Farewell Northwest Orient Airlines

Northwest Orient and United were the big-ticket airlines to inhabit our airport in Spokane during the late 1960s. United went to places like Boise and Reno and Sacramento. Northwest, with their scarlet tails, flew to exotic places, like Minneapolis and Tokyo. Their Lockheed Electra took you to the Twin Cities (MSP); their DC-7Cs and B-707-320Bs took you over the oceans. When they retired their Electras, the 727s took over on the short hauls.
There was something hugely romantic about Northwest, until you actually flew them. Flying on Northwest during the late 1960s and early 1970s was just a touch less fun than dental surgery. They flew to a lot of places other airlines did not dare to go, including China, but the saying back and up through the late 1990s then was, "If the tail is red, take a train instead."
A travel agent, unaware of our prejudices, put us on a Northwest flight to Beijing six years ago, from Spokane through Portland and Narita. We were treated with a courtesy and respect in Coach that one would have expected from First Class three decades ago. The seat was comfortable, the cuisine superb, the beers were free.
So I took another flyer, on Northwest, this time to Europe. Same splendid treatment, same comfort.
One of the pilots and a cabin crew member were taking five in the galley up front of the SLF's chambers, and on my way back from the head, I asked them, "What has happened to this airline?"
They said that about five years ago (this would have been 1999 or so, during NWA's bankruptcy) management and the unions sat down to figure out how to make the airline work. Everybody gave an inch or two. Cabin Crew wanted X, pilots wanted Y, corporate wanted Z, and the SLF (self-loading freight) wanted A thru Z, and they emerged as an airline to be proud to fly for, and to ride on. And it shows. The FA's on Northwest are the best in the world.
So for more than half a decade, Northwest has been my airline of choice, they have not let me down, and I have logged nearly 1 million miles with them. I don't regret a single mile. Even in coach, I am treated like royalty.
Now Delta takes over Northwest. Delta has a tough act to follow. I hope they will learn from Northwest, how to earn a traveler's trust.