Continental just issued a press release saying that they're entering a cooperative agreement with United Airlines, saying the two airlines will "cooperate extensively, linking their networks and services worldwide to the benefit of customers, and creating revenue opportunities and cost savings and other efficiencies." This means that Continental will also join United in the Star Alliance.

For those of you who follow airline alliances, this means that CO will be dropping Skyteam, whose partners include Delta, KLM and Northwest, and picking up partners such as Lufthansa and US Airways.

Basically, Continental Onepass members won't be able to accrue or spend miles on Skyteam anymore (similarly, partner airlines can't spend miles on CO), but they can on Star.

It does not, however, mean that the airlines are merging -- only that they'll be collaborating on many routes, codeshares and other logistics.

In the current airline industry, this change was almost inevitable. Carriers are looking at ways to collaborate on operations and cut costs, just like Northwest and Delta announced earlier this year. With the two airlines' combined routes and networks, a stronger entity will now exist that can better compete with the soon to be uber Delta Airlines.

No word yet on when exactly the alliance changes will take place and a schedule for the official divorce from Skyteam airlines. But if you were thinking about booking a ticket with your Skyteam miles on CO, now might be a good time to do it.

Perhaps as a result of some of the recent increased marketing (read: fare sales) lately or perhaps because of the pending mergers and passengers switching carriers, several airlines have been pitching to frequent fliers in an attempt to retain their business. I posted earlier on double miles promotions on Delta and American, two classic examples of the pitches.

Northwest just launched a similar promotion: now, any elite member who purchases and travels on a flight before August 31 is eligible for a 50% bonus on their earned miles. Real quick, since I know you guys hate numbers, you'll thus now earn the following miles for a sample Detroit - Los Angeles leg:

Silver Elite: 1980 base miles + 990 Silver Elite miles + 990 bonus miles = 3960 miles
Gold Elite: 1980 base miles + 1980 Gold Elite miles + 990 bonus miles = 4950 miles
Platinum Elite = 1980 base miles + 2475 Platinum Elite miles + 990 bonus miles = 5445 miles.

So on a roundtrip you could be earning as much as 11,000 miles, or about 2/5 of a free domestic ticket. Neat huh? Of course you have to be an elite member to reap any of these benefits, which means you have to fly at least 25k miles a year anyway. So the rich get richer and the poor get poorer. Sound like any tax plans you've seen recently?

Check out Northwest's promo page if you want to participate.

Three of my favorite things in one place. Could I be any happier? I'm currently sitting in the Northwest Worldclub in Tokyo, waiting five hours for my flight to Honolulu, where I have a thirteen hour layover before I take another redeye to Los Angeles, where I'm connecting home to Detroit. Total time in transit? About 36 hours.

But at least I've got this beer machine to keep me company. I have a feeling we're going to become great friends in the next five hours.

As a person with oodles of frequent-flier miles, you can bet when I read about Northwest's merger with Delta our miles flashed before my eyes and headed down a drain until I mentally fished them out. Should we book that flight to Copenhagen, Denmark even though we're holding out for Asia next summer?

When I headed to my in-box, there was an e-mail from Northwest Airlines telling me not to worry about my World Perks miles and Elite status. They are safe and will not be affected by the merger. The message also pointed out that this merger will give me more options to use those miles because of the increase of the routes and the global reach. What I want is for them to fly to Vietnam.

I'm glad that Northwest sent me a warning along with the time frame of when changes could occur. It does make me feel part of Northwest's radar--like possibly they care. Letting customers know what is going on is key in today's uncertain world. It instills confidence and keeps customers coming back.

A few year's ago, when we were flying Northwest to Taiwan and had to be rerouted to Honolulu due to engine failure, we were told what was going on during each step. It was clear that Northwest was prepared to make sure that we were comfortable and happy. The engine trouble resulted in a two-night stay at the Sheraton Waikiki with vouchers for breakfast and dinner--not too shabby. United Airlines lost my business because when the same thing happened on a flight from L.A. to Singapore, we were treated terribly. I have yet to forgive them.

