Tenth Anniversary of DL/NW merger
Oct 29, 2018, 7:17 am
#1
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Original Poster
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: Minneapolis: DL DM charter 2.3MM
Programs: A3*Gold, SPG Plat, HyattDiamond, MarriottPP, LHW exAccess, ICI, Raffles Amb, NW PE MM, TWA Gold MM
Posts: 100,417
Tenth Anniversary of DL/NW merger
Today is the ten year anniversary of the merger of DL and NW.
What are your thoughts?
Are you doing anything to celebrate or commiserate?
DL is throwing some parties for groups of employees.
What are your thoughts?
Are you doing anything to celebrate or commiserate?
DL is throwing some parties for groups of employees.
Oct 29, 2018, 9:13 am
#2
Join Date: Apr 2009
Programs: DL DM 3MM
Posts: 127
Time sure flies (pun intended). I have mixed feelings - I miss a few things from the NW days, especially the "easy" upgrades and FA/GA's (would see many of the same ones on my flights back then). But, NW never had lie flats and their regional flights were mostly prop planes too - although I would make sure I booked the DC-9 MSP-AZO-LAN flights! Fun to see a DC-9 land in AZO (short runway), drop off some PAX, take off for the 10 minute flight to LAN. Also loved the NW MSP-HNL 747 flight in the bubble too.
Overall, kudos to DL on the merger and overall I feel it is better together than apart (or to have merged with another legacy carrier).
As for celebrating, I am flying UA today! Will have a bubbly in the IAH UA club to celebrate!
Overall, kudos to DL on the merger and overall I feel it is better together than apart (or to have merged with another legacy carrier).
As for celebrating, I am flying UA today! Will have a bubbly in the IAH UA club to celebrate!
Oct 29, 2018, 10:11 am
#3
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Original Poster
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: Minneapolis: DL DM charter 2.3MM
Programs: A3*Gold, SPG Plat, HyattDiamond, MarriottPP, LHW exAccess, ICI, Raffles Amb, NW PE MM, TWA Gold MM
Posts: 100,417
Ten years ago, few aircraft had true flat bed seats. SQ did in FC on their 747, but business class on SQ at the time was slanted seats, in a 2-3-2 configuration. LH was the same, with those same seats in the 2-2-2 configuration even on their A380s at least a few years later.
Oct 29, 2018, 11:43 am
#4
Join Date: Oct 2016
Location: STL
Programs: DL - PM
Posts: 226
I'll bite.
Things I miss:
-Lower fares due to more competition
-Being able to fly into FNT (I think the flights from Atlanta still exist but that would be a crazy connection even by my standards)
-My 100% upgrade success rate as Gold Elite (ironically I missed one upgrade as Platinum the following year)
-The many, many bonus miles opportunities (25,000 bonus miles to Shanghai!)
-The Memphis hub - RIP (I can't remember the name of it but they had a BBQ place that I loved)
-WorldClubs membership options - why didn't I buy the lifetime membership when I had the chance?!?
-Continental partnership
Changes I've been happy about:
-In-flight entertainment on domestic flights
-Much better operational reliability
-Delta One soft product is a step above World Business Class
-A counter to my point above, free SkyClub membership with Diamond status
-Network is better overall
But even though I listed more cons than pros, I think the merger overall has been a positive change for me as a traveler.
Flame away.
Things I miss:
-Lower fares due to more competition
-Being able to fly into FNT (I think the flights from Atlanta still exist but that would be a crazy connection even by my standards)
-My 100% upgrade success rate as Gold Elite (ironically I missed one upgrade as Platinum the following year)
-The many, many bonus miles opportunities (25,000 bonus miles to Shanghai!)
-The Memphis hub - RIP (I can't remember the name of it but they had a BBQ place that I loved)
-WorldClubs membership options - why didn't I buy the lifetime membership when I had the chance?!?
-Continental partnership
Changes I've been happy about:
-In-flight entertainment on domestic flights
-Much better operational reliability
-Delta One soft product is a step above World Business Class
-A counter to my point above, free SkyClub membership with Diamond status
-Network is better overall
But even though I listed more cons than pros, I think the merger overall has been a positive change for me as a traveler.
Flame away.
Oct 29, 2018, 12:02 pm
#6
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: DFW
Programs: Non-Affiliated
Posts: 7,430
I'll bite as well.
Things I'll miss:
-The red tail. There may be a lot of red on Delta's tail, but it's just not the same.
-Upgrade rates as a low level elite.
-Published mileage charts
-The Continental partnership
-The KLM J/V that was so seamless that as a young adult I thought they were one airline.
-MEM
-What could have become with the 787's
Things I like:
-Power and IFE (though, with time NW probably would have refurbished with power, I imagine...)
-The livery
-Reduction in 50 seat regionals
-Y+
-
Things I'll miss:
-The red tail. There may be a lot of red on Delta's tail, but it's just not the same.
-Upgrade rates as a low level elite.
