jackal

Just joined FlyerTalk? Let us be the first to welcome you! Post a "hello" here so we can get to know you!

Want to know more about your fellow members on FlyerTalk? Check out the long-running http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/commu...ho-we-all.html thread in the CommunityBuzz forum. Not ready to jump in there and tell us your life story? That's OK--just drop a quick line here we can welcome you!

If you've got a specific question, it's best to start a new thread in the Information Desk forum (or a forum more specific to your topic) rather than posting it in here. Questions posted here tend to get lost.

Welcome to FlyerTalk!

beckoa

Hi everyone. My name is beckoa and I like points and miles

This thread is dedicated to our new members.

Mattyb44

Hi! I'm new although have made more than a few posts in the last 2 weeks! Great resource you have here, some great like minded people and the usual internet trolls!

BusinessClown

Hello everyone,

I literally just joined your community.

I am hoping to get some good advice for MR in the short term, but I am also looking forward to being part of the community in the future.

Cheers!

jackal

Welcome! Thanks for posting! There's a lot of shared experiences and mindsets here, but there is indeed also a lot of diversity. Let us know what we can do to help!

Great to have you! The good folks over in the Mileage Run Deals forum (and the more discussion-oriented Mileage Run Discussion sub-forum) can teach you more than you ever thought possible about finding, constructing, and flying cheap fares.

ept0202

Hi, Long time Lurker - recent joiner. I love this site and I hope to benefit for my first MR this year (when i book it). So glad this site exists

jackal

Welcome! Are you looking to MR just to top up with some miles or are you going to hit a status tier?

For what it's worth, personally, I try to minimize pure mileage running (that is, only staying at the airport for a few hours before turning back around) and make at least a weekend trip out of it. But to each his own.

ept0202

Thanks Jackal - I am looking to make AA EXP for the first time. Still trying to figure out if worth the cost and if I have the time.

jackal

Also, you might want to factor in the fact that the DOJ just basically approved the AA and US Airways merger. With the removal of more competition in the airline industry as well as Doug Parker, the CEO of US Airways (who hasn't always proven to be the most flyer-friendly CEO), running the new airline, that may affect your goal. Might want to read up in the AA and US forums to see what the latest speculation is (keeping in mind that that's all it is, speculation)...

MariaSangria

Hi there!

Very first post here. I've been looking around and learning lots. I feel waaay behind the curve on the lingo. I've had various levels of status with UA in the past, and booked a MR to get back to Premier status thanks to tips on fares here on FT. This will effectively also get Mr. MariaSangria 1K status!

Getting better with the ITA software, but have yet to figure out how to find out which airports to try for MR or good fares other than hit and miss. I've hunted around but can't seem to find any tips on how to find fares. We're often flexible on destination as we love to travel.

jackal

Welcome!

I've discovered that having a hint as to where to start is far more productive than blindly searching. Once you know about a good fare, it's much, much easier to then use ITA to find availability and maximize the routing and mileage. I generally don't have the time to just sit on ITA and try dozens of city pairs to come up with something new--it's far better to let others do that heavy lifting.

http://www.TheFlightDeal.com/ is one of the best I've encountered, as it has a very good signal-to-noise ratio compared to other sites (that is, they generally only post fares that are actually good fares). If you "like" them on Facebook and make sure to check "Get Notified," they'll geographically target you and only send you notifications for good fares from your home airport. (I get notifications maybe once a week about a particularly good fare out of PHL.)

Other sources include:
http://www.airfarewatchdog.com/ (low signal-to-noise ratio; I mostly ignore their emails, although I still subscribe to them)
http://www.farecompare.com/ (used to be a great source; much more hobbled now)
http://travel.travelocity.com/mystuf...FareWatcher.do (create alerts for fares between a city pair below a specified threshold--it actually works)
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/mileage-run-deals-372/

More sources and info here: http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/milea...ser-guide.html

Or, just do as I do and become friends with someone who pays attention to fares. They'll let you know when a good deal pops up.

Scooter7

Hi,
First time booking a trip through aeroplan, Halifax - Arizona, looks like 2 stops, the customer service ctr. was not helpful. I can prebook my 2 seats via air canada, however when changing planes in the US I cannot. How do I do this and when? Thanks

MariaSangria

Thanks for the quick help! Agreed on FareCompare. I used to use them, but not a fan of having to open up at least 3 other windows just to look for a fare. I will check these others out. I would like to eventually be one the ones that finds the deals that pop up.

jackal

Welcome! You'll want to get the other airline's (US Airways or United, presumably) confirmation code (different than the Air Canada confirmation code) from Aeroplan (probably by calling them). Then, pull up your reservation on the other airline's website using that other confirmation code and you should be able to assign your seats.

For more or tips on how to do this, you might want to check out and/or post in the Air Canada forum here on FlyerTalk.

I for one am glad there are people out there like you who are less lazy than me (and willing to share)!

deovrat

Hello everyone.

I'm from India and just graduated out of college. To say I'm new to the world of points and miles would be an understatement. The only programs I've been enrolled into so far is Air India's Flying Returns (I know!) and Le Accor Club where I'm Platinum (who isn't?).

So, everything on here will be a nice addition to my knowledge and hopefully I can grow into it more and more.

Cheers.^
-Deovrat