Despite the e-mail, I'm not quite comfortable because our mile accumulation is a hefty amount that I'd hate to lose. I'm the type that hoards for a better day. That day might be now. I've started looking into that Denmark trip just in case. As Grant also wrote, better play it safe to not be sorry later.

The news, so to speak, is inevitable, as last night's news and this morning's press conference are confirming: Delta and Northwest Airlines are to merge. Together they will form the world's largest airline capable of moving more passengers to more corners of the globe in fewer steps -- so they say.

What does this mean for the current passenger of each respective airline? As far as routes and operations, not much will immediately change. It will take 6-8 months to iron out the details of the operation, during which the airlines will continue to operate independently. Afterwards, corporate says they'll be keeping all of the hubs between the two cities, keeping all of the small local routes and maintaining all of the operations that you now hold dear.

Whether or not that is true is another question -- the two airlines would have seven hubs in North America with six east of the Mississippi and five in a pretty straight line between Atlanta and Minneapolis. That doesn't seem like a great way to geographically approach a hub and spoke system.

Regardless, all routes and schedules are guaranteed, so if you have or want to book a ticket now, go ahead -- you're in no danger of losing it. Indeed there are only a few overlapping routes between the two airlines, so it's pretty unlikely that they'll mess with any of your flights; if they do, they'll rebook you on Delta and you'll be fine.

For now, both carriers claim that their mileage programs and miles will remain in tact. Multiple press releases, corporate words and their new special website repeat this and I believe this true to the point that your miles won't be erased. What they could do, however, is screw with the quality of the miles -- after all, each mileage program is set up with different milestones and redemption levels -- one is going to have to adopt the other's policy.

Naturally, the airlines want you to believe that Your Favorite Hub and Your Special Miles are going to be safe in the merger. If you cash in your miles that's money out of the bank and if you lose faith in your hub your business is going to go elsewhere. So don't plan on them telling you anything that's really going to happen any time soon.

If you want to play it safe, I would use some of those miles right now and start shopping around for tickets. It's not too difficult to redeposit your miles if you decide you want to keep them and in the mean time they're in a safe place (invested in your vacation). And if you really really don't know what to do with your miles, leave a comment below and I'll tell you how to get rid of them. Trust me, you don't want to waste your 100k miles on 70 years of Newsweek subscriptions yet.

When I was looking at my Frequent Flier miles summary from Northwest Airlines, the extra baggage fee notice caught my eye. The surcharge of $25 for the second bag starts on May 5. Grant wrote a post about why airlines have taken to such money making strategies. As a person who is not the lightest of packers, I have some incentive now to really think about what I'm loading into a suitcase. This means I'll have to do better than the last minute pack job I'm so geared towards.

The excess baggage rules do remind me of the advantage of traveling with a small child. Small children's clothes don't weigh much or take up much space. If a child is over two, you've already paid for the seat and with that seat comes a checked bag. Take advantage of the packing space. As long as your kids are in child sizes, you'll do fine. Since kids get a carry-on too, put toys and essentials in that. Perhaps, you can even tuck in some of your items. Your toddler might not be able to carry the carry-on onto the plane, but that's not part of the regulations. Kids are also good for carrying things like video cameras. Just sling the strap over one shoulder so the strap crosses the chest. With some careful planning, you might be able to take advantage of the extra space a child affords for at least seven years.

Earlier last year I posted an article about a new promotion between Northwest Airlines and Paypal, where if you pay for your ticket with Paypal you get a 50$ rebate after a few weeks. It worked pretty well, I flew a couple of routes and I got my money back long ago.

It looks like they're running the promo again, maybe to stir up more interest in Paypal's payment engine. The promo website says that you must book before March 27th and fly between April 1 and June 14. Easy enough.

And now some words for all of you afraid to use Paypal: It's not that difficult. You don't need to sign up for any crazy service (imagine my arms waving wildly in the sky), jump through any hoops or sell your soul to the devil. At the end of the booking process, you select Paypal as an option, click through a few links and drop your credit card number in. The rebate will be stored in an online account which you can directly deposit into your personal bank account or have sent to you in a check.

