asu-ua772

Ok, how many of us visit both sites (FT and a.net) on a daily basis? I would bet sure-handedly that many of us FT'ers browse both sites regularly, and some of us post on both sites. So now I have some questions that hopefully some of you FT'ers are willing to answer:

1. Do you visit and/or post on both flyertalk.com and airliners.net?
2. What keeps you attached to both sites when you could easily use one and forget the other?
3. What's a key advantage to FlyerTalk vs. Airliners.net, and vice versa?
4. Disadvantages to both sites?
5. Do some FT'ers live for both FT and a.net?


Anything else you'd like to post??? @:-)

FlyerTalk and Airliners.net is like a match made in aviation-geek heaven!

shortfinals

The main difference is that FT'ers are more travellers, A.netters more of the plane spotting type. There are overlaps - but by and large, the A.netter doesn't care too much for MR's, the FTer doesn't care for A vs B. Just my 2 centavos

asu-ua772

Having posed the questions, here are my answers:

1. I visit both FlyerTalk and Airliners.net more than three times a day ^ , but only post on FlyerTalk .

2. The way FlyerTalk's set up is pretty cool and most of the info I'd like to read about is neatly archived in individual forums and easy to find. The content on Airliners.net never gets boring! Pictures are constantly being added and there's always a nice Trip Report to read.

3. FlyerTalk advantage: Looks and crowd. The website look is tons better than a.net's icky blue all over. The FT crowd is more diverse than a.net (IMO), as FT seems more traveller-focused. Also one can find hotel and rental-car forums here!

Airliners.net advantage: Pictures and Info. Always looking at my favorite airliner pictures is always stress-relieving. There are many more a.netters with inside sources relating to the industry, thus a good picture can be conjured up of which direction an airline is heading.

4. FlyerTalk disadvantage: Lack of smilies. We need more smilies on FT! :-:

Airliners.net disadvantage: Lack of order. It seems like if you don't watch what you say, your post doesn't carry any merit, or your post isn't backed up by a reliable source, an entire thread on a.net can turn into flame-o-rama .

5. Yes, when I'm not doing college stuff, I live for both FlyerTalk and Airliners.net!

DHAST

1. No.
2. N/A
3. FlyerTalk is definitely actual travel related, but nobody would post here if they actually hated to travel. Very few people that don't travel will post here. Those that travel infrequently seem to post here looking for a cheap fare and then disappear. There are some industry types around here as well. Frankly, what I get most out of this site is keeping up with changes in FF programs, alliances, and what not. It just seems to me that most on a.net have reached uber-dork status.
4. I've never spent quality time in the a.net forum, so I can't make any real criticisms and know what I'm talking about, although I do visit it to find pictures when I need them for whatever reason. I'm also not sure how to pick a disadvantage... FT does what it does well -- it's geared to the frequent traveller who enjoys travelling.
5. Maybe

Solblanc

1. yes
2. as stated numerous times, flyertalk is for the travelling experience, while A-net focuses more on hardware, logistics, and downright geekiness
3. They offer different things, but what I like about A-net is the fact that you can mouse over an airline or airport code, and definition will pop up. And in their search functions, if you search for the name of a country, it will include in its search all the airport codes associated with the country, and their trip reports have images included. Flyertalk, on the other hand, has Coupon Connection, which I only discovered now
4. A-net is a paid thingamajig, which is why I don't bother posting there (forking over $25+ to participate in A vs. B is a bit much) I don't see many disadvantages to Flyertalk that are worth mentioning
5. I do

Fraser

1. Yes
2. Different discussions. I tend to avoid most of the stereotypical airliners.net stuff such as 'My favourite livery' but some discussion there is interesting, you just need to look hard for it.
3. I don't get FF advice off airliners.net. I like the way I can write trip reports on airliners.net. The board software fits pictures into it much better than on here.
4. Too many immature flamewars on airliners.net.
5. I guess. I could walk away from posting on a.net pretty easily but Flyertalk less so. However, I can be on a.net and do everything I want to post and read in 5mins sometimes. Flyertalk is more like an hour!

UAalltheway

Exactly. The main difference between FT and A.net is FT'ers actually fly.

UAL_Rulez

The other main difference is trolls, flamers, baiters and posters of idiotic cr*p etc. are generally quickly whisked away from FT, whereas they thrive over there...I only use a.net for the pictures.

vprp

1. Nope
2. Doesn't apply to me.
3. I've been to airliners.net but honestly, I like vBulletin and I think FT's layout is more easier on the eyes and to manage.
4. No.
5. Nope. I don't live for any Web site. Not even my own.

essxjay

Seeing as how this is unrelated to Dos or meet-ups, please continue the discussion in TravelBuzz!

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essxjay
FT Community moderator

sadiqhassan

I love airliners.net for reference (if I want to see a plane cabin / read a trip report) however, I don't like the layout very much and the cost is a big

I visit FT dozens of times a day and feel more "at home" here...

Cheers

valve bouncer

It's an interesting site but I find it hard to believe that people will pay money just to join a forum. Maybe I'm cheap though.

jophilpo

I use both, but for different reasons. FT more for practical advice, although I've gotten useful info from Airliners.net for planning flights on an arline or particular type of aircraft for the first time. If I have the option, it's nice to see the difference in cabin setup between two planes before I decide which one to cram myself into for several hours. I also try and check out the top pics once a day, as there's usually something interesting in there. My favorite is the trip reports on Airliners.net. I really like the inline pictures and their forum seems to get more reports than the one on FT. However, I definately like FT better and probably spend 95% of my time on it, as opposed to other travel websites.

entropy

I do browse but do not post on a.net.

most of the A.net discussions devolve into airbus vs. boeing.

SOMETIMES there is some interesting data put forth, but most of it is a shouting match between people who are trying to prove they know more about an airline's internal operations.

jacob_m

I visit both sites but I am only member on FT, one explanation is that you need to pay for membership at airliners.net and I don't think it's worth it.

I think the sites complement each other fairly well.
FT is more focused on the travel experience, miles and frequent flyer cards.
Airliners.net is more focused on plane spotting, airline deliveries and technical aspects etc.

I think another difference is the "clientele".
At FT most people travel very frequently, a large proportion travel in premium every now and then and have at least one FF-card with status.
At Airliners.net most people are infrequent leisure travellers, people who just want to fly without really caring if it's an LCC or if the booking class is eligible for points.
A bit of a generalisation of course...

As a result I find the trip reports on both sites very amusing to read.
While it sometimes may get a bit boring to read yet another Transatlantic C or F-class menu on FT it is great fun to switch to airliners.net and read a really exciting report about a one hour flight onboard Ryanair across the English channel with 25 photos describing every single aspect of the flight.
People who only fly occasionally may also look at things differently and may notice other things than if the whiskey brand has been replaced in the lounge.
On the other hand there have been some legendary reports on FT as well with a few really great mileage runs, some odd countries like North Korea etc.