Using the Search Feature on FlyerTalk: The Definitive Thread
 

This long-overdue thread is intended to contain all of the information you need to know pertaining to how to successfully search for information on FlyerTalk. This thread also assumes that you possess basic knowledge pertaining to how to navigate around the FlyerTalk Internet web site.

The vision I have for this thread is not only to simply give instructions on how to perform every kind of search possible on FlyerTalk, as well as how to search for information without using the FlyerTalk search engine, but it is also open to questions about how to perform specific types of searches, as well as give tutorials on how to do all types of searches on FlyerTalk. Be as creative as you can be in having the FlyerTalk search engine perform the most efficient search for information for you and post your questions in this thread!

Although I will do my best to help, I do not intend to be the only person assisting other FlyerTalk members with the FlyerTalk search function. I encourage other knowledgeable FlyerTalk members to also participate in and contribute to this thread not only by helping other FlyerTalk members, but also by posting tips and tricks to help harness the power of the FlyerTalk search engine and use it as efficiently as possible.

This thread is NOT for asking about technical issues regarding the Search feature for FlyerTalk, such as “Search is not working today — what is the problem?”. Please post your questions and comments regarding technical issues pertaining to the FlyerTalk search engine separately in this forum.

Thank you in advance for your assistance and for your patience.

The following are quick links to take you directly to the specific infomation which you are seeking:

Basic Uses of Search

• Basic Search on FlyerTalk in General
• Basic Search Within a Forum on FlyerTalk
• Basic Search Within a Thread on FlyerTalk

Advanced Uses of Search

• Search Using Two or More Key Words
• The Wildcard Search: Asterisk You Take...
• Advanced Search Functionality: Specific Forums or FlyerTalk in General
• Advanced Search Functionality: Specific Threads
• How to Customize Search to Your Specifications
• Searching Multiple Forums — or Fora, if you prefer...

Searching for Information Without Using Search

• Look for “Sticky” Threads in Your Favorite Forum
• Using Display Options to Search Instead of Using the Search Feature
• Go to the Internet Web Site of Your Favorite Frequent Travel Loyalty Program to Find Information

Tips and Tricks for Searching for Information on FlyerTalk

• Excluding One or More FlyerTalk Forums From Your Search

***add more links here when other FlyerTalk members add their own tips and tricks to this thread***

Basic Search on FlyerTalk in General
 

Using this method of basic search will search every forum, thread and milepost on FlyerTalk, possibly displaying more results than desired from your search.

To further isolate your basic search, please either perform a basic search within a forum or a basic search within a thread.

To do a basic search on FlyerTalk in general:

1. Click on the word Search found between New Posts and Quick Links in the dark blue bar in the upper portion of the window of your browser.
2. Type in the key word or words on which your search will be based in the field of the resulting small Search Forums pop-up window.
3. The default for FlyerTalk is set to Show Threads, which will display the results of your search in the form of links to entire threads. If you prefer to have the links to specific mileposts displayed as a result of your search, please select the button next to Show Posts instead.
4. Click on the Go button to activate the search.

Basic Search Within a Forum on FlyerTalk
 

You may want to isolate your basic search to all of the threads found within a single specific forum.

To further isolate your basic search, please perform a basic search within a thread.

To do a basic search within a forum on FlyerTalk:

1. Go to the desired FlyerTalk forum where you want to search for information.
2. Click on Search this Forum found next to Forum Tools in the dark blue bar near the upper-right portion of the window of your browser.
3. Type in the key word or words on which your search will be based in the field of the resulting small Search Forums pop-up window.
4. The default for FlyerTalk is set to Show Threads, which will display the results of your search in the form of links to entire threads. If you prefer to have the links to specific mileposts displayed as a result of your search, please select the button next to Show Posts instead.
5. Click on the Go button to activate the search.

Basic Search Within a Thread on FlyerTalk
 

You may want to isolate your basic search to all of the information posted within a single thread. This is the most specific form of a basic search.

To do a basic search within a thread on FlyerTalk:

1. Go to the desired FlyerTalk thread where you want to search for information.
2. Click on Search this Thread found between Thread Tools and Rate Thread in the dark blue bar near the upper-right portion of the window of your browser.
3. Type in the key word or words on which your search will be based in the field of the resulting small Search Forums pop-up window.
4. Click on the Go button to activate the search.

Search Using Two or More Key Words
 

If you are searching for a Hilton HHonors property — let’s say the Hilton Park Lane hotel — searching using the word “Park” or “Lane” may prove to be a futile exercise as there is a chance that too many threads may appear as a result.

