MilesBuzz! - "Firstclassflyer" newsletter - anyone read it?

Wondering if anyone subscribes to 'firstclassflyer' newsletter?
Opinions?
Has it been beneficial to you?

Thoughts appreciated!
Christian :cool:

I have been considering joining but would prefer to see a sample of the newsletter first. If a fellow FTer has a recent newsletter, I would enjoy giving it a look. My email is ColinLA@excite.com. Thanks!

I used to receive it a while back and found I already know most everything it would say. I also didn't agree with everthing they said concerning miles strategies.

I used to receive it a while back and found I already know most everything it would say. I also didn't agree with everthing they said concerning miles strategies.

I agree, although I'm not "advanced" enough to get into all these strategies, and tie-ins and multiple FF memberships, etc. I've found that if you scour the travel websites & airline websites, you'll stumble across most of the good fares yourself. I booked my Z-fare for Christmas before I heard about them from Firstclassflyer.

These spinoffs are people who absorb knowledge on Flyertalk and then open their own websites to charge others for info that is available for free. I know that sounds catty but it's usually true.

I've found it helpful, especially as regards specials on non-US carriers. For example, the free upgrades to first from business on Korean carriers, some of the significant discounts that Malaysian offers, specials on business class (Joe Brancatelli is also very good at picking these up). While previous posters are correct that any active participant in this board will already know much of what's in there, there's also a good deal that's additive and money saving. And, yes, one would disagree with some of their strategies as routings, number of stops, individual carriers are all things that people have differing likes and dislikes about.

Opinions?
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=8334&highlight=firstclassflyer.com

Before I discovered FT, I subscribed to First Class Flyer. I did take advantage of a Christmas Special Z fare details of which were e mailed to me by FCF in 2002. I think everything of use is posted here on FT immediately it becomes available.

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=8334&highlight=firstclassflyer.com

reposting this link of links doesnt do much since when you click on the links in the link above, you get error since flyertalk revamped its website since original post.

try this link

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=374899&highlight=firstclassflyer

My wife is not the least bit interested in miles or points, although she enjoys flying in premium class :) . She would never wade through a Flyertalk thread, but sometimes I am able to give her a First Class Flyer article which summarizes a developement or strategy and then we can discuss the costs and benefits.

dennis

reposting this link of links doesnt do much since when you click on the links in the link above, you get error since flyertalk revamped its website since original post.
Not exactly.

The link you posted does lead to a thread, but that thread contains no substantive content, only two links to older threads. Those links are now broken.

Not exactly.

You can subscribe for a month for $24.95 and they'll refund your money if you cancel within 30 days. I did this and ended up cancelling on Sunday. I just don't fly that often to take advantage of their strategies. (To their credit they did immediately refund my money when I asked and also were very responsive when I inadvertently subscribed for 2 years vs. the month to month. (My stupid mouse has some sort of auto scroll on it and it's driving me to drink.)

I browsed the website, which gives you access to prior newsletters, and tried to find something earth shattering that would help me book reasonably priced first class tickets to Maui. I didn't find anything too specific, just generic strategies and tables of competitors' fares, etc. If you become an annual subscriber they promise more specific, personalized advice, but it's hard to justify the $200 when you don't know what you're getting.

Hope this helps.

As indicated in a prior post, much of the information appears on the boards here on FT.

I subscribed before FT and was didnt find the information very helpful or different from what I already knew.

What I do find quite interesting is how much press First Class Flyer gets as well as its founder. He is always being qouted in articles about aviation, which is strange because it would seem that a place like FT or Randy Peterson would be seen as more of a source.

Thanks all!
It does seem like there is so much info on FT, what else could one learn??! ;)

still, am curious - If someone does have a recent copy of Firstclassflyer they could share, please pm me...

Cheers,
Christian

These spinoffs are people who absorb knowledge on Flyertalk and then open their own websites to charge others for info that is available for free. I know that sounds catty but it's usually true.

My views exactly ^

I bought a membership, and canceled it after the first year - here is why:

1. I learned a heck of a lot more on FT, for sure.
2. Most of the advice given is good, but is largely related to international travel, which I rarely do.
3. I really have no issues getting upgraded to F, because of my origination city (MCI), in fact - every flight this year (flew 55K so far) except 3 and a handful of Ted flights, I was in F.
4. The ideas they share are often complex to execute, and are not timely by the time you get around to reading it completely.
5. Since the ideas are timely, if you're not going to that desitnation RIGHT NOW, then its useless information.
6. If you are loyal to one program, and half the issue is dedicated to another program, then why bother?

Just some of my candid observations throughout the year I was a member.

FYI, I cancelled, and September was supposed to be my last month, but they still email me the newsletter every month (just got my December one a few days ago...)

Cheers!

h*s

Thanks all!
It does seem like there is so much info on FT, what else could one learn??! ;)

still, am curious - If someone does have a recent copy of Firstclassflyer they could share, please pm me...

Cheers,
Christian

Christian, the newsletters are not sent in Acrobat format, rather they reside on FCF site, which you can access with a password. So I couldn't send it to you even if I wanted to.

However, if you are itching to read a recent copy, I suggest you sign up for a trial subscription. You'll get access to the most recent copies as well as archived newsletters. I signed up for the month-to-month subscription at $24.95. After reading a few of the newsletters, I e-mailed them (within the 30 day trial period) and asked for a refund, which they immediately did.

...What I do find quite interesting is how much press First Class Flyer gets as well as its founder. He is always being qouted in articles about aviation, which is strange because it would seem that a place like FT or Randy Peterson would be seen as more of a source.
A lot of being quoted is about wanting to be quoted and taking steps to be quoted. Reporters prize knowledge, of course, but they prize responsiveness to deadlines and the ability to come up with provocative comments more. Finding stuff on FT is harder than calling someone you've spoken with in the past and whom you know will give you what you need. I can't speak for Randy P., but my perception is that, while he's far from averse to being quoted and sees the value in it, he's not as much of a publicity hound as some people who make a particular point of that. (I spent 2000-2003 tracking and analyzing press quotes of high-tech industry analysts (among other things) with over 50,000 quotes in the database toward the end. Anyone who cares about this can PM me.)