What was it that hooked you into the FlyerTalk Community?
 

Lots of people join FT, make a couple of posts and then leave. Others get hooked and stick around for years and years and make hundreds, even thousands of posts.

For those of you have become hooked, what was it that attracted you and inspired you to stick around?

When I began to realize how little I knew about something I did every week ... that was when I was fully hooked. I found FT through a google search about something or other, probably trying to figure out how the upgrades worked and found out sooooo much more. It has allowed me to use the programs to get the most out of them - especially some nice free nights at very nice hotels, some free flights and even free Bose headset. Not to mention the great conversations and news pieces on OMNI.

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I got hooked by listening to Randy Petersen back in 2000 on some show... caused me to come to this website... and realize all the miles/points I was not getting credited for.

Shortley thereafter I found out about a United/Hilton promotion that gave me LOTS of miles and points... and the rest is history.... :)

I can also say that the positive response when I first posted was great... I made a major boo boo and posted the same question in MilesBuzz and TravelBuzz and I was not berated by the "old timers".... that treatment probably kept me around.... :D

Into Community - watching people make drunken spectacles of themselves at events. Watching the Chicago Do with about 100 people unfold drunkenly probably six years ago was where it reached sufficient critical mass to take hold.

When I read the thread about the mistake fare YYZ-LCA in J on AZ. I didn't find out about it until later.

Though I was able to get in on the YYZ-OTP fare on KL, it was not in J.

I have a feeling there will be "the ultimate" mistake fare soon .. so I should stick around :p

I'm not hooked. I can quit whenever I want. Really. I'm not hooked, I tells ya!

It was the free drugs!
 

Or should I say, miles? :) This was long before FT became the swinging place it is now.

Oh, man! I think you need to join the FT 12 Steps Programs. :D:D

Or should I say FT 12 Miles Program? Not enough incentive in 12 miles, right? No wonder Randy didn't start the program. :p

Honestly, it was the type of people on here.

I'm a business traveler, and it's interesting communicating with other frequent fliers who travel for business. We have a lot of similarities so it's a great place to have a sound board for ideas and various thoughts.

So basically a like-minded community of people to interact with.

i love how we all come from different backgrounds, and do different things for a living, and yet we all still share a passion for flying, travel, enjoying life and getting some bang for our buck! Who would have thought that the people who sit in aluminum tubes would turn out to be the most interesting!

For me, it was definitely the "community". I lurked as far back as the original days of FT (and remember when the PIP was being planned thinking "what was wrong with these CRAZY people getting on an airplane to go to Hawaii for only a weekend to meet strangers").

Then I had two events occur.

One, I decided to make the push for Executive Platinum and while the concept of "mileage running" was still kind of odd to me, I had this weird ticketing problem that I needed to do a Wed-Fri Denver trip and a Sun-Tues San Diego trip. The combined total of both tickets was like $1700 and on a whim, I decided to price the TPE fare on AA everyone had talked about (around $500) and figured out that I could go DFW-DEN-SJC-TPE-SJC-SAN-DFW for only $700-ish so I convinced my boss to sign a memo to corporate travel (our company was 100% US domestic at that time) to let me book that ticket. I showed up for my flight that was going to have a dozen or so other FTers on it having an "expectation" of what FTers were going to "be like" (and I'll admit, it wasn't that positive) and had every one of my preconceptions shattered that weekend.

Two, after that, 9/11 happened... literally while I was still on the last leg of that trip. I was stuck in SAN alone (my business colleague who I was with panicked and got in our rental car and was 200 miles away before thinking that he might need to call me at the hotel and tell me he was driving back to Texas without me!) I logged into FT Chat and it was nice and reassuring to talk (in real time) with other business travelers that were in my shoes and understood what my friends/family back home didn't.

And then a couple of weeks later I attended my first DO (locally, in DFW) and met a couple of friends that have become friends for life - and it just all took hold.

I wouldn't have "engaged" in FT though if it weren't for the Community. I would have just sat back and posted occasionally and probably taken more than I'd given had I not been pulled in by the people.