Did you know that you can refine your search for information on FlyerTalk using two or more key words with the + symbol?

To search threads or mileposts using two or more key words:

1. Go to the FlyerTalk forum of your choice. In this case, the Hilton HHonors forum will be used as an example.
2. Click on the Search This Forum pop-up menu near the top-right of the browser window.
3. Choose Advanced Search.
4. Type in Park+Lane with no spaces in the Key Word(s) field on the left.

Only threads or mileposts with both Park and Lane will appear as a result.

Although the multiple keyword feature works for both, ensure that Search Titles Only instead of Search Entire Posts is chosen so that fewer threads will appear as a result.

The Wildcard Search: Asterisk You Take...
 

...if you attempt to search for something that may be too limiting.

Let’s say you are searching for Hotel.

All of your results will be with the word Hotel.

However, if you also want to include such words as Hotels or Hotelier, use the asterisk:

hotel*

...and your results will be everything that begins with the five letters h-o-t-e-l.

The asterisk is used for a method of search known as a wildcard.

------------------

The vBulletin bulletin board software does allow wildcard searches. At the vBulletin forums, I have used an asterisk (*) at the end of the word or phrase for which I am searching.

------------------

I have searched for the words Dorito and Dorito* on FlyerTalk (for some reason, FlyerTalk members have an unexplained penchant for Doritos), and Dorito* gave me more results from my search than Dorito, so one can use a wildcard (using an asterisk) whenever performing a search.

Advanced Search Functionality: Specific Forums or FlyerTalk in General
 

You may want to search more specifically for information on FlyerTalk in general or within a specific forum on FlyerTalk using advanced criteria.

To access the Search Forums area to execute an advanced search for information:

1. Begin your search by accessing either by searching FlyerTalk in general or searching within a specific forum on FlyerTalk. As a result in either scenario, a box with the same functionality will appear, whether it is called Search Forums or Search this Forum.
2. Click on the words Advanced Search at the bottom of the box.

The Search Forums area will appear.

Options that are available to you in the Search Forums area include:

Search by Key Word — enter one or more key words to customize how you want to search for information on FlyerTalk using one of the following choices:

• Search Entire Posts will search through all of the contents of what is posted.
• Search Titles Only narrows and refines the search to only the titles of threads for the chosen key words but does not search for what is posted within the threads themselves.

Search by User Name — enter the user name of a FlyerTalk member to search for what that FlyerTalk member has posted by using one of the following choices:

• Find Posts by User will search through everything that has been posted by the chosen FlyerTalk member.
• Find Threads Started by User narrows and refines the search to only the threads launched by the chosen FlyerTalk member who is the original poster in those threads.

Exact Name — Click on this box to activate it with a check mark if you want to search for what has been posted in all threads by the specific user name of a FlyerTalk member — for example, Canarsie. You need not worry about the capitalization of the user name of a FlyerTalk member in order to use the Exact Name option. However, you may de-activate the Exact Name function to search for what has been posted by similar user names of FlyerTalk members. For example, typing in “canar” will yield the results of FlyerTalk members canard, canarde, Canarsie, canardo and jcanary. No wildcard or asterisk is necessary. By the way, just for fun, type in a generic terms such as “flyer” if you want to see just how many FlyerTalk members use this in their user name!

SEARCH OPTIONS

Find Threads With allows a minimum or maximum number of threads to be displayed in the results — when used in conjunction with the desired number typed in the Replies field — using one of the following choices:

• At Least, the default used for FlyerTalk, displayes all threads which meets the criteria of the minimum number of replies desired. For example, if a 6 is typed into the field to the left of Replies, then only threads containing 6 replies or more will be displayed. This option is especially useful for searching for popular threads.
• At Most displayes all threads which meets the criteria of the maximum number of replies desired. For example, if a 6 is typed into the field to the left of Replies, then only threads containing 6 replies or fewer will be displayed.

