if we wish to post a dumpable fare..where would we do this? I still think that the Trick it/ Negotiate thread was the best place to do it but now that it's gone it's just simply you don't post it or you post it and wait for the guaranteed debate about how to get it...etc. which eventually will get heated which I think is not the spirit of FT. The deal to MAD that Raffles posted on the regular forum is simply getting a bit messy and out of hand. IMO This is exactly why the mods should reinstate the original Trick it thread.

Thanks. I bookmarked it now

I'm very very new at this as I just started traveling for work (and pleasure). I've been keeping an eye on the mileage run forum to learn as much as I can and I hope to be able to contribute. I've done some tinkering in my spare time, but I haven't gotten anything post-worthy yet. The trick it topic is something that I haven't been able to figure out because of the cryptic nature of most of the posts. Would you point me in the right direction?

Your moderators have been debating how to deal with "trick it" fares, but we haven't found a solution that satisfies everybody's needs. On the one hand, we do want to protect "deals." On the other hand, the development of a "secret code" is not beneficial for FT. Some critics also rightly point out that if the "secret code" can be broken with a bit of due diligence, a determined airline employee (who has a greater financial stake than most of us) can surely figure it out. In any case, you can look forward to a new "trick" thread in 2010; it will likely not have any postcount requirement (like CC) or otherwise be off limits to the uninitiated, but we're looking at some features that balance the needs for use-friendliness and secrecy. For instance, we are thinking about having some members volunteer as "trick ambassadors" to assist others. Please use this thread for the discussion of these possible changes. We are interested in hearing your recommendations!

Happy Holidays!

--jpdx, MR Moderator

Whoffie , Sorry to say but go through the thread to make sense what they are talking about then there is post by schley which kind of gives an idea about how tricks work.

It will take time but should be worth it if you like money savings. Try to make relation to cryptic words in context of things around.Some word meaning will be in flyertalk glossary.

Ha Ha Ha or Ho Ho Ho "officer, I'm not a pimp: I'm a trick ambassador "

I cant wait. They were fun and frustrating at the same time. A game, bring it on. ^

you need to read the original post a bit more, after a while the cryptic code repeats itself until it becomes obvious. Then you feel like DUH how come I didnt see this sooner. Read a bit more. 1 post is really scary to most of us. Just look in the MR forum at how many noobs ask for help, 10 FTers spend their time to help, and then no reply just gone. Hang around here a while, it grows on you and you'll learn alot. It's like "how do you eat an elephant" "one bite at a time" if we just jammed it down your throat, you would get a bellyache. cheers R

Though I'm not sure why a postcount idea is bad, since I'm a teacher, what about a basic "test"? There could be some public information. It would require someone to do a little work, then send a result to a Trick Ambassador. The Ambassador would send a password for the trick it forum.
Maybe password protection isn't possible (I don't know the system), but it seems to do what people want.

I also am not sure why a post count idea is bad. The CC has it, why couldn't a trickit subforum have it? I understand this is a very complicated issue, and thanks to the mods for trying to sort it all out. I just hope we can continue to live in a world where tricked fares are possible.

I understand what everyone is saying with respect to most members. I'm just the kind of person who asks as a last resort. I don't post for the sake of posting and I don't post when I have nothing to offer. When I was in school for engineering, I would rather read through my textbook than go to office hours because I knew that figuring it out myself would help me understand the subject better. I've tried to apply the same principle here, but know that my asking for assistance means a lot. I'll keep plugging away at it. Thanks for the response.

I agree. Requiring a minimum post-level like CC has will leave this forum for those who have demonstrated a real interest in Flyertalk.

I appreciate the mods' hard work and the willingness to listen to us. A few thoughts:

1. I respectfully and emphatically disagree on the minimum post-count and membership duration. These will be good for the same reasons as in CC: while it won't prevent all "undesirables", it will screen out people who join only for this feature and then demand that people pm the trick to them.

2. I support the idea of a separate sub-forum for tricks or "special opportunities" as I'd call them. Right now many people who have no interest in or idea about the trick thread bump into it while visiting the MR Discussion. A separate sub-forum will ensure that only those who want to visit do so.

3. This new sub-forum should be like Deals forum - no superfluous discussion and arguments, which will be limited to a "lounge" thread in the Discussion forum.

As one of those who feature fairly prominently in the Trick It thread, I would first like to volunteer to be one of your "Trick Ambassadors". I've probably answered about 500 PMs over the past year helping people out with FDs and the like. I still maintain that I'll continue to do so as long as I have the time.

As for options on how this all could be implemented, I too would prefer a post count/membership length restriction on such a thread/forum. CC is clear example of something that could easily be abused by someone who not necessarily WANTED to cause trouble, but because of unfamiliarity with the way FTers do things, may in fact lead to the demise of some of the tools we use to travel the way we like. That's why there's a postcount/membership restriction which I don't think anyone feels is unfair. The Trick It thread is very similar. Phone calls to airlines during mistake fares and FD fares have been prevalent, and in order to not have these deals die, a little discretion must be maintained.

That said, I don't like the secret code any more than anyone else. I think it's rather hokey, and once you figure out the basis for the tricks, it's just a waste of bandwidth. It'd be way easier if I could say "Book MCI-XXX-XXX-XXX-MCI with XXX-XXX added on on XXXXXXX.com" so we could all save a little time ITAing oneway fares. If there was a litmus test granted for entry, so that we knew the information we were putting out was going to the "educated eyes" of FT, then it would make the whole process go that much more smoothly.

But, if the decision is made to have the trick forum/thread not be a secret one, one recommendation I would make is that your so-called "Trick Ambassadors" might have a subforum "for their eyes only" to discuss the techniques. I've been an expert of the PL trick, the standard UA trick, and others, but just learned the .fr trick the other day (I hadn't really been trying to figure it out since I haven't flown as much lately). If those ambassadors all got on the same page with a) how to perform every "trick" and b) how that information should be disseminated, the thread would be a lot cleaner.

Thanks for considerations of my above points.

Chris

Chris has been very good to me and others. He is informative, respectful, and considerate. Some people who are knowledgeable of the "trick" have been downright nasty, spiteful and condescending (on the previous trick it/negotiate it thread). Chris has been excellent, and I think he would make a wonderful "trick ambassador."