In principle, I understand your beef with double elite qualifying miles. However, do you realize that DL is already offering double elite qualifying miles on all fares to its own SkyMiles members? Do you really think we NW elites should enter the merger at a competitive disadvantage -- most troubling, in the zero-sum race for complimentary upgrade space -- because the carrier we are loyal to stubbornly refuses to fall into line?

Couldn't have said it better myself. If it was just UA & AA that were doing the double promo, I wouldn't be as worried - but I feel that I'll be disadvantaged as a plat if there are more plats after the proposed merger.

Slightly similar...when US & HP merged, I was a US Gold (and a NW Plat - didn't earn on UA as much then, but had Premier status with them too). The US program, post merger, went to 25K, 50K, 75k, and 100K levels. Previously, it was 25k, 50k, 100K levels. So a person at 51k was treated (theoretically) the same as someone at the 85K level. With the merger & the multiple elite levels, 50K became the new 25K & 25K became the new base member & the base member remained a nobody. I switched to UA as my primary *A carrier because the benefits weren't as welcoming, IMHO, with the new US.

And to the points that NW can't tell us stuff - I understand that may be the case - however, they're talking about how they'll have multiple hubs & are giving information on how their services & processes would be better - why are they not addressing the loyalty program part of it? Sure, that may not be a regulartory concern, but I guarantee you, it's a customer concern. And at the end of the day, its customer dollars, not regulatory dollars, that give cashflow to the companies.

It seems to me it's obvious why the double EQM/MQM promos are going on. It's all about loads now that some price hikes are in the system. All of these airlines hedge fuel. They are likely 6-12 months behind on fuel prices. So the EQM/MQM gets the loads up and butts in seats while they have margins again. For that reason alone NW should be pushing promos that don't reduce fares.

Absolutely correct. I suspect many elites (especially Plats) generally oppose measures that inflate elite ranks, and for that reason would have preferred if DL never offered double MQMs. The problem is that they did, so it is incumbent on the other half of the future DL to follow suit.

So... you walked away from NW and now you want NW to "buy" your not-so-loyal business back?

Well put! ^
You do realize that it's all about what works best for each flyer. Sure, if you've already qualified for Plat for 2009 or you know that you will, then of course you want less competition. If a double EQM promo boosted your status, then of course you would want it. I am assuming you fly mostly high fare classes, so you want those double EQMs but in a way that it only benefits you or people with your flying patterns. Not exactly fair, is it now?

...is going to come in the shape of more upgrades since other plats are fleeing to UA.

Soon to be replaced by twice as many DL Plats via their 2x EQM promos.

January and Feb will be nightmares!

I am hopeing that they merge FF in March just for that reason.

Well said MarqFlyer! Exactly my thoughts.

Just checked the WayBack Machine from August 2005 (NW 2x EQM Promo).

Same arguments - same players
/.

March of what year? You do realize all the newly minted DL plats will be plats through Feb of 2010.

This is not correct. They can begin advance planning in advance of closing the merger. They can also tell us what their intentions are.

What they can't do is act on it now, and they must continue to compete in the market as they did prior.

At least a double EQM promo would earn me some more SWUs