Find Posts From displays only what has been posted to FlyerTalk within a certain selected period of time using one of the following choices:

• Any Date, which is the default used for FlyerTalk.
• Your Last Visit searches only for what has been posted since the last time you logged onto FlyerTalk.
• Yesterday
• A Week Ago
• 2 Weeks Ago
• A Month Ago
• 3 Months Ago
• 6 Months Ago
• A Year Ago

The *** is determined by And Newer and And Older.****

Sort Results By *** using one of the following choices:

• Relevancy
• Title
• Number of Replies
• Number of Views
• Thread Start Date
• Last Posting Date, which is the default for FlyerTalk
• User Name
• Forum

Search in Forum(s) allows you to choose one or more FlyerTalk forums in which the search is to be performed. You may also activate Also search in child forums if you want to search in the sub-forums of a forum. A sub-forum is known as a child forum, while the main forum is known as a parent forum. For example, if you chose to search under Global Airline Alliances for your information, choosing Also search in child forums will search the oneworld, SkyTeam and Star Alliance forums. Similarly, choosing to search under Airline Programs for your information with Also search in child forums activated will not only search every airline forum such as the US Airways Dividend Miles forum, but also its America West FlightFund (Discontinued Program) and US Airways Dividend Miles (Pre-FlightFund Merger) sub-forums, or child forums, as well.

After choosing the desired settings in how the search should be performed, one must click on the Search Now button in order to activate the results.

The Reset Fields button resets everything in the Search Forums area back to its default settings.

To save your own settings, Save Search Preferences ****

Advanced Search Functionality: Specific Threads
 

You may want to search more specifically for information on a thread posted on FlyerTalk using advanced criteria.

To access the Search Threads area to execute an advanced search for information:

1. Begin your search by accessing searching within a specific thread on FlyerTalk. As a result, the Search this Thread box will appear.
2. Click on the words Advanced Search at the bottom of the box.

The Search Thread area will appear.

Options that are available to you in the Search Thread area include:

Search by Key Word — enter one or more key words to customize how you want to search for information on FlyerTalk.

Search by User Name — enter the user name of a FlyerTalk member to search for what that FlyerTalk member has posted.

Exact Name — Click on this box to activate it with a check mark if you want to search for what has been posted in all threads by the specific user name of a FlyerTalk member — for example, Canarsie. You need not worry about the capitalization of the user name of a FlyerTalk member in order to use the Exact Name option. However, you may de-activate the Exact Name function to search for what has been posted by similar user names of FlyerTalk members. For example, typing in “canar” may yield the results of FlyerTalk members canard, canarde, Canarsie, canardo and jcanary, but only if any of these FlyerTalk members had posted in the thread in which you are searching. No wildcard or asterisk is necessary.

SEARCH OPTIONS

Find Posts From displays only what has been posted to FlyerTalk within a certain selected period of time using one of the following choices:

• Any Date, which is the default used for FlyerTalk.
• Your Last Visit searches only for what has been posted since the last time you logged onto FlyerTalk.
• Yesterday
• A Week Ago
• 2 Weeks Ago
• A Month Ago
• 3 Months Ago
• 6 Months Ago
• A Year Ago

The *** is determined by And Newer and And Older.****

After choosing the desired settings in how the search should be performed, one must click on the Search Now button in order to activate the results.

The Reset Fields button resets everything in the Search Forums area back to its default settings.

To save your own settings, Save Search Preferences ****

How to Customize Search to Your Specifications
 

If you like how the Search function works as described below, you can save your Search preferences so that this method of searching for information on FlyerTalk will become the default for you and you do not have to configure this setup again! How to do this is included in the instructions detailed below.

To view new threads or mileposts in all forums except for the OMNI forum:

1. Click on Search, which will be one of the choices (more specifically, the third choice from the right, between New Posts and Quick Links) that will appear in the blue bar at the top of any thread or forum.
2. At the bottom of the resulting small Search Forums pop-up window, click on Advanced Search.
3. Click on the Miles&Points forum to highlight it in the large Search in Forum(s) list on the right side of the Search Forums area.
4. Then, after scrolling down towards the bottom of the list, press the Shift key and select the Misposted Threads forum, which will result in all forums being selected except for the OMNI forum.
5. If desired, deselect certain forums (whose new threads or mileposts you do not want to view) by clicking on them using either the Control key on a PC computer or the Command (Apple) key on an Apple Macintosh computer.
6. In the Find Posts From pop-up list, choose Your Last Visit.
7. In the Show Results as area, choose either to Show Results as either threads or posts.
8. At the bottom of the Search Forums window, click on the Go button next to Save Search Preferences so that you will not have to set this search method again every time you wish to use it.
9. Click the Search Now button above the Save Search Preferences pop-up list.

The desired result(s) should appear almost instantly.

Searching Multiple Forums — or Fora, if you prefer...
 

