Should we drop Flight Deals?

[Matt]

We are going through a fast and exciting time at The Forum. Lots of new people with new ideas, and in order to facilitate it I have gone with the flow. Yesterday based on this post I created a space on the forum for mistake fares.

But this morning I think to myself... do we need to have a sub-forum that points to blogs who are rehashing forums? Is that really adding value to the community? I may be wrong (and correct me if so) but didn't the post on Mighty Travels just republish the work of another? Frequently when blogs post like this it is the case.

I have to say, I don't think that is a positive thing for the community.

Sure, people want to have that sort of stuff spoon fed, and sure, I can see this sub forum being popular... but is that enough? Might it be possible to instead of just reposting 'Amazing Deal Alerts' we could instead ignore such things and instead build a skill base that can find our own? I know that there are some very experienced people at doing this on this forum, maybe if we build it better they would help us all improve.

Or should we keep it, allow a certain type of person to rely on it, and have a different place where people can really talk about the detailed stuff?

I'd be very interested to hear your thoughts on this.

 

[KennyBSAT]

I say keep the forum which can be subscribed to so you get an email anytime a new thread is created. Genuine mistake fares like DL 12/26/13 were missed by many because they happened to not check FT or wherever that day, and there was certainly no skill or experience involved there. But let's make sure we don't clutter up everyone's inbox with every little fare sale.

 

[AIM]

It's a tough call. I agree with Kenny in part but not everyone will have the same judgment about what deserves a thread. Also, how often will a mistake be posted here first versus being rehashed from FT, blogs, and Twitter?

 

[Matt]

It's a tough call. I agree with Kenny in part but not everyone will have the same judgment about what deserves a thread. Also, how often will a mistake be posted here first versus being rehashed from FT, blogs, and Twitter?

That's my point.... if we rely on it people will be inclined to copy/paste from those places rather than find their own. Now, not having it can reduce value, but having it could stifle our abilities to get to the next level in this game.

 

[Steelsnow]

Game is always changing - agree with what AIM said. There are so many sources out there now days of possible flight deals (or deals in general) - add in places like SD & FW, DDF, etc.. it might actually be useful to have some sort of consolidator forum. I know I can't keep up with them all and work my regular job. Maybe one forum to start and then split them out as post volume & membership grow? At that point, the old posts are history anyways in the deal world... it's almost always about the here/now and then gone.

 

[kissmyjazz]

Can we have our own version of travel hacking/fuel dumping forum. FT has become too arcane to follow casually.

 

[AIM]

Game is always changing - agree with what AIM said. There are so many sources out there now days of possible flight deals (or deals in general) - add in places like SD & FW, DDF, etc.. it might actually be useful to have some sort of consolidator forum. I know I can't keep up with them all and work my regular job. Maybe one forum to start and then split them out as post volume & membership grow? At that point, the old posts are history anyways in the deal world... it's almost always about the here/now and then gone.

But I think Matt's point is if people here spend all their time consolidating information from other sources, very little will actually be added here (and hopefully then not consolidated back into the other forums).

 

[Matt]

Can we have our own version of travel hacking/fuel dumping forum. FT has become too arcane to follow casually.

Yes, that is the sort of thing I want. But I want it to be more secure. I would rather something like:

Intro Level Forum (open to Level 2 people)
Trick Forum (invite only)

The invite angle would mean that people could speak without the codes (though the old hands know them anyway), as the forum moderator would control the front door. But for this to work I would need beginners to be able to earn their way in. Thoughts from trickster folk?

 

[Matt]

But I think Matt's point is if people here spend all their time consolidating information from other sources, very little will actually be added here (and hopefully then not consolidated back into the other forums).

Exactly. Which can serve a purpose in terms of my global domination plans, but why would regurgitating other stuff add long term value and growth?

 

[Steelsnow]

But I think Matt's point is if people here spend all their time consolidating information from other sources, very little will actually be added here (and hopefully then not consolidated back into the other forums).

I follow - but then again, who posts the majority of flight deals on places like FT now days? A lot of them are brand new members. I think if some members here are reading FT, and some are reading this blog or that, and some are reading DDF etc. - the leveraging of that will be greater. Believe me, I like being independent from places like FT, but developing new ideas and finding new deals takes a load of time - and is now copied and shared within a few hours in other places, and then blogged, etc. Not going to likely stop that, might as well try to be in front of it.

 

[Mike]

My personal opinion is not to have a thread discussing every type of glitch or fuel dumping. I feel that only glitches like the DL one at the end of 2013 would be useful as it will die anyways but other glitches can live on if not discussed. At the same time you have to take in account that its being discussed in a million other places so maybe the readers over here should have the same benefit. So I can't really make up my mind.

 

[Steelsnow]

One other food for thought item... a lot of the best deals I have come across or found have been on 'twists', which take something someone else found, feed it into the brain box, and then tried other options and found even better deals or flexibility. The recent NYC-MXP PRG-HKG deal developed very much like this.

