It doesn't cost NW anything to reward its elites differently from DL or CO. They were already different from DL in giving top tier at 75,000 miles, and different from CO in giving 1.5 miles credit for higher fares.

So the airlines are varying it even a little more? So what? They are all pursuing their own ideas about the best elite (and cash) retention strategy.

Personally, I sure hope that NW has got it right, since I'm one of those mixed fare loyalists they are pursuing. I can be bribed. I will spend money with your airline if you give me an incentive. Thank you very much.

wooooo whooooooo!!!!!!!!!!!

Here is the question:

any fares booked through co.com will receive 100% EQM for OnePass members until Dec.31, 2004

If a WorldPerks member does the same, will only 50% EQM be granted in case of cheap fare?

I am more optimistic now in light of today's WP news.

This is a weekend for CO management team in Houston to do some serious soul searching.

To save face, they may quietly change back to 100% EQM in their own web site as another "enhancement" without much explanation sometime in 2004 http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/biggrin.gif

Seems to me that this is the first step in pushback from CO in preperation for SkyTeam integration later next year.

Just got back from a trip on DL (T fare)...too bad...only missed the 100% EQM by 2 days! Wonder if I'll get it anyway if the flights post 10/26 or later.

First, let me say THANK YOU to NW. You just earned my business for another year. I had some obvious thoughts in reading the new rules that I'd like to share in case I'm off base here.

-We can still earn 100% EQM on NW coded flights operated by CO on V fares (purchased through NW), which takes some of the sting out as V is usually somewhat reasonable.

-Delta EQM at 100% until further notice, which suggest that this isn't the final resting place...full Y fares do not get an EQM bonus any longer.

-The dilemma is this...CO (cheap fares) with a FC upgrade and 50% EQM or DL (cheap fares) in coach with 100% EQM. Very smart on NW part...this makes the best option NW to get both 100% EQM AND FC!

-NW has two strong SkyTeam connections...KL and DL. CO has one...DL (no KLM codesharing...right?). If/when KLM and Air France merge, NW is almost assured of a spot having such a tight bond with KL...and now favorable reciprocity with DL. CO is left out in the cold. Could CO end up out all together???

-Final strategy...fly NW whenever possible, fly CO as a NW codeshare in V when necessary, fly CO in a non-NW market only if F upgrade is available (ie Central America), fly DL when price/convenience is worth dealing with no F upgrade. (This will evolve no doubt)

------------------
Randy
-------------------------
HH Gold; WN CP; NW Gold Elite

[This message has been edited by LUVSWA (edited 10-25-2003).]

Yep. They've even driven me away as an infinite platinum. So glad I got a NW comp - they're sure as heck getting all my 75K next year, company dollars as well as personal.

I can't wait to give CO absolutely zippo in 2004. Way to go NW. Thank you thank you thank you.

I emailed my thanks to Beth Shultis using the website and "contact us", and received the following in reply:

This letter acknowledges receipt of your E-mail to Ms Beth Shultis,
Vice
President, Marketing and Loyalty Programs, in regards to the Northwest
WorldPerks Elite program for 2004. She has reviewed your letter and
asked me to respond.

Ms Shultis appreciates all feedbag from our WorldPerks members, but
most
importantly or WorldPerks Elite members.

On behalf of all of us at Northwest Airlines and the WorldPerks
program,
we appreciate the support you have shown for our airline in the past
and
we are committed to earning and maintaining your loyalty. Please be
assured that as a member of our WorldPerks program, you are one of
Northwest's most important customers.

we hope that Northwest Airlines and our alliance partners
will have the continued privilege of serving your air travel needs.

Sincerely,

Cheryl A Johnson
Correspondence Specialist
WorldPerks Customer Service Center

I'm glad NW has decided to stay above the crowd, but I still gotta observe the marketing forces in action... NW in effect has debased its ff program yet again in terms of the cost of reward travel... and its customers are ecstatic because it wasn't worse! Debasing the program, yet gaining customer loyalty in one stroke. And in my ridiculous addiction to ff programs, I'm somehow grateful, and almost manage to ignore the bad taste in my mouth.