For me, pretty much like what some one else said. The FT community, between here & FFOCUS I've meet the nicest folks on the planet.

Hmm. I have always been interested in collecting miles, I just didn't know there was a sub-culture of people out there dedicated to it, until I read the wired article last year.

Why have I stayed, well I just booked ATL-JNB in J, something a year ago I would have thought impossible.

A similar question was asked in a now closed thread in TravelBuzz! Forum back in March (due to its OMNI potential, I believe). I am just going to repeat myself here.

If you insist we have an "intellectual conversation" on FT addiction, I would probably say FT feeds our intellectual buds while we "waste", I mean "invest", our precious time learning something we can "reasonably" achieve, relate, and understand in real life (from FTers' perspectives of course ;)).

We get to see the real "growth" in our mileage/points banks. While cranking up our miles/points collections, we get to "see" the world through fellow FTers' accounts as well. A social trap, I mean "network", is formed and group identity developed along the process. More importantly, there's no exit. Once you are in, I mean REALLY in, you are hooked.

Somehow FT makes me a better person but a worse student. God help me. I don't think there's any way out now. Plus, Randy hasn't set up the FT 12 Steps Program yet. :( :p

I got interested in optimizing miles while flying BOS-ORD-BOS monthly for a few years around 1990. I found out I could get 5,500 miles and sit in front for the price of a coach seat on Delta. A couple of years later I found myself approaching the end of December with about 49,500 DL status miles in the bank, so the concept of a mileage run suggested itself. The FA on my BOS-LGA-BOS turn-around flight thought it was a bit odd, but once I explained, agreed that it made sense.

The discovery that there are actually other people who shared my addiction was a delightful surprise. What really hooked me, though, was meeting some of those people - at a Catman Do in New York in March 2001, the San Diego Do in July of that year, and many more later (on five continents so far). There are people I may not see from one year to the next, but I consider them real friends. That,* more than the still-useful factual content, is what keeps me coming back.

_________________________
*And the occasional opportunity to plug Macs in Travel Technology.

I lurked for a long time before I worked up the nerve to post. Shortly after I began posting, I worked up the nerve to attend my first FT gathering: A dinner at Siam near LAX. I met both SkiAdcock and Delacpa that night. :p

I consider Flyertalkers amongst some of my closest friends.

I joined after an article about the cheap tickets to Iceland (I think), but didn't post much until my job changed. Once I started to get to know some people, I became addicted. :D

Good information attracted me when I was lurking in 1999. Before Flyertalk I earned 3,000 miles/month; since Flyertalk I earn 55,000 miles/month.

What hooked me was reading about Pudding Guy, Latin Pass, Baht Run, Goldpoints/Valuemags, mistake fares....

You know, PDX_Roy, people like you just amaze me. How do you exercise such restraint? OBTW, congratulations on joining the 100 Post Club. :D :D How often do you come to FT and just read?

I can only wish for that type of self control. I work hard to keep my post count under 3 per day, and it looks like I am slipping. :o I feel like a totally helpless junkie.

punki, I fully agree with you :)

Oops, I just realized that I forgot to post what hooked me.

I found FT before it really was FT. I search for "frequent flyer miles" and got routed to Inside Flyer that had a back door into a discussion group. I was looking for advice for taking my family on a trip to Malaga and Mallorca. I had quite a few miles at the time but really had no idea how to go about using them.

The people I found here (many of whom are still around today) not only had great ideas, but were also so smart and so funny that I couldn't break myself away from their company.

I really think the amazing people who hang out here are the key.

Punki, my post count would probably be about 20 if I hadn't needed access to coupon connection. Hopefully I can discover an original benefit someday to share with fellow Flyertalkers:)

I'll see you again at the SEA DO. I want to join the group taking the ferry to lunch -- how is that plan progressing?

it's all about the people--some amazing and talented and friendly people here. Even the "others" provide additional entertainment value and challenge the system. As someone who didn't particularly care for people (more into wildlife), this was a great way to break down the barriers and misconceptions and meet some truly amazing people. Of course the first FTer I met was Rudi and his lovely wife Gisela so that went a long way to dispelling any myths about the crazies on the internet. Such a gracious and travelled couple.

