On 19 June 1989 NWA, Inc., and Wings Holdings agree to the acquisition of NWA, Inc., by Wings. Wings Holdings is an investment group organized by Al Checchi and Gary Wilson, and includes KLM Royal Dutch Airlines, Frederic V. Malek, Richard Blum Associates, Bankers Trust New York Corporation and other investors. Al Checchi is elected chairman and Fred Malek is named president. Wings would be renamed Northwest Airlines Corporation on 7 December 1993-NOT a day of infamy.
One is never too old to be a flight attendant. On 30 January 1990 Flight attendant Connie Walker retired at the age of 70 (yes, 70!). Ms. Walker flew with Northwest for 42 years. At the time of her retirement Ms. Walker is the oldest flight attendant ever to work for Northwest. There is no record of whether the younger girls asked her if she was a stewardess for the Wright Brothers on their first flight.
In December 1990 Northwest gains Hawaiian Airline's route authority to Australia and a 25 percent ownership in Hawaiian Airlines.
On 3 April 1991 Northwest becomes the first U.S. airline to fly over the Soviet Union since World War II. On 19 April Northwest becomes the first U.S. airline to fly into Vietnam since the end of the Vietnam War when it announced charter service to Ho Chi Minh City. On 8 October 1992 Northwest Airlines becomes the first western airline to operate scheduled flights through Russian air space. On 19 August 1997 Northwest began operating Polar 2, a new route through Russian airspace on its Detroit-Beijing flight.
The Computer Age
The computer age came to Northwest in 1996. On March 28 Northwest introduced its World Web home page on the Internet. Soon reservations will be booked through this site. Northwest introduced electronic ticketing in April. On 29 July Northwest Airlink inaugurated service from Detroit to Appleton, Wisconsin. Northwest also gets its own coffee! Caravali Coffees of Seattle creates "Northwest Airlines Blend" coffee. Later, on 3 February 1998, Northwest enters an agreement with James Page Brewing Company to serve Iron Range Amber lager beer on Northwest's domestic flights.
On 27 September Northwest and Sotheby's conduct the first airline auction live and open to the public. WorldPerks frequent flier miles is used as currency. More than 8.3 million miles are bid on more than 30 unique packages. Habitat for Humanity benefits from the sale.
On 12 March 1997 Northwest launched WorldPlane Tour '97. A Boeing 747-400 was adorned with children's artwork from 18 cities in the United States and Asia. This jet commemorated Northwest's 50th anniversary of service to Asia and the tour expressed the 50th anniversary theme: "Bridging the Pacific." On 24 December 1997 Northwest "Pilots for Kids" volunteers take Children's Home Society children on Fantasy Flight to the North Pole.
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