It worked for another airline which operates permitted flying under Delta's scope, ASA. Of course they got spun off and replaced by eight other airlines during negotiations, but hey, their plan worked!
The deal hasn't happened yet, unless I missed the DOJ announcement.
Of course it might just backfire, the merger get called off, Delta get to keep it's junior 767ER slots and 777's and NWA get stuck with the mess you and BOB created. After all, that worked out so well for US Air going into arbitration.
We are not trying to get your coveted 777 and 767 slots, maybe that's a Freudian slip on your part.
As far as Bob goes, if you are refering to last summer, NWA recorded one of it's most profitable years in business.
And USAIR, well that deal put the kabosh on America Wests seniority grab. ( I think you missed that part)
Then the Delta managers would get to execute the stand alone plan they like better anyway and NWA can figure out how to turn the trends around on flying whales out of shrinking O&D markets to hubs the 777-200LR can fly flight right over. At least the RJ's are easy airplanes to learn coming off the -9.
I wish that DAL would take their stand alone plan and ride off into the sunset with it.
Where did you get the intel that NWA needs to turn around the trends on whales flying out of shrinking O&D markets? Clearly you are in the know, so pull up NWA 747 loads then report back here. As far as the 777 overflying (Tokyo Narita maybe?) be our guest. We've been flying out of our hub in Narita since WW2 carrying local Japanese traffic, they like us 
As far as coming off the DC9, it might happen, I would not have a problem checking out in a new type of aircraft, check my avitar profile .
Please explain your "greedy windfall" comment, with specifics. I'll turn off the air in the hotel room so I can hear the crickets.