Then there was the original PiP (who could forget that) and Asheville, Dusseldorf, Vancouver, Montreal, Toronto and Tucson and individual meetings in Ottawa, London, Paris, Chicago, Hong Kong, Beijing, New York, San Francisco etc etc. Then there were unforgettable adventures to Wengen, St. Gallen and Zurich with Rudi and Gisela and the quiet dinners and Opus One with Catman in New York and great local fare with Old Gold and Cathy in Tucson!

Last week was my first Freddies and on it goes!

Who can believe 10 years can blow by so quickly. Looking forward to the next couple of decades to see where FT and its members are.^

Thanks, BlondeBomber.

I can remember way back in the beginning how disappointed I was to learn that you were a man. Initially, I thought you were one of the very few women on the board. ;) Then I was surprised when I learned that Tropical Flyer was a woman.

Did you forget Valencia? Now that was an amazing celebration that would be well worth repreating. ^

I couldn't forget Las Fallas at Valencia (and I have the pictures and sounds to prove it!), just thought I had written it down--old age I guess.

Probably something else I am forgetting too!:o

PS. you weren't the only one to infer that BlondeBomber was female--some male hetero FTers started hitting on me (as some FTers are want to do:D) until I set them straight . . .

It's All About The People
 

William's post is right on target because the tone has definitely gone down (or should I say up?) lately. I found FT through Inside Flyer when there was a double point promo for Diner's Club way back when. I became hooked on FT after meeting some great people. I 'blame' Catman for getting me hooked on Do's but it really comes down to a lot of people; folks that worked hard to host some really nice events. Yeah, the mileage and upgrade stuff has been great, but it's the community that keeps me coming back. I fly on my own nickel now so it has to be worthwhile to do it.

I have met some great people at the number of events I have been to and look forward to meeting many more at the upcoming events I am locked into. I will always remember the March FRA MiniDo and meeting someone who has become very special in my life. That's what keeps me hooked into FT.

Well, Punki, it was YOU! And Rudi! And Randy! And all the folks at the Top of the Mark in the fall of 1999, our first DO. You talked us into attending the PIP and we have not looked back. I remember walking into the bar at the Mark and asking about a group being there somewhere. The hostess cracked up and asked if some Swiss guy in full regalia would be part of my party. Oh, yes, indeed! Something to see for certain! Of all the DO's, the PIP was the best. Yet another thank you to all the planners! And a special thanks to Randy who showed up with gifts galore, completely unexpected. Remember vying for upgrades at Hilton? Poor desk clerk was unglued.

I had been on trip.com prior to Flyertalk but that site did not require PINS and people abused the site so badly that I was looking for a more reliable travel source. Flyertalk amazed me because I actually got to meet people. There was a trust and camaraderie that could not be found elsewhere.

I came to FT at first because I was then taking NW every week from BNA to MSP and back, and having been delayed getting to work once by NW's pilot staffing issues, I wondered if FT might be a good source of inside information that I could use to my advantage in such situations. I've since met a few of you and spent hundreds of hours debating, joking and otherwise shooting the breeze with many more. What keeps me here more than anything is probably the opportunity to run my mouth at length with others who enjoy doing the same--so the "Talk" part of FlyerTalk is as important to me as the flying. :D

That, and the MR forum.

I was attracted by the business travel advice. But then I was hooked by the people and the ability to not only learn, but to help others.

The other key is Flyertalk's diversity. As a business traveler, I'm not really that interested in mileage runs and mistake fares, But I am interested in keeping on top of what all the good hotels, bars and restaurants there are in Timbuktu and there are others here who have the same interests. That is what continually interests me.

I always cared about miles, planes, traveling, etc. and I have been pretty familiar with a lot already.

