Washington Post review of Flyertalk
Jun 7, 2007 | 11:45 am
#5
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Welcome, MNBigGuy. Warning: this site is highly addictive! You'll be amazed at what you learn here about how to maximize your earnings and status, thus improving your travel experience.
Jun 7, 2007 | 12:58 pm
#6
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It was nice to see the artcile, though it was oddly focused on CO and Mr O'Leary. Maybe they gave the writer special help. Or, maybe he just couldn't find much good to say about UA, NW and AA. 
The following is clearly relevant to recent discussions about exceptional opportunity fares :
It is a sign of times that $420 rt to London is viewed as a huge mistake. I paid $300 many time in the past and it was no big deal.
The presence of airlines reps is a two edged thing, a mixed blessing, as most things are. Obviously not much we can do about the negative consequences (negative from our POV), all we can do is to nurture the positive wisely.
IMHO, one wise thrust would be to keep pressing for meaningful improvements in policies and preactices across the board and not merely getting a little perk here or there just for yourself.
All exploitation works by "divide and rule" and that's what airlines do when they divide passengers into many "fare" and "status" classes...
The following is clearly relevant to recent discussions about exceptional opportunity fares :
Last fall, someone on Flyertalk found relatively inexpensive fares on Continental between Minneapolis and London and posted details about the ticket price in the chat room. The fare was improperly coded, resulting in a $219 one-way ticket that came with too many bonus frequent-flier miles...Continental stopped the fare sale only after O'Leary spotted the chat and alerted company representatives.
The presence of airlines reps is a two edged thing, a mixed blessing, as most things are. Obviously not much we can do about the negative consequences (negative from our POV), all we can do is to nurture the positive wisely.
IMHO, one wise thrust would be to keep pressing for meaningful improvements in policies and preactices across the board and not merely getting a little perk here or there just for yourself.
All exploitation works by "divide and rule" and that's what airlines do when they divide passengers into many "fare" and "status" classes...
Jun 8, 2007 | 5:35 am
#7
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Anyone familiar with who can add more details to this reference to UA's attempt to start their own Friendly Skies flyer discussion group (from the Post article):
United Airlines' customer-service specialists have similar concerns about the anonymous nature of the airline blogosphere. To get a better gauge of what its customers think, the airline created its own version of the chat rooms in April and invited 200 of its highest-mileage fliers to join the private discussions, the carrier said. United representatives said they pose online questions to the customers and monitor their complaints. "We view it as a very rich way to get data," said Barbara Higgins, vice president of customer experience.
Jun 8, 2007 | 5:44 am
#8
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Jun 8, 2007 | 5:54 am
#10
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As far as the emphasis on O'Leary and CO is concerned, IMO that this is a result of his continual interchange and communication with the customers. Some of the CO flyers that I know (including the one quoted late in the article) speak to him on a regular basis. I have met other Lurkers many times and I do not believe that any of them do get involved on a personal basis with the FTers as much as does O'Leary.
Jun 8, 2007 | 11:25 am
#11
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Also mentioned in the article, but not quoted here, the fare was found later than usual because CO Insider (Scott O'Leary) had actually been meeting other Continental fliers at a Cleveland Continental DO. And after that delay I don't see anything wrong with Continental fixing the fare back to its intended price. CO Insider has actually been a huge benefit to the FT board and has really put a positive Continental presence forward.
Jun 9, 2007 | 7:20 am
#13
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