Still concerned? Let me know. I'll book your ticket using Paypal, send you a check for twenty bucks and spend the other thirty dollars on sandwiches. Delicious, delicious sandwiches.

[Sorry for the delay in getting this posted -- we had some legal issues to iron out]

Many of you have been privy to the ongoing discussion between Iva and myself about the virtues and the vices of airline club memberships. I think the benefit has come down to how valuable you find a) free snacks and alcohol and b) free wireless. While the noise is a bit quieter and the seats a bit more comfortable, other purported benefits may not be as useful as the airlines say.

Well, it's time for you to make your own opinion. I have an extra one-time use WorldClub pass that I can send to any Gadlinger that can use it. It expires March 31st and you must be 21 years old to use it. It also helps if you're flying on NW, although you don't necessarily have to be. Just make sure that the terminal that you're flying through has a WorldClub in it (and that its not in the next terminal over).

All that we ask in return is that you USE the pass and write in to tell us what you thought of the WorldClub. It doesn't have to be an award-winning essay -- just drop us an email telling us how you found the experience.

If you want me to mail the pass to you ASAP, post a comment below. We'll make the drawing on Wednesday and you'll have it before the end of the week.

Check out lounge locations here.

Good luck!

• To enter, simply leave a comment below.
• The comment must be left before Wednesday, March 12 at 2:00 PM Eastern Time.
• You may enter only once.
• One winner will be selected in a random drawing.
• One Grand Prize Winner will receive a Northwest Airlines WorldClub pass good until March 31 (valued at $45)
• Click Here for complete Official Rules.

[Thanks for all of your comments, we've already selected a winner]

Traveling with an airport lounge membership for the past few months, I've been struggling to figure out whether or not the investment was actually worth it. Iva's had some trouble with her Continental Airlines President's Club membership, but I'm still on the fence. On one hand, I get free wireless internet, free drinks and a comfortable quiet place to work while waiting for my flights. But is the two hundred and fifty dollars really worth it?

Well, yesterday on the way to London, I decided that it is.

First, a little background: it's about 5 degrees in Detroit, as it usually is around this time of year. I'm on my way to London to take care of a little work on the Focused Ion Beam at Loughborough University then I'm bouncing down to Paris to visit my sister and Eleanor Beardsley. I've got my favorite Arc'teryx long weekender pack, am wearing my favorite pair of travel jeans and pretty much the thinnest pair of boots I've ever purchased (I had to JB weld the sole to the leather last season).

Needless to say, I was pretty much freezing on my short shuttle ride between the off-airport parking lot and Detroit's McNamara terminal. On the way in, however, I recalled that the Detroit airport lounge had a couple of showers. Nothing feels better than a hot shower after being out in the cold. And despite my fears that the lounge shower would be akin to the boys high school locker room, it was quite pleasant. Free towels and soap were waiting for me when I showed up, and soft classical music played in the background as I warmed back up to temperature.

Now, sitting in 14J on my way to London I have to admit, I feel a lot better than I did on the way in. On a flight that's booked with about 50 out of about 250 passengers, I look over at the vacant row of seats next to me and think about the decent night of sleep that I'm about to get. It's nice to be traveling again.

For those of you frequent flyers out there who subscribe to Northwest Airline's Worldperks program, they just launched their fall promo. Dubbed Mystery Miles, this season's dish is another points-based program, encouraging travelers to fly certain routes in certain fare classes to collect points. Come January 31, points are tabulated and you get a mileage bonus for the number of points you earned. This can be anywhere in the neighborhood of 500 - 100,000 miles, but 95% of us will be under 10k.

Earlier this year (or was it last?) I participated in the 'Mile Safari' promotion where I earned points in a similar fashion. While it didn't turn into a wealth of miles, six thousand miles here and there never hurt anyone, especially if all I had to do was plug my frequent flyer number into their form.

In addition, Northwest will be posting clues on mystery destinations each week. If you can figure out and submit the location, you'll be entered in a weekly drawing to win round trips to that destination. And I have a feeling that once the clues come out you'll be able to Google the answers you need to partake. Lets hope the fantasy destinations aren't Haiti and Ohio.