At some point in August 06, I went to the US as an exchange student and xyzzy and his family hosted me. His first question was: "Do you have an FF account with an airline?" I replied "Yes,with Lufthansa". He said, well, I signed you up for Continental as well. By the way, look at that website... I didn't do it right away, so he asked me again a day later because apparently I didn't do it fast enough ;) At some point I did and my first post was most stupid but whatever.... (anybody knew anyway already about that)

At some point, I was taken to a DO and I was shocked. So many weird people but by now, I basically like them all, it was just "weird". :D

Anyway, I am still here, there are basically no days that I miss reading it. For about 1,5 years, I got up earlier in the morning to spend a good amount of time to read the LH board (each and every post), Germany board, Community, Newsstand, quick Omni, CO and then back to LH... Same spiel again at night and if possible during the day.

Now I kind of cut that habit and just browse once a day through it, don't get up earlier anymore for it but this is just due to my new Vodafone UMTS PMCI card. Now I can read everything on the way too work :-)

Can't wait to learn more and most important: Meet more Flyertalkers while I am on great trips!

I first found FlyerTalk when I was researching a trip to Turkey, Greece, and Morocco. My company was 'forcing' me to take vacation or I would lose it.

My ex and I would take an international trip once a year which back in the day was a lot. I took my ex partner (post ex) to England and Japan and they were the most miserable travelling experiences of my life. Therefore I took a long hiatus.

After coming back from Morocco, I realized that I had this urge. It seemed that only the people on FlyerTalk understood this urge.

I maybe crazy, but FT convinces me that I am not. That is a truth that I want to believe.

I have visited places in the last year and a half that I never thought I would see.

When I was young, I never imagined that I would go to Europe for a long weekend - that was for the rich people - but I did it seven times last year.

All I need now is that my salary is positively tied to the price of oil. :)

I got hooked ...
 

It's hard to believe it's been almost 5 years since I found FT and joined. I got hooked when I started reading posts about how to take advantage of loyalty programs. I flew several thousand miles and stayed a few nights without getting any rewards. Since then, I've been hooked.

what's ft ;)

I originally found FT after reading a WSJ piece - but then barely visted for at least a year.

I got hooked trying to find some information that proved hard to find, and ended up reading a lot of posts trying to find it, and realized in the process that I knew quite a lot already that others didn't seem to know, and yet there was so mcuh I didn't know how much I didn't know. As soon as I realized that the pickings available to game the whole travel system were even greater than I had ever previously imagined, I was hooked.

It has long been my goal in life never to check bags and never to fly coach - and yet before I found FT I flew coach all too often, and even occasionally checked bags. Doesn't happen much anymore :)

love travel, collecting miles and flying but the YYZ-LCA posted by rosj clinched my FT addiction. LCA was my first time to Europe (FCO, MXP). I have been five times since :D

Where is rosj these days?

Thanks to all of you for your fascinating stories. I am glad to hear that there are other people as crazy as I am. :D

It sure will be fun to see what the next ten years bring.

Stumbled in
 

I stumbled on the sight when I needed information on some trips I had planned. I stayed because I found I could contribute to many of the discussions and answer some of the questions (especially on the AS and Alaska state related sites).

Community Buzz keeps me here because of the Do's I've attended and have even put a small one together myself last year. Meeting people from around the world, quite literally, is an added bonus.

4 years and 1,498 posts later, it's still interesting to learn new things about travel almost every day.

I literally stumbled upon this site.

I had signed up for a couple of FF programs and I was like, "How can I maximize my miles?" and so I put "maximizing miles" into Google and somehow, I stumbled upon this site.

So when I got here, I'm like, "Okay, this is cool."

...plus, it's always nice to know if someone else is having a bad day, so I don't feel alone in the world...

That and I'm a member at some NASCAR message boards, which can sometimes become bar brawls if something goes wrong...here, everyone, although there are differences, just seems to get along and doesn't drag out a fight into fifteen new threads, thus irritating the mods...so this place is an escape!!