Originally Posted by flyingrox

And I might add that United/Continental have been consulted by the same firm that helped with the Delta/NWA merger, Bain & Co. So clearly United didn’t think that the Delta/NWA merger was a failure.

Originally Posted by youngdlplat

I was directed over to this thread through a current cross-link in the DL forum. As a former NW elite flyer who often flew CO and has stayed with DL, I think the comments about the DL/NW merger are skewed and way off base, likely the result of disgruntled former NW elites.

I agree that DL seriously reduced the value of the NW Worldperks program. I also agree that ST is not the best alliance right now and that integration with KL/AF and AS is not as good as it was during the NW days, which just seems ridiculous to me. DL has taken a real step backward in that regard, for no good reason that I can see.

That said---and again, this comes from a former NW elite flyer for four plus years---NW was a dump of an airline compared to DL. The hard product has improved so much it is difficult to state. Since the merger, DL has introduced F in almost all RJs, installed wifi fleetwide on mainline aircraft and now expanding to RJs, reintroduced snacks (it's a small thing, but peanuts, pretzels, etc. are nice to have, and NW had cut that). Many DL planes have PTVs, while NW only had that on select international craft. DLs beverage options are better.

Simply put, no one seems to be discussing the fact that NW was a cheap, dump of an airline. Yes, they treated elite passengers well, but their product was not nearly as good as what DL has become.

It seems UA/CO is avoiding some of the FF program problems DL had, so in that sense the merger may be "better" but I would look hard at what sort of hard product UA/CO rolls out. DL merged with NW and created a worse FF program but a much better airline. The question is whether UA/CO will do the same.

Originally Posted by Carolinian

I was a DL elite for years before Rob Borden's anti-customer antics drove me to jump ship to NW in the SaveSkyMiles days, and I found NW a far superior airline. My upgrade percentage went up substantially. They had free alcohol in Y on TATL flights which DL did not. NW's TATL A330s beat the stuffings out of any DL TATL metal. The DC9's on domestic flights had some age on them but had lots of C seats for upgrades and again beat the stuffings out of the Barbie jets one was more and more seeing on DL.

Originally Posted by flyingrox

And I might add that United/Continental have been consulted by the same firm that helped with the Delta/NWA merger, Bain & Co. So clearly United didn’t think that the Delta/NWA merger was a failure.

Originally Posted by sxf24

...and outside of SkyMiles, none of these benefit really have anything to do with the DL/NW merger integration.

Originally Posted by youngdlplat

I was directed over to this thread through a current cross-link in the DL forum. As a former NW elite flyer who often flew CO and has stayed with DL, I think the comments about the DL/NW merger are skewed and way off base, likely the result of disgruntled former NW elites.

I agree that DL seriously reduced the value of the NW Worldperks program. I also agree that ST is not the best alliance right now and that integration with KL/AF and AS is not as good as it was during the NW days, which just seems ridiculous to me. DL has taken a real step backward in that regard, for no good reason that I can see.

That said---and again, this comes from a former NW elite flyer for four plus years---NW was a dump of an airline compared to DL. The hard product has improved so much it is difficult to state. Since the merger, DL has introduced F in almost all RJs, installed wifi fleetwide on mainline aircraft and now expanding to RJs, reintroduced snacks (it's a small thing, but peanuts, pretzels, etc. are nice to have, and NW had cut that). Many DL planes have PTVs, while NW only had that on select international craft. DLs beverage options are better.

Simply put, no one seems to be discussing the fact that NW was a cheap, dump of an airline. Yes, they treated elite passengers well, but their product was not nearly as good as what DL has become.

It seems UA/CO is avoiding some of the FF program problems DL had, so in that sense the merger may be "better" but I would look hard at what sort of hard product UA/CO rolls out. DL merged with NW and created a worse FF program but a much better airline. The question is whether UA/CO will do the same.