About the paranoid concern that some might call AA and report folks, well, just because someone's paranoid doesn't mean someone's not out to get them...
indeed. Hey GUW, your PM is no longer receiving cuz it says it's full. Does that mean YOU are out to take my AA miles away too?
Oh, did anyone happen to see how the Red Sox were down 5-0 in the bottom of the 9th today and they actually pulled off a 6-5 win with 2 outs? Woo hoo!
oh wait, that's off topic. Oops! sorry! I just brought it up cuz it has to do with how people sometimes deal in ebay tickets for popular venues such as that constantly sold out ballpark with expensive games (like airline award tickets would be), risk management (what to watch out for and what you may have bought or got caught with) and seat availability (in a ball park and on a plane). and cuz I love baseball?
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UP IN THE AIR had good mile & status nuances in it that we all completely understand. I feel validated somehow, don't you?
Programs: AA EXP 2MM, UA 1K, Hyatt Diamond, enjoying the retired life
Posts: 18,750
Quote:
Originally Posted by Marathon Man
Some have said that the very idea of the USA fighting in Iraq has in fact helped GROW the internal strife, the "insurgancy" and the terrorists that opperate there! Had there been no war or less of one, would there now be THAT MANY more "bad guys" to try and capture? What started it and what will end it are questions that may be too late to answer.
I really don't want to see the AA forum turn into OMNI, where this is a daily discussion. I fail to see what the topic of "Busted selling miles" has to do with Iraq, and really don't want to see this topic closed.
Can we get back to the topic: Busted selling miles.
__________________ Link to my travel photos new: Hamburg, Berlin, Dresden, FT Tours the 2012 London Olympic Site
I really don't want to see the AA forum turn into OMNI, where this is a daily discussion. I fail to see what the topic of "Busted selling miles" has to do with Iraq, and really don't want to see this topic closed.
Can we get back to the topic: Busted selling miles.
I really don't want to see the AA forum turn into OMNI, where this is a daily discussion. I fail to see what the topic of "Busted selling miles" has to do with Iraq, and really don't want to see this topic closed.
Can we get back to the topic: Busted selling miles.
Yes, I do see your point. (further noted by c_stanley's non topic-specific symbol-only posts say so even if c_stanley's got nothin else to say on the entire thread) That subject I mentioned IS more touchy than most so I'll avoid it going forward. I was merely trying to relate the whole issue of what started first and well, whatever.
Anyway, to expand on something GU Wonder said earlier, how many people here could chime in and tell us if you have ever considered the act of selling awards or trading seeing as how there ARE less award seats available on flights these days? I have personally seen more "trading" thought processes going on and I think there's a direct relationship between the two.
AND, to make things seem better for customers, would it be at all wise in any way for the airline business to ALLOW this type of behavior, and maybe even help broker it somehow as a way for people with miles to feel less restricted than they used to be?
Maybe that way, there'd be less BUSTING people for feeling the need to sell or trade awards!
Thoughts on those also welcome.
MM
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UP IN THE AIR had good mile & status nuances in it that we all completely understand. I feel validated somehow, don't you?
even if c_stanley's got nothin else to say on the entire thread
I have actually posted previously in this thread, but that's not the point.
Don't get me wrong, I think you have a lot to say and many valid points. With all due respect though, this is a rare highly informative thread on an interesting topic and your very long posts casting in wildly different directions are derailing the discussion.
It's nothing personal, I'd like to read lots more of what you have to say (really!), but I'd also like for this discussion to continue, and those two things don't appear to be possible at the same time.
k, c_stanley, and thanks for the clarification. Forgive me, I started to imagine some AA thread clique that was gathering here for the sole purpose of "shadenfreuden."
I tend to bring up lots of "what if's" and examples of things that could relate to things on topics such as these. I would very much like to hear many more ideas such as some you may have going forward on this stuff. While keeping my proverbial bug net down on my FT hat to avoid the flies that may be buzzing about doing me no good, I too would like to enjoy further stuff on the subject.
So, back on topic once again, would airline business get "better" if they found realistic and practical ways to PREVENT people from selling or trading awards, OR if they somehow made it more doable under certain more legitimate circumstances without putting too many fees or restrictions on such a proposed process?
MM
__________________
UP IN THE AIR had good mile & status nuances in it that we all completely understand. I feel validated somehow, don't you?
This thread has wandered to many topics. Entirely too many unrelated topics. The topic here is
selling AAdvantage miles (and could encompass selling awards, VIPs, etc.)
It is entirely up to you - keeping this thread on topic will mean it continues to remain open. When it wanders off, it's pretty much evidence that the thread topic has been exhausted, and it will be closed.
Thank you.
/Mod hat off
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"Umuntu ngumuntu ngabantu" (Isizulu for "a person is a person through (other) persons")
Lend a hand up with Kiva
-what can the airline do to catch peoplethey think are doing such activities? What can they do to 'prevent' the act of people doing this? AND, how do they KNOW for sure it's being done by someone?
-what causes people to do this sort of thing to begin with, and do they do it more now than they used to for some reason?
