As a top-tier DL member I'll chime in here.
There are a couple of passenger profile factors at play: Domestic vs. International and Leisure/Out-of-Pocket vs. Subsidized/Employer-Paid.

If it's not out-of-pocket and domestic, then DL is probably the best program with the CRC and time-of-booking upgrades.
Even mostly LU'ser with CRC, Skymiles probably ranks above the bottom of the frequent flier barrel.

International is another (stinky) kettle of fish.
If a minimum upgrade fare of over $1,000 to Europe is OK, then, DL's for you! Even so, the capacity controls can be *so* strict that folks are talked into waitlisting at those fares, denied the upgrade because Simply Good Business says *NO* same day upgrades *regardless* of front-cabin capacity at boarding. It is my understanding that gate agents have [almost] no leeway in this matter, barring an actual oversold situation. They *will* fly out with BizElite seats empty and folks sitting in coach who paid double the minimum upgrade fare on other carriers.
Platinums do get international lounge access on all tickets (in addition to CRC), though from what I gather those facilities are more on a par with other alliances' mid-tier than top-tier.

To recap - if domestic K fares aren't an issue, DL is the best. However, for out-of-pocket international pax, it's a pretty raw deal compared with top tier benefits on other carriers.

I second Lex, please stay away from DL, so I can get my upgrades.

I don't think WN counts for these purposes.

DL sounds pretty bad for a "major", although free Crown Room is nice..

I have been spending some time with the Air Canada folks and they don't sound too happy.

Actually i rather LIEK teh LU restriction on DL. Flying from SRQ, generally k is the lowest available fare (and it's comparable in price to L fares from TPA). So I get much less competition for upgrades than I would otherwise. As a GM I am roughly 90% on upgrades, and as a PM I am positive I would be right at 100%. As it's been said before, please stay away from DL, it's horrible.

Market Cap in Billions as of March 1, 2002

United - UAL - 0.745
American AMR - 4.21
Delta - DAL - 4.46
Continental - CAL - 2.08
America West - AWA - 0.131
Northwest - NWAC - 1.45
US Airways - U - 0.368
Alaska Air - ALK - 0.852
Southwest - LUV - $15.95

I'm no financial analyst, but I'll go out on a limb and say that if Southwest is the only airline in this group making money AND has a market cap larger than the other 8 "majors" conbined - they are a major airline.

The usual measurement for the "size" of an airline isn't the market cap. It's the revenue, as a reflection of the size of the network and the number of passengers carried.

On that level, AA is far larger than WN, almost 4x.

If you are not primarily a domestic road warrier, then CO is worst.
I think that there is no correct answer. Each program has its strengths and weaknesses, I think smart FT'ers find a program that compliments their individual flying profile.

For instance, I used to be loyal to CO. But when my flying patterns changed from domestic to international, I had to adapt and change to AA.

It seems though that Delta's big saving grace,among its unhappy elites, seems to be lounge access. This gets a big yawn from me. Big deal. So what? AA (as well as UA for that matter) allow access for international travelers.

SWA is a major, like it or not. Or, the majors react to WN pricing.

Southwest top tier is great if you have use for it. Since 9/11, I would rate WN as bottom of the barrell for my purposes. And when my companion pass expires in June it will have expired for the first time in three years.

hmmm, i seem to remember southwest being rated #2 for either number of flights or number of passengers. i would consider them major on that and the fact that they influence the price we pay on other airlines in cities they serve.


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uh, NW does not allow international upgrades on any fare less than M across the Pacific and B across the Atlantic, even for Platinum Elite. it's the same I hear over at CO. so all three suck about equally. NW and CO have fabulous upgrade policies for Elites on North American travel, but not for international.

My assertion was not that WN is larger than all of the other airlines, but that their market cap and financial condidtion made them a "major" airline - a top 5 or 6 carrier.

On the topic of programs, I was not a fan of WN because of the boarding process, no forst, etc. However using them for all of my west coast trips in the past year I can appreciate their program. I still have my UA status for long-haul flying, however condidering that your partner points count as status points on WN, it's a great deal. No other airline allows you to earn free flights faster than WN. WN is also the only airline that truly has no blackout dates, including your companion pass person. Think about this, you can use a free ticket and take someone with you anywhere in the U.S. - that's awesone!

i keep aa exp status for upgrading int'l. they have the best policies regarding pricing and vips (although 2's were much better than ow's) i keep nw plat status for upgrading domestically. they are the only major to allow upgrades on domestic award tickets, plus association with co, which i prefer to nw to travel to asia(upgrading is easier than on nw). i have dl, us, and co for no other reason than after sept 11, it was easy to (re)qualify with double status miles.

And just as important: No capacity controls! That's awesome! But I hate standing in line for hours which is what I do whenever I fly WN (especially if I have to connect). Therefore, I avoid WN.

Actually, I would say "major" reflects number of destinations served, and in this area WN is sorely lacking. WN is a "major" if you go by revenue because they have a lot of service to many of their destinations, but when you consider their route structure, there are major gaps. Same could be said of US in the West (though they had plans to fix some of that by adding PDX and SAN, two of the larger cities they don't currently serve).

Beckles, I can see your point, but it doesn't reflect reality. WN is expected to be the largest carrier based on the number of passengers carried, within the next 5 years. If they can do it without flying into the congested major NYC airports, more power to 'em. But if you use the usual industry benchmarks, WN certainly is among the top cariers....