I'm sure with enough algorithms we could use solar power to toast bread, though I'm not so sure doing something because we can is a good enough reason. Automated responses sounds too much like the airlines current approach to their customers; cold, robotic, uncaring and unapologetic.

Just to shoot some others ideas around on the topic, would it possibly become harder to encourage and build 'experts' from within the ranks of FT if there was a shortcut to gaining FFP/FFM knowledge? Would such an exchange place a greater burden on those experts who are already quite involved in other areas of FT like moderating? How would you say who is an expert and who isn't?

Rather than just ponder downsides I can offer up a few positive ideas for a possible structure; what about instead of naming FTers as 'experts' and noted as such in the handle like we do with FT Evangelists at present, what about having a core group have generic 'Fare Expert' FT handles so that the work load could be spread more evenly amongst 10-20 members while creating a more opaque and anonymous knowledge pool from which to dispense advice. In turn, those first set of 'experts' could then hand off the reins to others down the road, paying it forward much as we do now within FT with volunteer moderators, for example. I would still like to see a quick reference guide or sticky with the various redirects to individual FFP boards or MR forums listed on such a forum so that any member new or now so new could find answers themselves should they want to pursue a higher, pardon the pun, frequent flyer education.

To think even further outside of the box, is this perhaps a chance to amalgamate the much discussed 'FT Ambassador' concept with this potential 'genius bar' forum? For example, could we give some FTers anonymous handles to not only answer questions in the 'genius bar' area or forum but also for use all over FT as goodwill ambassadors? One last angle and possible tie in with past ideas would be instead of labelling this the 'newbie' forum couldn't we call it another name but encourage new arrivals to make good use of the 'genius bar' as a starting point? I see the concept if done correctly as having the potential to address many of the aspects that've been debated within these pages in the recent past.

I know the nuts & bolts may not work for many reasons not the least of which would be permitting some members to post under anonymous handles besides their own existing ones. I just thought that way it strips away any preconceived notions about who the 'experts' could or would be from newbies and veterans alike, replacing it with a more generic facade from which to offer input which the poster posing questions is then free to use or not.

And a last thought about the name as 'genius bar' sounds overly pretentious but I guess it works for Apple. 'Plane Answers' or 'Max Travel Lounge' are a couple that spring to mind as more descriptive for this application, though I will admit to be woefully analytical at times and therefore unable to come up with catchy buzz names like Pistachio, which was the new moniker given to a Canadian eco-gift store concept launched recently.