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Location: DCA
Experience: Current TalkBoard President & Senior Moderator
What is FlyerTalk to you?
I've spent over 8 years on Flyertalk, and made 20,000 posts. It's not exactly a fleting fancy of mine. It's a passion, an obsession, a hobby, a social outlet, a meaningful part of my life.
When I first came over from a link off of Holly Hegeman's PlaneBusiness site, I was curious and overwhelmed (and Flyertalk was MUCH smaller then). I used to frequent only the United forum, the rest of the community was just too sprawling.
I was a new user then, but I grew in my knowledge and enjoyment of travel and got to know people in thr community, and began to enjoy Flyertalk not just for tips on upgrades but for the shared values and experiences.
If Flyertalk hadn't taught me to travel in international first class regularly, and how to share that experience as well, I don't think my wife would approve of the level of commitment I have to this community!
Fortunately she now flies the F cabin on CX/NH/SQ/OZ/TG/LH/QF/TN and others. So we're both happy!
What has to change on FlyerTalk?
Search is better but still not right. There are more technical glitches than there used to be. And certainly more villainous attempts at spam.
The community has grown, it's no longer Randy's and Randy's alone. And the challenge is to speak for the members so that Internet Brands understands from a users point of view what's best for its investment.
But ultimately not very much has to change, and if anything we need to resist many changes that would risk dismantling the community we've all built together.
I'm open to change, but certainly appreciate what we all have and the value in what's brought us together to this conversation in the first place..
What do you like best about FlyerTalk?
I suppose I'm somewhat redundant in mentioning the friendships, the deals, the shared experience and finding people who love and appreciate the same things that I do.
And that there's no other place in the world where the content is so robust, so useful, and so TRUE. What other LARGE travel site do you actually TRUST?
State a platform motto or goals for FlyerTalk for the future.
We need to start with an understanding of what makes this place special.
The information and advice is invaluable.
We can all really learn to travel so much better, and that meaningfully contributes to the quality of life of members here.
We were all newbies once, we need to at the same time be welcoming of new faces and preserve the quality of information. We need to manage the growth of the community so that it isn't unwieldly, while not becoming so segregated as to diminish its usefulness.
In short, we need to respect what has been built, remember why it's special, and take great pains to ensure it continues to thrive so that others can benefit as much as those of us have who have been here for some time.
It's both an honor and a significant responsibility.
Name your three favorite forums and why.
1. I'll group mileage run deals and hotel deals together, and say that I love a good fare glitch as much as anyone and am so thankful to the community for sharing amazing discoveries. It's usually the newest members even that find some of the best. I've been to Cyprus and Puerto Vallarta, I've had 3000 sq ft oceanfront villas with private pool, I've stayed in Tokyo for $3 a night... Gotta admit, it's been a wonderful life!
2. MilesBuzz. Both because this was the first forum I moderated and because the very best offers are often reproduced there, from prepaid debit cards to presidential coins to test driving a jaguar or buying magazines (including inside flyer!) to fly the Concorde. It's been the best of Flyertalk.
3. Community, because it's the people and the friendships that make Flyertalk special. And because you fools are the only ones in the world who could possibly understand and relate to me, and hopefully the reverse is true as well.
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