Was Free Flight Plan I the program intiated in response to United's free ticket program in 1976 or 1977? I think UA set up some kind of program to get passengers back after a fairly long strike in 1977. I was working for a large private university in a near north suburb of Chicago at the time and we were required to submit all coupons we earned for flying on university business along with our travel reimbursement requests -- otherwise no reimbursements.

I am very pleased to work for a more enlightened employer now -- one who lets me keep my ff miles. (But that could be a new thread.)

tom

I would guess that Free Flight Plan I probably ran in 1981 or 1982. Just because AA is credited with launching FF programs in 1981, and I am guessing it was a response to that.

I didn't graduate college until 1982, so I wasn't tuned in to NW until later in 1982 when I got a travel job.

I still have a sheet of the little white stickers with the Republic logo that were used by agents to make flight changes. A friendly agent gave me several sheets of stickers so I could make my own changes.

Those were the days <sigh>

Stickers for making flight changes . . .
 

Getting a little off thread here, but what the heck -

You know, I remember those stickers, and it raises a real pet peeve of mine:

It used to just be a matter of them changing the reservation and restickering the ticket to the new flight and time. Now, we are so much more computerized (and efficient??) that if the same change were to be made today, they can't do it the old way. They claim they need to reissue the ticket, and just coincidentally, that means they need to womp you on the noggin with a $100 change fee. Great way to treat your customers!

A recent experience with stickers -- I missed a connection at CDG returning from BUD on President's Day. AF took care of me, putting me on the same flight the next day, but I had to have my ticket changed because of it. The DL ticket counter at CDG did it by placing two of the stickers on my tickets. I'd not seen that done in years.
tom

My WorldPerks number begins with 021 and I think that it was from my Republic membership.

These certificates bring back bad memories. I recall getting the 20,000 mile certificate in April 1992, paid $100 to extend it to about April 11, 1994. My dad died on March 31, 1994, and with all the confusion over his death I could not use the certificate. I asked NW to give me some extra time to use the 20,000 mile certificate due to my dad's death. Although they said that they made exceptions this was not one of them.

I do remember around 1994 being issued some other certificates, and around this time I think that they started to convert to the current system.

Northwest was not impressed by death issues. Two years later in Aug. 1996 I was flying to a funeral in Detroit. The flight was delayed due to the fact that they did not charge the batteries. I asked to be put on a Delta flight so I could make the funeral. NW refused, but gave me a certificate for 1000 miles.

I guess experiences vary with the people you are dealing with at NW. In the early 90s I was using a bump ticket to fly from MSP to MSY to see a relative who was dying. I got a call from NW the night before the trip telling me that the early morning flight to MSY had been cancelled because of a mechanical but that I was protected on the midday flight. I explained that the midday wouldn't work because I was flying back that evening and need to get to the hospital during visiting hours, which I'd miss using the midday flight.
I was put on hold and when the agent came back I'd been rebooked on the early morning Midway flight. I was very pleased with that accomodation.

This thread has digressed a bit.
tom

Republic Airliners Article
 

The piece on Republic in Airliners was the May/June 2004 edition...to the consternation of Mrs. East Coast Wing I keep all my back copies of Airliners and Airways!

1946 Zimmerly Air Lines & Empire Air Lines merge and become West Coast Airlines

1952 Wisconsin Central Airlines (inc. 1948) becomes North Central Airlines

1968 West Coast Airlines, Bonanza Air Lines (1945), and Pacific Air Lines (1966) merge and become AirWest

1970 AirWest became Hughes Airwest

1979 Southern Airways (1949) and North Central Airlines merge and become Republic Airlines

1980 Hughes Airwest and Republic Airlines merge to form Republic Airlines

1986-87 Republic Airlines and Northwest Orient Airlines merge and become Northwest Airlines

1926 Northwest Airways
1934 Northwest Airlines
1945 Logo Change
1948 Logo Change
1958 Logo Change
1963 Logo Change
1969 Northwest "Orient" Airlines ("Orient" is marketing. Company still known as "Northwest Airlines")
1987 Northwest Airlines (with Republic)
2003 Logo Change ("nwa")

I am 021 also...It goes back to 1979-80

I will always remember waking up each morning when I was in college to a "Northwest Orient (LOUD CHINESE GONG) Airlines" jingle. Whatever time it was they kept that ad going for a long time on that station. I certainly wasn't a frequent flyer then, but their ad made a lifelong impression.

I can remember that too, in the mid-60's, when I wasn't in school yet. Mom would have the radio on at home, and we'd here that commercial. They should go retro and bring that thing back . . .

The phrase "Northwest Orient" and the gong sound was incorporated into the song "Ain't Necessarily Bird Avenue" done by Spanky & Our Gang.

Unfortunately, it's been out of print for a long time.


Back to the ads - they also had a final tag line of a woman somewhat breathlessly saying "The Fan-Jet Airline".