Originally Posted by
KLouis
Well, FT is full of posts of (mostly new) members complaining (often "loudly") about rules of lounges, airlines, FF programs, etc. which don't fit their expectations. This is, to a large extent, due to the anonymity provided by FT
and the bad example given by many of us. The Italy forum is one of the most benign ones, but I'm still waiting to read a post from somebody who didn't like a restaurant or a place specifically suggested by one of the oltimers...
I hear you. I don't like half the crap going on either - my solution has been to just give up on specific loyalty programs and just buy exactly what I want (or stay home). No picking an airline because I'm
this close to status. No picking a hotel chain based on what minimal elite benefits still exist. It's better to tune out the noise, budget for what you want, and go. Lounges were the first to go for me - they mostly suck, but I think we tell ourselves they're good because we're sinking so much into loyalty or cards that get us there.
I'm not sure if I count in that oldtimer category or not, but I 100% want to hear about it if someone comes back from a place I recommended and didn't like it!
I will say that the places generally recommended in this forum by the small group of regulars is usually very good. The only criticism I can really levy is that we (and I'm including myself in this) tend to hit the same places over and over, so we tend to stay conservative in that regard. I think that's fine because most people coming here are planning their first/second trip to Italy, and those places will all be new to them.