Win-win here. We don't fly that many expensive or cheap fares - middlin' we are, but we win with our real cheapies going to count, and NW wins because we will now fly the extra this year for Platinum.

Which was in doubt. We had 3 months of no flying at all, and recently had to cancel two other trips. And since our upgrade % on NW as Golds was so good, we were thinking of just sucking it up and being Golds again.

Now I think we'll say Thank You, NW, and make sure we have a slightly better position in the queue of elites, which I think is going to get longer and longer this year...

TH - why don't you use your DL GM status to ask NW for a comp, eh? Of course you'd be a "lowly Gold" but see remarks above about how tough that is.

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Whew! This will eliminate a possible MR at the end of next year to keep platinum.

It's pretty clear that if I buy a NW ticket and fly CO metal, I only get 50% EQM, right? That's the only downside, as I do that now and then. But, I'm so happy that I have no right to complain!

Yay! Good job NW!

I wonder if this means that NW is looking for a link with DL rather than CO... yes, I know. They have a far better relationship with CO right now, but I'm wondering what the motives are for NW to 'prefer' DL over CO. Maybe it thinks that it can join skyteam easier if it dumps CO and just goes with DL? Again, just me talking to myself again...

It would be nice if someone could post the e-mail addresses of the executives at NW so we can all thank them. It seems like most of the time the airline execs are a bunch of puppets who can only follow the other guy, but this is a great, bold move by NW.

Kudos to Northwest.

So as an elite on NW flying Continental, we still earn Elite upgrade, full mileage, but 50% EQM on select fares. Right?

Then on Delta, we get full mileage, full EQM but no upgrade.

Hmm....what should I choose.....Do I fly the airline who will continue to award me with full benefits(NW), or do I choose the airline with upgrade benefit but less EQM miles, or the one with full EQM miles and no upgrade.

I earlier wrote to Anderson and Steenland urging them not to follow the lead of a twice-bankrupt airline. It will be a pleasure now to write and thank them.
Would also like to write Beth Shultis. Does anyone have her email and postal addresses?

I too have unfortunately made a reservation on Continental.com several months ago for DTW-CDG in Feb 2004. Don't know if there is any chance of asking for full EQM creditfrom NW given the change.However, based on my rcent experience PDX-DTW, wonder if NWA would consider endorsing my CO tkt (on a space-available basis)?

Let's hope that NW going to the mattresses makes CO back down and get back to the business of making money. It's hard to understand why a company that just returned to making money would start tinkering with the very things that made it money in the first place....

Steve

You can hope for a schedule change that could justify cancelling the ticket for a refund.

Until today, I've always looked down on the dull looking NW platinum elite card, but now I am truly lucky to own this card. Platinum cards for Delta and Continental may sure looks snazzy, but when it comes to benefits, I think Northwest wins hands down.

Kudos to NWA.

However, I was extremely surprised to see the change allowing 100% EQM on all DL flights effective almost immediately. Perhaps DL is starting to back off with their "enhancements" and will again allow DL FF's 100% EQM on discount fares. I believe I recall reading somewhere that DL has changed their policy to allow 100% EQM on most NW fares as well.

In light of these changes, I suspect improvements in the partnership might be coming (more codeshares, possible ability to upgrade ?) and I would rather see ties cut with CO. Just my opinion of course, but CO seems to be headed in the wrong direction, IMHO, when it comes to customer loyalty. DL, OTOH, seems to be learning from its mistakes.

Many FF's such as myself are of the "mixed fare" variety. I will travel on full Y fares when needed, purchase Intl Business Class on occassion, but I also travel on deep discounted advance purchase fares in addition to "middle of the road" (M, Q, H) fares. Award me extra when I fork out more $$$, but don't penalize me when I buy the cheapest fare available for the day/route I need to travel. If I were penalized for flying on the lowest fares, I wouldn't be loyal.

Getting back to NW partners:

I suspect this is a sign that NW will align closer to DL and perhaps become part of SkyTeam. I could be wrong, but it seems like a good possibility in light of the KL-AF merger and NW getting closer to DL. Other changes including new partnerships (i.e. Air Europa) seem to suggest this as well.

Best,

SDF_Traveler

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"They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety." -- Ben Franklin

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

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