So I've been toying around with the site over the past few days... it's interesting - lots of flaws, but interesting.
The process works like this:
- You decide your itinerary cities, possible dates, and a few preferences (multiple stops? long layovers? many airlines?)
- A timer starts and a public Q&A opens for any clarifications
- The "experts" find ways to book your trip - everything is in play... multiple tickets, fuel dumps, whatever
- The expert gives you the complete flight details and hides the step-by-step booking instructions, until you pay the finder's fee
- At the end of the timer (or whenever you want) you pick a "winner"
- You have 24 hours to book the trip, using the winner's previously hidden booking instructions and additional Q&A, if necessary
Some obvious flaws are apparent in their model. The expert has to give you the complete itinerary before you award it. Thus, unless there is a real trick involved, nothing stops them from simply searching for those flights on their own.
There's also apparently no requirement that a winner ever be picked. Many of the "contests" open have no interaction from the customer since they were posted. It's quite possible to do
a lot of work with no chance of ever being paid.
It's an interesting diversion... not sure it's more than that. But we'll see what they do with it as the developers gain more experience with the concept.
If you want to try it as a customer, there's a 25% discount on your first posting using a referral link. Per FT policy, let's start this as a Conga. I'll be first:
http://flightfox.com/referral/18978