Dear Northwest Airlines,

It's seems hard to believe it's been 34 years since the first time i set foot on one of your planes, at the tender age of 6, on the way to see Grandma and Grandpa in far off Washington State, now, you're about to get get hitched to that Atlanta Belle and change your name to DEL....Looking back through the years I think of all the milestones passed on the NWA, and frankly, it blows me away:

Age 6-Flew on my first ever DC-10, Minneapolis-Spokane for the 1974 world's fair. I remember the green plaid seats, most of them with reserved placards on them, i also remember seeing an ad on the back of the Northwest Orient magazine where McDonnell Douglas was urging travelers to tell their travel agents they want to be booked on the DC-10. the plane had a very slow takeoff roll, lifted off and we pointed straight to the starts, it seemed that way anyway.

Age 17-Flew on my first 747. Minneapolis-London Gatwick as part of a high school tour to europe. the plane, an ex-National bird, N620US, still had the upper deck lounge, i remember this because the cabin crew announced it was open, only for first and business class passengers. i thought that a bit unfair. A member of the group wanted to see the lounge and was told quite sternly by an old battleaxe of a flight attendant that the lounge was only for first and business class passengers, she could see it when we were on the ground in London. I understand protecting the privelege of the premium classes, but she could have been nicer about it! instead she just huffed back behind the curtains.

the 8 hour flight, my longest ever, was even longer with a one hour delay thanks to local thunderstorms knocking out the power to the airport, so preventing the plane from being fueled. I was just mindblown by the size of the plane, like many first time 747 flyers i just could not believe this plane could get airborne. It could and it did. and I hated it. Maybe thanks to the service on Northwest Orient, wherein we were kept awake all night, or maybe it was my disappointment that the movie "North by Northwest" had nothing to do with airplanes. I dubbed the plane the "Transatlantic Torture Chamber" of course 23 years and 24 747s later, i'm a convert.

In my 20s i flew on my first A320. N306US. I was flying from Denver to DC to see my dad over spring break, i was supposed to fly via Memphis and get on an ex-republic MD-80. the memphis flight was canceled so i was routed via Detroit instead on the dreaded DC-9. From my seat assignment, i assumed i'd be on a 727, ho hum. I hung around the gate, and when my plane turned into the gate i exploded with excitement, you'd have thought the Broncos had won the superbowl the way i reacted, laughing, pumping my fist. I think the elderly couple nearby thought i had lost my mind, i've never been so excited in my life.

In 1995 I flew Northwest to Albany for my brother's wedding. I also flew on my first DC-9-50 and my only documented Northwest DC-10.

Finally, in 2006, i flew revenue business class for the first time, logging a ride on the 747-400 prototype from Tokyo-Hong Kong and my first A330 from seoul-tokyo.

Thanks old girl, for so many memories, mostly good, a few bad (like being stranded in Chicago for the first time during a trip to Indianapolis in the mid 90s.)

So, anyone else care to share their special memories of Northwest?