This program was reviewed and rated by our editors in March 2008. Changes in the program past this date are possible, especially program partner information. We recommend you subscribe to the #1 source of frequent flyer information, Inside Flyer Magazine, to get the most current information possible.

Northwest Airlines began on October 1, 1926 flying mail between Minneapolis/St. Paul and Chicago and passenger service began a year later. 81 years later, Northwest and its travel partners serve more than 1,000 cities in more than 160 countries on six continents.

The WorldPerks frequent flyer program has been around 22 years now and has more than 30 million members. Its biggest strength seems to be consistency, without too many significant changes over the years. Something new in 2008 worth taking note of, are the PerkChoice awards. PerkChoice is the first of its kind in the industry. It enables members with smaller amounts of miles, a chance at a piece of the pie.

On Northwest flights, you'll earn actual miles flown, with a 500-mile minimum for short hops. World Business Class and First Class earn a 50-percent bonus. The same applies for WorldPerks members on Continental and most other airline partners.

WorldPerks members may also buy miles -- up to 30,000 a year, in increments of 2,500. Members pay $95 for 2,500 miles, $165 for 5,000 miles, $235 for 7,500 miles and so on. That's not an insubstantial amount.

Of course, all that is just basic earning. One of the unique strengths of WorldPerks is that it has continued to provide creative bonus promotions.

Finally, there's the WorldPerks Visa collection. At last count, there were six types of miles-earning cards available to members -- the Signature Card, the Platinum Card, the Business Card, the Check Card, the Gold Check Card and the Business Check Card.

Northwest flight awards come in two types: the PerkSaver (lower cost, but subject to capacity controls, partner blackout dates and a Saturday-night stay for domestic flights) and the PerkPass (more expensive, but free from capacity controls). The PerkSaver continental U.S. roundtrip runs 25,000 miles, the PerkPass, 50,000 miles. A one-way, one-class domestic upgrade runs from 5,000 to 15,000 miles, depending on the fare. PerkChoice awards, introduced in 2008, allow members to use miles for half of their roundtrip ticket and cash for the other half.

WorldPerks members can redeem miles online for magazine subscriptions starting at 400 miles with Magazines for Miles.

Members may also redeem miles for vacations with NWA WorldVacations Packages. Redeem fewer WorldPerks miles for award travel when booking an award in conjunction with a WorldVacations air and hotel package.

WorldPerks remains one of the last major programs that offers no option to convert miles to another program.

WorldPerks members can also donate their miles for charitable purposes through Northwest's AirCares program. The minimum donation is 5,000 miles and larger donations may be made in 1,000-mile increments.

Northwest is part of the SkyTeam alliance, which includes a variety of partnerships with Aeroflot, AeroMexico, Air France/KLM, Alitalia, China Southern, Continental, CSA Czech, Delta, Korean Air and three associate airlines: Air Europa, Copa Airlines and Kenya Airways.

It also partners with a number of non-alliance airlines worldwide, including Cebu Pacific, Garuda Indonesia, Japan Airlines, Malaysia, Kingfisher, Air Tahiti Nui, American Eagle, China Airlines, Gulfstream International, Jet Airways, Malev Hungarian Airlines, Midwest, Alaska, Big Sky and Hawaiian.

WorldPerks has several telecommunications partners offered through WorldPerks Wireless. WorldPerks Wireless partners include Verizon, Cingular, T-Mobile, Nextel and Sprint, Dish Network or DIRECTV.

Car rental partners include Alamo, Dollar, National and Thrifty. Members earn 50 miles per rental day. Elite-level members earn 100-200 miles per day on qualifying rentals.

Financial partners include LendingTree and iNest. WorldPerks currently has no plans to participate in the American Express Membership Rewards program. The Membership Rewards program has the potential to significantly reduce award availability to popular destinations, which would hinder fulfilling the legitimate redemption needs of WorldPerks members.

Northwest's hotel partner list offers a good variety, although, not as large as it used to be. Partners include Hilton, Hyatt, InterContinental, JAL City, New Otani, Nikko, Okura, Pan Pacific, Radisson, Shangri-La, Traders and WORLDHOTELS (500 miles); TripRewards (500 miles or two miles per dollar spent); Best Western and Choice Hotels (250 miles); Starwood and Marriott (two miles per dollar spent).

