Originally Posted by
jpdx
Your moderators have been debating how to deal with "trick it" fares, but we haven't found a solution that satisfies everybody's needs. On the one hand, we do want to protect "deals." On the other hand, the development of a "secret code" is not beneficial for FT. Some critics also rightly point out that if the "secret code" can be broken with a bit of due diligence, a determined airline employee (who has a greater financial stake than most of us) can surely figure it out. In any case, you can look forward to a new "trick" thread in 2010; it will likely not have any postcount requirement (like CC) or otherwise be off limits to the uninitiated, but we're looking at some features that balance the needs for use-friendliness and secrecy. For instance, we are thinking about having some members volunteer as "trick ambassadors" to assist others. Please use this thread for the discussion of these possible changes. We are interested in hearing your recommendations!
Happy Holidays!
--jpdx, MR Moderator
As one of those who feature fairly prominently in the Trick It thread, I would first like to volunteer to be one of your "Trick Ambassadors". I've probably answered about 500 PMs over the past year helping people out with FDs and the like. I still maintain that I'll continue to do so as long as I have the time.
As for options on how this all could be implemented, I too would prefer a post count/membership length restriction on such a thread/forum. CC is clear example of something that could easily be abused by someone who not necessarily WANTED to cause trouble, but because of unfamiliarity with the way FTers do things, may in fact lead to the demise of some of the tools we use to travel the way we like. That's why there's a postcount/membership restriction which I don't think anyone feels is unfair. The Trick It thread is very similar. Phone calls to airlines during mistake fares and FD fares have been prevalent, and in order to not have these deals die, a little discretion must be maintained.
That said, I don't like the secret code any more than anyone else. I think it's rather hokey, and once you figure out the basis for the tricks, it's just a waste of bandwidth. It'd be way easier if I could say "Book MCI-XXX-XXX-XXX-MCI with XXX-XXX added on on XXXXXXX.com" so we could all save a little time ITAing oneway fares. If there was a litmus test granted for entry, so that we knew the information we were putting out was going to the "educated eyes" of FT, then it would make the whole process go that much more smoothly.
But, if the decision is made to have the trick forum/thread not be a secret one, one recommendation I would make is that your so-called "Trick Ambassadors" might have a subforum "for their eyes only" to discuss the techniques. I've been an expert of the PL trick, the standard UA trick, and others, but just learned the .fr trick the other day (I hadn't really been trying to figure it out since I haven't flown as much lately). If those ambassadors all got on the same page with a) how to perform every "trick" and b) how that information should be disseminated, the thread would be a lot cleaner.
Thanks for considerations of my above points.
Chris