One clarification, for those who use a Macintosh computer to access FlyerTalk like I do: use the Command key (also known as the Apple key) instead of the CTRL (or Control) key.

Thank you again for the information, wideman!

Look for “Sticky” Threads in Your Favorite Forum
 

In many forums, the moderators — or FlyerTalk members — have taken their time to compose threads that have been designated as a “sticky” thread, or a thread that remains at the top of the forum for easy access.

Often, these “sticky” threads contain links to popular or important threads in that forum. Sometimes the “sticky” threads even contain the information for which you are searching, without having to use the Search feature or to navigate to another thread!

Please look for the “sticky” threads the next time you are in your favorite forum. If they exist, please take the time to look at the information they contain.

Using Display Options to Search Instead of Using the Search Feature
 

At the bottom of your browser window, you will find the Display Options area. I use the features found in this area many times to search for information instead of using the actual Search function.

For example, you may want to search for an extremely popular thread to which someone posted within the last two months.

To search for popular threads within a certain period of time:

1. Go to the Display Options area near the bottom-right corner of the window of your browser.
2. Choose Number of Replies in the Sorted By pop-up list.
3. Choose a desired timeframe — in this case, Last 2 Months — from the From The pop-up list.
4. If desired, choose either Ascending or Descending in the Sort Order pop-up list.
5. Click on the Show Threads button.

The results will show all threads within two months with the most — or least — replies first, depending on whether you chose Ascending or Descending in the Sort Order pop-up list.

Number of Views will also work here instead of Number of Replies, but with different results, as the threads that appear as a result of your search will be sorted by the number of times the threads were viewed instead of the number of replies the threads had replies posted to them.

Options that are available to you in the Display Options area include:

Showing Threads will display in the dark blue area how many threads are being displayed on the “page” which you are viewing — for example, Showing threads 1 to 25 of 175 means that you are currently viewing the first 25 threads out of a total of 175 threads in that forum, based on the options chosen below.

Sorted By allows how the desired method the threads should be sorted in a forum using one of the following choices:

• Thread Title sorts threads by title in alphabetical order.
• Last Post Time is the default for FlyerTalk, which lists threads in chronological order depending on the time something was last posted to each thread.
• Thread Start Time displays threads in the chronological order in which they were created.
• Number of Replies sorts threads by the order of how many replies were posted to them.
• Number of Views sorts threads by the order of how many times those threads were viewed.
• Thread Starter sorts threads by the alphabetical order of the names of the FlyerTalk members who launched those threads as original posters.
• Thread Rating is useless as of when this information is posted, although it will list threads by how they have been rated even though the Thread Rating system is currently disabled on FlyerTalk.

From The allows only the threads within a certain selected period of time to be sorted in a forum using one of the following choices:

• Last Day
• Last 2 Days
• Last Week
• Last 10 Days is the default used for many forums on FlyerTalk, although there may be some forums which may have this set to a different default due to the history of traffic to those forums.
• Last 2 Weeks
• Last Month
• Last 45 Days
• Last 2 Months
• Last 75 Days
• Last 100 Days
• Last Year
• Beginning will list every thread in that forum in chronological order.

Sort Order determines the order in which threads are to be sorted in a forum either chronologically or alphabetically, depending on what is selected for Sorted By, using one of the following choices:

• Ascending
• Descending

After choosing the desired settings in how the threads should be sorted, one must click on the Show Threads button in order to activate the results.

FlyerTalk Search versus Google Search
 

If you are not yet a member of FlyerTalk, you will not see the search engine for FlyerTalk.

The same holds true if you are a FlyerTalk member but are not currently logged in.

The only choice you have is to use the Google search engine to search for information on FlyerTalk.

*****

If you are a FlyerTalk member that is currently logged onto FlyerTalk, you have a choice of using either the search engine built into FlyerTalk or the Google search engine.

*****

New Posts
 

This is a type of Search which has already been pre-defined to search the newest information that other FlyerTalk members have posted most recently.

****

Found in dark blue bar at top

Search Limitations
 

Here are the current limitations regarding using the Search function on FlyerTalk:

• Key words with three or fewer characters and common words such as “best” or “good” must be searched on by enclosing the terms in quotation marks: e.g. "cdg" (Case is not taken into consideration by Search.)
• Including certain special characters, such as a comma in “50,000”, is useless in a search.
• The number of results of a search is limited to 500. ****

Of course, as technology changes, criteria for performing a successful search on FlyerTalk may change as well. Changes will be reflected here accordingly.