Retail and miscellaneous partners include Bose, Bensinger's Fine Cleaners, e-Miles, e-Rewards Opinion Panel, Tesoro, Rewards Network Dining for Miles, Vinesse, Cruise Locators and over 150 merchants featured at the WorldPerks Mall.

Like most carriers, Northwest offers a three-tiered elite-level program: Silver, Gold and Platinum Elite.

Unlike some, though, Northwest makes it easier for the short-hop business flyer to reach that revered status.

Sure, you can go by miles -- 25,000 for Silver, 50,000 for Gold, and 75,000 for Platinum -- but if you're shuttling around Minnesota and Wisconsin, for example, that's going to take a while.

Instead, WorldPerks offers some fairly low segment thresholds: Just 30 segments earn Silver status, 60 earn Gold, and 100 earn Platinum.

Elite-qualifying miles include all flight miles, plus the 50-percent class-of-service bonus earned for paid First/World Business Class travel and on Y or B fares in economy class. Not every carrier is quite so generous.

Each level offers a steadily increasing collection of benefits. Silver members can expect a 50-percent mileage bonus on SkyTeam and WorldPerks partner flights, SkyTeam elite status, automated upgrade processing on Northwest and Continental, unlimited confirmed upgrades on domestic Northwest and Continental-operated flights, elite upgrade status messaging, WorldClubs initiation fee waived and elite member discounts, priority check-in and pre-boarding privileges on Northwest and Continental, a Silver Elite reservations line for priority handling, and exclusive privileges and special offers from participating WorldPerks partners.

Gold Elite members get all that and more, including a 100-percent mileage bonus, and unlimited companion standby upgrades on domestic Northwest- and Continental-operated flights.

Platinum Elite membership adds a 125-percent mileage bonus and confirmed companion upgrades.

While it offers targeted challenges to lower program levels, Northwest fiercely protects its highest elite tier. "Comping" to Platinum Elite is basically non-existent. These are Northwest's most loyal customers and they merit additional benefits.

As part of these additional benefits, WorldPerks has implemented the WorldPerks Elite ExtraPerks program in 2008, which offers incentives to those top-tier elites who purchase high-revenue fares. Rewards include bonus miles, system-wide upgrades, complimentary lounge access and reduced redemption levels for award tickets.

WorldPerks miles have no expiration date. However, if no mileage from any source is posted to a WorldPerks member's account or there is no redemption activity for three consecutive years, the account is subject to termination, including forfeiture of all accrued mileage.

Members may transfer 5,000-30,000 miles to up to four recipients in one transaction, at a cost of $0.01 per mile plus a $25 processing fee, up to a maximum of 75,000 miles per calendar year. Recipients may receive up to 30,000 transfer miles per calendar year.

Few, if any complaints we've received over the years have been about WorldPerks customer service. The service level of WorldPerks itself is probably best measured by those who deal with it the most -- its elite members. They overwhelmingly endorse it.

The Northwest site embraces simplicity rather than eschewing it. The graphics-light appearance is easy to navigate, and chock full of information.

Promotions are readily accessible and presented in a blissfully simple list form; look for them under the "Promotions & Products" link and under the "WorldPerks" link in Earn Miles -- Promotions.

General elite program information is available to all site visitors, though further exploration requires actual elite membership. At times, certain promotions are only available to elite members, and may only be viewed by duly logged-in elites.

Potential members may enroll online and will immediately receive a membership number and PIN, though a physical card is only sent out 6-8 weeks after qualifying earning activity.

Members may monitor their accounts online. Requesting flight mileage credit online is particularly simple.

We applaud WorldPerks for avoiding drastic changes, particularly with its elite program.

The NWA.com Web site remains one of the best in the business.

We also appreciate Northwest's continued emphasis on creative marketing and across-the-board promotions. They seem to have struck an ideal balance between catering to the needs of their elites while keeping the program accessible to and valuable for everyone.

Though WorldPerks is not alone in this regard, it would be great to have more redemption options -- car rentals and hotel stays would be a good start. It might also (theoretically) ease the burden on award-flight inventory.

WorldPerks Customer Service Center
601 Oak Street
Chisholm, MN 55719-1996

WorldPerks Automated Account Information Line: (800) 327-2881

Award Travel Reservations/Customer Service Center: (800) 44-PERKS (800-447-3757)