Hello FlyerTalkers,

In our continued efforts to bring our members the best, free travel experience on the Web, FlyerTalk is implementing several new social features to make it easier to get the latest information on programs and travel industry developments. These features are live as of 12pm PT on Monday, March 27, 2017.

The new features will allow logged-in users who are not using ad blockers on FT to do the following:

1. Set up automatic KEYWORD ALERTS and HASHTAGS that let you track mentions of your favorite programs, events, or anything else.
2. FOLLOW USERS who post information you find useful.
3. TAG USERS in posts, and get notifications when you've been tagged -- an easy way to bring a thread to someone's attention.

You can access each of these new features by going to My FlyerTalk, and scroll all the way down to view each new feature in the bottom of the left side menu.



KEYWORD ALERTS

Once you click on "Keyword Alerts" on MyFlyerTalk, you can set up an alert by:

1. Typing in a keyword
2. Selecting whether you want to receive this alert hourly, daily or weekly
3. Selecting whether you want to receive alerts via email, as a private message, or both
4. Selecting a forum
5. Clicking "Create and Save Alert"

Disabling alerts:

Once you set up an alert, that alert will display in a list. You can turn off an alert by simply clicking "Delete" on the far right of the corresponding alert.



HASHTAGS

In "Hash Tag Subscriptions", you can add hashtag subscriptions by typing in the hashtag you'd like to subscribe to and clicking "Submit". You will get an email whenever one of your subscribed hashtags is used. Whenever someone uses this hashtag in a post, you'll get an alert. For example, if you subscribe to #Avios you will get an alert every time someone types "#Avios" on FlyerTalk.

Disabling Hashtags:

1. Click the checkbox next to the hashtag you wish to delete and click "Submit"

or

2. Go to "Settings" under "User Tagging" in MyFlyerTalk, select the "Disable Hash Tag Subscription Emails" option, and click "Save Changes".




FOLLOW USERS

To follow another member, click on the member's username. This will take you to that user's profile where you can click "Follow User". You may also click their username in a post, and use the pulldown menu.

To view the activity of other members you are following, click on "You are following 'x' users" in MyFlyerTalk, which will take you to a list of the users you're following. Then click "Find Recent Posts" to view the other members' activity.

Unfollow a User

1. Click "Unfollow User" on the user profile page

or

2. Click "You are following 'x' users", which will take you to a page with a list of the users you're following. To unfollow a specific user, you would click "Un-Follow / Remove" for the corresponding user

You can also turn off the ability of others to follow you, in your user CP. If you do this, you will disappear from their list of followed users.




TAGGING A MEMBER

Tagging allows FTers to bring a thread to the attention of other members.

To tag another member, make a post that includes @ and their username, such as @IBobi.

To manage who can tag you, go to "Settings" in your Control Panel and do one or more of the following:

1. Restrict tag alerts to only come from users on your friends list.
2. Hide tag alerts
3. Disable thread tag emails
4. Disable desktop notifications

(since getting notified is the only effect of being tagged, disabling these notifications is the same thing as turning off tagging for yourself)

We hope these features help you to get more out of FlyerTalk, and if not, we have made every effort to ensure that if you do not want them, you do not have to use them

Best,

The FT Team