Originally Posted by
vbroucek
I agree with you that the legal definition of "friend" is very broad. However, it is important to realise that by making post similar to OP's post, can legally be interpreted as a solicitation.
Maybe I did not make my original post clear enough. IMHO, it is fraud publicly solicit for F&F rate and offering the same favour in exchange. Yes, if you become friend with someone on FT and that someone then offers you F&F deal (ideally privately, not publicly for everyone to see) it is OK, but this way it is not.
Take it this way - FT is being monitored by employees of involved companies. For example on Miles & More, there even is official Lufthansa employee "lurker". What do you think will be result of OP's post? They will harden the rules for F&F and as a consequence, each of us here will be losing...
He is soliciting a future "friend" for a rate whom he will then introduce to his "friend" for a rate. Technically you are right, but it is a very grey area and I highly doubt we would ever see any of these hotel corps. actually pressing the issue.
As for your last part I completely agree. I have no doubt that certain deals/tricks and so forth have been killed by lurkers of certain companies. Although, there is another thread in Hotel Deals on the same topic with a lot more hits/views than this that plenty of people have "misused" already for some time so I think that would be more responsible for the demise of this deal than this guys single post.