Originally Posted by
Randy Petersen
submitted by Kiwi Flyer
With the airline industry likely to rationalise over the next few years, will FT change as well? If yes, how do you propose to reflect those changes on FT? If no, please explain why FT would not change?
As I
posted in MilesBuzz, I believe that legacy carriers have made an error of historic proportions by devaluing their FF programs so much. Upgrades to F are much harder to obtain, and international summer award travel is almost impossible now. All but the top elite members are beginning to reconsider whether the FF game is worth the bother.
If FF programs become less important to travelers, FT discussions will naturally move toward sharing information on improving the travel experience or finding lower fares. On the Southwest forum, where the FF program is fairly boring, the majority of posts already relate to the travel experience or getting better prices on tickets.
I don't see much of a role for TalkBoard in managing this shift. It will pretty much manage itself. The shift will be so gradual that we may not even notice it. The forums will not need to be re-arranged, because they will still be separated by airline and hotel chain.
Originally Posted by
phillipas
And the biggie - not voting on issues. Issues are raised, we get the debates, the tangents, the fudge, the politics, the navel is gazed at... but in terms of an actual answer to the bloody question... er, no, we don;t get that at all.
I disagree. I believe that no TB member should formally offer or second a proposal that has no realistic chance of approval. I regard that as political grandstanding, playing to voters and at the same time damaging goodwill among TB members.
People who believe that the TalkBoard is a political body and should act like one will disagree with me. I understand that, although I hope I'm doing a good job of explaining the disadvantages of that point of view.
If the voters need to see a resolution other than to assume that the lack of a proposal means a lack of support for the proposal, how about this: We might modify the TB rules to allow the TB to announce tabling (deferral) of proposals that are at least temporarily dead. Such announcements could only be made by unanimous consent. One member could propose such an announcement, and any objection within a 2-week period would kill the announcement. There would be no public announcement of the failed proposed announcement, since that would make grandstanding far too tempting.