-Published mileage charts
-The Continental partnership
-The KLM J/V that was so seamless that as a young adult I thought they were one airline.
-MEM
-What could have become with the 787's
Things I like:
-Power and IFE (though, with time NW probably would have refurbished with power, I imagine...)
-The livery
-Reduction in 50 seat regionals
-Y+
-
Oct 29, 2018, 1:26 pm
#7
Join Date: May 2009
Location: Seattle, WA
Programs: DL Diamond 1.7MM, Starlux Insighter, Bonvoy Titanium, Hilton Gold, Hertz PC
Posts: 3,947
I miss the trademark NW XXX-MSP-DTW-XXX double connect routes. No reason to miss them, really, other than nostalgia: Delta killed almost all these routings quickly post merger, and it’s a net benefit overall. But I see a lot less of DTW than I used to, and it’s been years since I took a MSP-DTW flight on a large aircraft where the boarding process took longer than the flight.
Sure would be nice to have the Phantom Upgrade program back, too, if Santa Claus is listening. I’ve been extra good this year.
Sure would be nice to have the Phantom Upgrade program back, too, if Santa Claus is listening. I’ve been extra good this year.
Oct 29, 2018, 3:04 pm
#8
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: RDU
Programs: DL DM+(segs)/MM, UA Ag, Hilton DM, Marriott Ti (life Pt), TSA Opt-out Platinum
Posts: 3,227
Things I miss:
Things I don't miss:
- Their paint job, yeah I know that's weird to say, but I liked it. Someone told me once that the tail was red, because in the early days of carrying US Mail, the USPS required red tails in case they went down in a remote area, for search parties. I've never bee able to verify that's actually true but I thought it was cool.
- Their territorial-ness. NW loved some retaliatory flights. Funniest I recall was LAN-IAD. Not surprisingly it didn't last long.
- I also miss when DL/NW/CO all played nice-nice but were still competitors.
Things I don't miss:
- Their network in the Southeast. DL fits that bill nicely now.
- Very few non-hub (DTW/MSP/MEM) flights.
- Their abysmal performance. I didn't fly NW often, but every time I did, it was a hot mess.
Oct 29, 2018, 3:57 pm
#10
Join Date: Aug 2012
Location: SLC
Programs: DL FO, KM, & 1.7MM; UA nothing; HH♦; National EE
Posts: 6,344
Oct 29, 2018, 6:11 pm
#11
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 had a todo to start a similar thread. Wonder how many of us Northwest Lifetime members remain in the sky?
Oct 29, 2018, 6:18 pm
#12
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Sep 2003
Location: HH Diamond, Marriott Gold, IHG Gold, Hyatt something
Posts: 33,543
I’m always going to miss NW. DL often had miserable Biz seats. I recall a 18.5” wide Biz seat to EZE that I refused to fly again, even though I had $500 RT seats.
Oct 29, 2018, 6:23 pm
#13
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Original Poster
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: Minneapolis: DL DM charter 2.3MM
Programs: A3*Gold, SPG Plat, HyattDiamond, MarriottPP, LHW exAccess, ICI, Raffles Amb, NW PE MM, TWA Gold MM
Posts: 100,417
Would that be the 767s with recliner seats in the 2-2-2 configuration, now used for domestic FC rather than BE?
Oct 29, 2018, 6:34 pm
#14
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: LAX
Programs: Fallen DL DM (PM) 2MM
Posts: 4,783
It's not fair to company 2008 NW with 2018 DL -- not just physical things (lie flats, etc) or program (upgrades, redemption rates). I expect if there was no merger these things still would have changed. Maybe differently, but they would have changed ("Man, the NW iPhone app really sucked" 
)
I do miss the KLM integration -- it has gotten better recently but still not as seamless as the "old days."
I also miss MEM -- easy to connect and some good BBQ while you waited. I expect some on the DL miss CVG.
I have yet to fly on a 787 but all my friends who have have raved about it (and they are in coach). So I can't say that is miss it but I miss having to opportunity to regularly fly on it.
)I do miss the KLM integration -- it has gotten better recently but still not as seamless as the "old days."
I also miss MEM -- easy to connect and some good BBQ while you waited. I expect some on the DL miss CVG.
I have yet to fly on a 787 but all my friends who have have raved about it (and they are in coach). So I can't say that is miss it but I miss having to opportunity to regularly fly on it.
Oct 29, 2018, 7:03 pm
#15
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Sep 2003
Location: San Antonio
Programs: DL DM, Former AA EXP now AY Plat, AC 75K, NW Plat, Former CO Gold, Hilton Diamond, Marriott Titanium
Posts: 27,046
I miss the trademark NW XXX-MSP-DTW-XXX double connect routes. No reason to miss them, really, other than nostalgia: Delta killed almost all these routings quickly post merger, and it’s a net benefit overall. But I see a lot less of DTW than I used to, and it’s been years since I took a MSP-DTW flight on a large aircraft...