimination of the Plat Companion Upgrade program ends the general assurance I had when flying with a family member that we would be flying upfront. (Now we have to buy a more expensive fare for a non-elite companion to be considered for an upgrade, and I don't know whether it's even worth the extra money when I know I commonly miss upgrades as a Plat flying on a high fare.) I have missed a number of upgrades on domestic DL flights, most notably last Fri when I flew DCA-SLC on a 5:30PM flight with a Y ticket. When I checked in at noon, I was #3 on a waiting list with 12 seats available, by 5:30PM I was #13 on a DL waiting list with 12 seats. My goodness, were there really a dozen DL Plat passengers on full Y tickets to place me that far back on the waiting list?
I guess key in the future with DL will not just be flying frequently but also learning how to "game" the system with all the bonuses offered everywhere. I guess I went out with a bang on my NW account on this last transcontinental weekend trip in Y class, as I netted about 31,500 miles-- somehow the computer awarded me 1,000 Plat guaranteed upgrade bonus for every segment of my itinerary= 4,000 (this was the first time it happened on a DL flight). I received my 100% Plat bonus, another 100% bonus for being a Skymiles AMEX cardholder, and another 100% bonus by reaching the Elite Extra Perks 175K threshold (i.e. 25K bonus for flying 25K between 150-175K), plus another 50% bonus for flying Y class and then another 5,000 mile loyalty bonus (whatever that is for).
While I wish NW could live on, I hope programs such as the Million Miler and 2 Million Miler lifetime silver/gold medallion status will at least ameleorate some of the pain in saying good by. It's just too bad that million milers below the 4million level don't receive SkyTeam Elite Plus status similar to the Star Alliance Gold that United flyers receive at 1 million miles with the guaranteed international lounge access, wait list priorities and *A guaranteed luggage allowances.
NW always offered reliable service and a consistently high level of upgrades. I liked their policy of rewarding those who actually flew rather than everyone who games the system with elite qualifying bonuses. I became Preferred in the early 90's, made NW Gold, subsequently Gold Elite in 98 and then Plat starting in 2005. Not sure if I simply grew with the airline but in 11 years as gold or plat, I don't think I had more than 5-10 segments that did not upgrade. I've really never cared about the miles I earn other than for international upgrades, so I'm unfortunately sitting on a huge hoard of miles which will undoubtedly devalue. However, NW really gave me what I cared about-- superior customer service on the Elite Line, consistent upgrades, great lounges and an overall excellent travel experience.
I'll cross my fingers I remain happy with Delta, but I don't think the experience will ever fully be what it was with Northwest. I've had more luggage delayed or damaged in the last two years on DL flights than I ever had with NW over the past 20 years. NW/DL added M class to upgradeable fares for miles and coupons, yet M class to European destinations I fly is significantly higher than some B fares I was able to net last year so the new policy is not attractive. The elimination of the Plat Companion Upgrade program ends the general assurance I had when flying with a family member that we would be flying upfront. (Now we have to buy a more expensive fare for a non-elite companion to be considered for an upgrade, and I don't know whether it's even worth the extra money when I know I commonly miss upgrades as a Plat flying on a high fare.) I have missed a number of upgrades on domestic DL flights, most notably last Fri when I flew DCA-SLC on a 5:30PM flight with a Y ticket. When I checked in at noon, I was #3 on a waiting list with 12 seats available, by 5:30PM I was #13 on a DL waiting list with 12 seats. My goodness, were there really a dozen DL Plat passengers on full Y tickets to place me that far back on the waiting list?
I guess key in the future with DL will not just be flying frequently but also learning how to "game" the system with all the bonuses offered everywhere. I guess I went out with a bang on my NW account on this last transcontinental weekend trip in Y class, as I netted about 31,500 miles-- somehow the computer awarded me 1,000 Plat guaranteed upgrade bonus for every segment of my itinerary= 4,000 (this was the first time it happened on a DL flight). I received my 100% Plat bonus, another 100% bonus for being a Skymiles AMEX cardholder, and another 100% bonus by reaching the Elite Extra Perks 175K threshold (i.e. 25K bonus for flying 25K between 150-175K), plus another 50% bonus for flying Y class and then another 5,000 mile loyalty bonus (whatever that is for).
While I wish NW could live on, I hope programs such as the Million Miler and 2 Million Miler lifetime silver/gold medallion status will at least ameleorate some of the pain in saying good by. It's just too bad that million milers below the 4million level don't receive SkyTeam Elite Plus status similar to the Star Alliance Gold that United flyers receive at 1 million miles with the guaranteed international lounge access, wait list priorities and *A guaranteed luggage allowances.
Sep 30, 2009, 2:24 pm
#14
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: Here Today, There Tomorrow
Programs: 2.96MM DL DM, Hyatt Globalist, AA Plat Pro, UA Silver, HH Lifetime Diamond, Marriott TE
Posts: 1,318
So many similar thoughts.I will mantain my Million Miler bag tag, my original Top Flight Club (remember that?) tag, and a pair of kid's plastic NWA wings a pilot gave me last month with the words "hang on to these, they'll be worth something someday." I will also recall the generally great service for all these years from the many front line employees and call center gurus. I too am leaving for CO although I'm sure I'll be on a DL every now and then. My Biggest hope is that the old adage "what goes around comes around" will play out at DL. Who knows what they will look like in a few years. Will still talk with all on both the CO and DL Forums. Wheels up!
Sep 30, 2009, 3:30 pm
#15
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: LAX/BOS/HKG/AMS/SFO...hmm, I need a life.
Programs: United1K, AA ExPlAAt, DL MM/Gold, Hilton Diamond, Avis First
Posts: 13,316
+1! Well said as always Mr Ginkowski. \
I am on my way to HKG to fly home on the Red tail for my final flight. I was pushed to NW much like you, by a series of service failures by UA during the infamous "summer of hell". I found Northwest to be different. NW was able to make you feel like you are dealing with a small company not a huge corporate machine and given their size that speaks volumes to their attention to CS and to elites. Not a happy day in my book but I will stay with DL and see how I feel next year at this time. As for the FT boards merging, it will be/ has been very difficult but as the dust settles I am finding that there are some really good folks over there who do understand and are really helping to normalize the presence of NW refuges. I will miss the hell out of this Board though and some long time FT friends: GTITAN, SchmutzigMSP, Zipper, RobOnLI, kcnwa, and many others as well as all the regular posters who made this place both informative and fun. Sigh....Off to the airport.
I am on my way to HKG to fly home on the Red tail for my final flight. I was pushed to NW much like you, by a series of service failures by UA during the infamous "summer of hell". I found Northwest to be different. NW was able to make you feel like you are dealing with a small company not a huge corporate machine and given their size that speaks volumes to their attention to CS and to elites. Not a happy day in my book but I will stay with DL and see how I feel next year at this time. As for the FT boards merging, it will be/ has been very difficult but as the dust settles I am finding that there are some really good folks over there who do understand and are really helping to normalize the presence of NW refuges. I will miss the hell out of this Board though and some long time FT friends: GTITAN, SchmutzigMSP, Zipper, RobOnLI, kcnwa, and many others as well as all the regular posters who made this place both informative and fun. Sigh....Off to the airport.