 

[Matt]

One other food for thought item... a lot of the best deals I have come across or found have been on 'twists', which take something someone else found, and then tried other options and found even better deals or flexibility. The recent NYC-MXP PRG-HKG deal developed very much like this.

Fair point indeed. I can see such mistakes as being fodder for exploration too... I'm still just worried about overly sharing the same deal someone found and not developing new stuff

 

[Steelsnow]

Fair point indeed. I can see such mistakes as being fodder for exploration too... I'm still just worried about overly sharing the same deal someone found and not developing new stuff

If only we could consistently come up with ways to think and try new stuff that no one else has thought of! If any of us could do that, that person would have just a few twit followers and crowds following them around (& probably just a few credit card referral links )

 

[tmount]

Regarding Trick fares I think you are spot on.

As far as great deals - I think its a findamental question of whether you intend to provide a single resource (unlikely) essentially trying to replace FT, or if you prefer to have novel content in which case a flight deal section is probably not going to meet the mark.

Why do I say this? Because:
1 - I agree, we don't want to point to blogs / websites or blatantly copy. This is not a knock on TFD, rather their distribution channels are strong, I doubt linking here would add value for either side.
2 - this Forum probably isnt close to FTs size (and it probably shouldn't be). Quite simply: to ensure as little is missed as possible, you need a huge base. Just look at the milepoint fare deals forum if you don't believe me.

I think the right answer is to look at niches if flight deals are to stay. Trick fares, perhaps there are other things, like a growing analysis / resource of award chart sweet spots (on level two probably, lest they be lifted). What other niches are important to folks?

Just my 2 cents or perhaps pence.

 

[zsnyde]

so give a man a fish, he eats for a day. teach a man to fish, he eats for a lifetime

 

[Haley]

If there were separate places to post repost/link to source/rehash type things and also a place for unique material, twists, and so on it might be useful.

Lots of us don't have time to check many blogs, check several forums, and keep up with twitter. So there is value in some of the repeat info. I have missed a few things because I didn't have time to check in on FT for a day or two. Happens to everyone.

A best of the best thread, with links to source thread.
A saverocity twists and unique finds thread.

 

[AIM]

If there were separate places to post repost/link to source/rehash type things and also a place for unique material, twists, and so on it might be useful.

Lots of us don't have time to check many blogs, check several forums, and keep up with twitter. So there is value in some of the repeat info. I have missed a few things because I didn't have time to check in on FT for a day or two. Happens to everyone.

A best of the best thread, with links to source thread.
A saverocity twists and unique finds thread.

But how is coming here to check on deals any different than going/subscribing to FT, which, as tmount points out, is much more likely to yield new deals?

 

[ElainePDX]

If there were separate places to post repost/link to source/rehash type things and also a place for unique material, twists, and so on it might be useful....

A best of the best thread, with links to source thread.
A saverocity twists and unique finds thread.

I like the idea of separate places within The Forum, as Haley suggests, particularly for time sensitive deals that are too good to miss; that is, things that may not last the day and are worth more than free shipping or 5X on a GC. Yesterday's mistake fare would qualify, but an new offer at BigCrumbs would not. Members could then set alerts for that thread.

My hope is to find info here, and hopefully contribute info here, that I don't read on the blogs. While I do read FT, info does get pretty buried there esp. in wiki-less threads. I like the smaller size and think The Forum will be more manageable for everyone as a result. So I don't mind a little duplication, as I outlined above.

 

[Doc]

i'd be in favor of keeping it

 

[fulthrust7]

I posted the initial deal. Sorry to have created some controversy. I just thought I should share w the community if they didn't already know.

I see both sides and amenable to either. I think most people on this forum are following other resources and will be aware of it if it's made it to the blogosphere.

Re: trickster, we need a way to figure out who gets in. Not everyone is at the same level but there are many that want to learn. Others are savvy in one area and not others. I, for example, am pretty versed into the LM stuff but not FD (which I would like to learn more about without having to spend 3 months reading FT). How are you managing thee invites, Matt?

 

[Matt]

I posted the initial deal. Sorry to have created some controversy. I just thought I should share w the community if they didn't already know.

I see both sides and amenable to either. I think most people on this forum are following other resources and will be aware of it if it's made it to the blogosphere.

Re: trickster, we need a way to figure out who gets in. Not everyone is at the same level but there are many that want to learn. Others are savvy in one area and not others. I, for example, am pretty versed into the LM stuff but not FD (which I would like to learn more about without having to spend 3 months reading FT). How are you managing thee invites, Matt?

I'm happy with your post, it prompted a line of thought. As for the specialist forum areas, they are by invite only based upon performance and history on the forum in general.

 

[Matt]

Very good. OK please use this forum to post flight deals. I have created a new Level 2 forum at the top of Flight Deals to discuss the actual process of finding new deals, so that we can improve our skills in this. I look forward to the experienced folks helping out the new ones as they learn the ropes.