-any other links or stories on people who have done it or services who have tried to broker mileage awards? I have posted a few related links in a couple of previous posts. Am intersted in seeing more/reading what happened, etc. in these areas and/or seeing more links others may have.
-any ideas for the airlines to somehow someday read from you the customer on what YOU think they ought to do and how they should approach the problem?
I'm certainly interested in seeing this thread remain open to try and get answers to these very relevant questions and then some.
thanks! MM
__________________
UP IN THE AIR had good mile & status nuances in it that we all completely understand. I feel validated somehow, don't you?
I don't really imagine anyone here is calling AA and reporting folks.
To which "here" are you referring?
If it's FT, the facts tell a very different story. FT has a history of often doing exactly what AA asks it to do. FT has deleted threads dealing with discount codes while leaving like threads for hotels and car rental firms untouched. Enlightening and informative threads describing AA's policies and procedures have vanished, again at the direction of AA.
"Good risk management practices" dictate that posters should maintain a healthy skepticism regarding FT's benevolence, consideration and self-interest.
Last edited by drtdk; May 14, 07 at 6:08 am..
Reason: Punctuation and grammar.
If its FT, the facts tell a very different story. FT has a history of often doing exactly what AA asks it to do. FT has deleted threads dealing with discount codes while leaving like threads for hotels and car rental firms untouched. Enlightening and informative threads describing AA's policy and procedure have vanished, again at the direction of AA.
"Good risk management practices" dictate that posters should maintain a healthy skepticism regarding FT's benevolence, consideration and self-interest.
Wow! You've been here longer than me, but this is unbelievable. If I owned a website, and an airline told me to delete a thread, I'd tell them where to go. What is their remedy? After all, there is freedom of speech.
And, by the way, isn't FT a website dedicated to the frequent flyer NOT the airline?
I'll refrain from a formal diagnosis... By "here" I was referring to some concerns members might be "snitches," something I certainly do not think is happening. Ad for FT admin, they have their hands full keeping everything running, and are not proactively doing the airlines' / hotel chains' detective work. I'm also sure if they are contacted by travel providers and their risk management and legal folks will tell them to remove discount codes not accessible to the public at large, they will do so; they probably do not want to engage in costly legal battles any more than most of us here.
But if you ask me if FT is browsed by travel provider audit / fraud control staff, I am of the opinion it is - if it were my job, I would certainly cruise eBay and other places travel products are sold and bartered, as well as FT and a few other nodes of concentration of travellers exchanging information.
Notice, I say "opinion," not "facts" - unless I can actually support them.
Quote:
Originally Posted by drtdk
To which "here" are you referring?
If it's FT, the facts tell a very different story. FT has a history of often doing exactly what AA asks it to do. FT has deleted threads dealing with discount codes while leaving like threads for hotels and car rental firms untouched. Enlightening and informative threads describing AA's policies and procedures have vanished, again at the direction of AA.
"Good risk management practices" dictate that posters should maintain a healthy skepticism regarding FT's benevolence, consideration and self-interest.
__________________
"Umuntu ngumuntu ngabantu" (Isizulu for "a person is a person through (other) persons")
Lend a hand up with Kiva
In an effort to get back on topic, I am reposting my earlier question.
I really do want to know the answer.
Thanks
This would depend on the airline or the agent you speak to. I think one of us should call AA anonymously right now and just ask more than one agent:
-if I give my brother or friend an award ticket and he wishes for world peace and wants me to do so with him, is that bartering?
-if he gets me the hotel room for that conference room next week because I helped him out with his vacation, is that a monetary gain for one or more of our party at the expense of the airline?
I bet, like my speeding ticket example mentioned in an earlier post, it could depend on whether the agent was in an over zealous mood and wanted to make an example of you, or if the airline had just that same day instructed everyone to crack down on the next callers who even JOKE about the use of their miles involving others. Or, the agent may even mention how they do the same thing so they can send a distant cousin to visit family in Tulsa.
I think it's all subjective, unless they blatantly find your post on ebay where you are offering to unload a million miles worth of award tickets for $200 for every 25k to anyone who bids using the BUY NOW feature.
I would hope the airline lets us all HAVE the ability to set up awards for other people, as they have been doing so far, but in this day and age I wouldnt be surprised if we all got a notice saying we have only 72 more hours to do that sort of thing and then it's over. I do hope I'm wrong about that one!
(Makes me think back on the time United quietly announced how it was breaking its UA==>HHilton transfer deal and you had like only a couple days to scramble and get blocks of miles submitted. We all rallied and many missed it. The whole UA==>Amtrak==>CO thing went down with even more stealth and a lot of people got stranded half way thru the process. I missed that one though. I was suffering through a bout of Ignoria and had totally stopped paying attention. Oh well, I rode the train a few times and was over it )
MM
__________________
UP IN THE AIR had good mile & status nuances in it that we all completely understand. I feel validated somehow, don't you?
) That subject I mentioned IS more touchy than most so I'll avoid it going forward. I was merely trying to relate the whole issue of what started first and well, whatever. 