**************APPLAUSE*************

How did you get a NW comp... I'm guessing you are talking a Plat Comp?????????

I'm so glad CO-coded flights but operated by NW still earns 100% EQM on lower fare classes.

However, due to the announcement, I've already lost 4,100 EQM on an upcoming CO trip next February!! http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/frown.gif

I too am ecstatic over the NW decisions for the Elite Worldperks program in 2004.

This is particularly so in view of the general direction the program had been going in the past few years. For some reason, it seemed that even though NW was in a position to lead, they were simply following Continental (even at a time when they controlled Continental's stock!) and equalizing the programs by reducing the awards to the lowest common denominator.

For example, a few years ago when they had Peak and Off-Peak awards, they dropped the Off-Peak Rulebusters. I'd asked about it at the time and was told they had to do it to align the program with Continental. Why didn't Continental add off-peak rulebusters?

Then of course, there was last year's move where -for our benefit, because we were all getting so confused- they eliminated the off-peak tier entirely. (I hated the spin they put on this at the time, like it was for our benefit; as if there was any confusion about punching an itinerary into the computer and letting it price the miles required! Of course, peak and off-peak had become largely meaningless because of capacity controls. And of course, they chose to eliminate the lower-tiered level, not the upper. This was simply a smokescreen for a mileage price increase.) Something at the time indicated to me that this also was initiated by Continental.

It's good to see Northwest show some backbone and stand it's ground here, instead of following the lead of Continental and Delta in alienating their best customers.

[This message has been edited by Sam Drucker (edited 10-25-2003).]

Another option when NW is unavailable is to fly AS. I'm assuming NW will continue to give 100% EQMs on all coach fares with AS.

This is like an early Christmas present!!

I really was getting an unsettled feeling, and when I first saw the subject heading, I thought to myself....uh-oh, here it comes...

What a great surprise to read the news.

The Delta thing on the side is interesting, is it not.

Although I am a hub-dweller, I also do enjoy flying so do not mind connecting flights (and do not mind the extra miles to do so) - so I anticipate my CO flights to be fewer in number in '04.

Since i am a 'discretionary' travler (sure do like the sound of that word) I had at my discretion been holding off on any purchases for next year. At my discretion after this announcement I purchased a Vacation Package to Asia from nw for next year in celebration. http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif

This is a very good point, but none the less... it could have been worse...

I think if you write to NW, you should cc the note to DL and CO as well.
(Especially if you are mentioning that you are an EX - DL or CO who has switched and happy)

Three cheers for NW!!!

Other good news I received today...
(1) I booked an Asia trip for January (paid Y) and upgraded to WBC on all segments using miles.
(2) I got my EUA for a west coast trip later next week http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif

I just emailed thru customer care my thanks to Beth Shultis & the marketing team for confirming and reminding me I chose the right airline and frequent flier program.

As far as the increase to 15k for first class upgrades, IMO, I guess I expect mileage "inflation" over time. With elite bonus miles, web bonus miles, promotional bonus miles, credit card bonus miles, etc, etc, pumping up my account constantly, I can live with it. Of course, unlimited domestic upgrades that really happen kinda helps also. Now as far as international upgrades go... http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif

International Upgrades,International Upgrades,International Upgrades,International Upgrades,International Upgrades,International Upgrades,International Upgrades,International Upgrades

.

[This message has been edited by OutOfOffice (edited 10-26-2003).]

I was thinking the EXACT same thing when I read your thread. That is the only rational reason to isolate Gordo and Co. KLM is in Sky Team by virture of their purchase/sale with Air France.

Straight from the horse's mouth?! In any event, thanks, NWA, we'll be seeing more of you in 2004!

I like a good feedbag myself. http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif

I too feel this is setting the table for a SkyTeam alliance that leaves CO at the curb. DL/NW/KL/AL looks pretty formidable.

And, whether it's under the SkyTeam umbrella or not, if I were NW I would be taking a good hard look at deepening the HP relationship. At that stage, if an angry CO pulled another HP-type ultimatum, NW could link arms domestically with DL, AS and HP and say, honestly: Who cares?

CO may have played hard-to-get with such arrogance for so long, they're the ones who end up without a date on prom night...

... and I will laugh and laugh.

Oh man, I'd love to see NW and HP align with full elite bennies...THAT would kick posterior!

Steve

Congratulations.... I hope there is room for one more DL defector

CO has to. If they do not, not only do they make it harder for their own elites to upgrade (by giving them half qualifying miles on sub-HoKeY fares), but it would result in NW WP elites - who earn 100% qualifying miles on all flights - having a better shot at First (due to their being more higher-level NW elites).

Not what you want to happen when you are trying to use First Class as the carrot to get folks to spend more money on each fare.

I don't see how this can happen until fare structures are aligned. HP and NW's fare structures are totally out of whack, which is what dissolved the CO-HP relationship.

While the CO-HP divorce did suck for me as a west coaster, I understand why CO was unhappy at HP's lower fares being sold on CO-operated flights. CO-HP had a much more extensive codesharing structure than NW-HP does. If NW-HP started a codeshare now, we'd have that sort of tension as well, which is why the NW-HP partnership is limited today. While I see reciprocal Elite benefits as a possibility, a full partnership with codesharing is unlikely at this point.

All hail NW! All screw Avek! http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/wink.gif (no offense, its just Avek's CO praising..)
A deeper partnership with AS would be much more likely than HP.
DL also does have a decent sized western US hub in SLC. What does CO have? IAH, which is a Central US hub. I'm sure NW would much rather have Atlanta than Houston.

[This message has been edited by bk42 (edited 10-25-2003).]

Well ****.

I had all but decided to bail from NW this year and join *A. Now they go and do something customer-oriented and admirable. What am I gonnna do?

I need about 21.000 miles to retain plat this year. I think a BCN-SEA-SIN trip is in my very near future.



------------------
-alan in sitges, home of Si-Do

alan... I've got a PD802 cert with your name on it if you want it... I'm doing a quick AMS run in december to put me over...

Time to sing the song... "Oh I'm so happy I'm a Northwest Platinum..." http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif

If they do sever the CO partnership, then I hope they would work something out with HP. West coast connections with DL don't really work, and it's silly to fly 1000 miles extra to go through DL's SLC hub.

THank you so much for posting this thread. I have been working for two days sorting out two trips to Rome (FCO) early next year. Two trips on CO would give me 25,000 miles to requalify, but now they will not. I was ready to book CO. 2 trips on NW metal won't quite give me 25,000, but with a quick run stateside I can go over by 2/29. I did not qualify this calendar year since I have been burning miles, but want to keep status. This post really helped me. Thank you!

I will go back to NW and see if I can't tweak a few more miles out of one of the trips to put me over on NW metal.

NW: http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/thumbsup.gif http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/biggrin.gif http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/ideasmilie.gif http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/starsmilie.gif

CO Apol00gists: http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/tongue.gif

Please keep out personal attacks.

As a KLM Plat, I am happy to see that maybe there won't be any bad changes to FD either. The AF deal is of more concern to KL FD anyway.

Congratulations NW flyers!

Just wanted to add my smiles http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/biggrin.gif http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/biggrin.gif http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/biggrin.gif

Anyone have a physical address for Beth Shultis?
-JBLU.

This smile http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/biggrin.gif looks a little bit ugly http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/biggrin.gif

That smile http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif is better http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif

If I fly L, U or T class on DL and have the miles credited to my DL Skymiles account I only get x0.5 toward "medallion=elite" status. But if I take the same flight I will get full "elite" miles on NW. So if I find a cheaper fare on DL than on NW(for the same route), I will fly on DL and count the miles for NW. How does NW make money on this deal? They derive no revenue from my flying DL.