I suggest implementing a recommended procedure--something less than a "policy"--that the preferred forum for articles and related discussions involving news, rumors, and speculation about multiple travel companies would be Newsstand. In skimming some FT fora today, I came across at least 4 threads on the article which came out this weekend about the rumor of a call between CEOs of US and DL. And there appeared to be substantial (and somewhat overlapping) discussion in at least two of these threads. Newsstand would seem to be the best place for a single point of discussion concerning such news articles or topics. That way, as threads were started elsewhere, the moderators and members would have a single point to move, merge, or redirect threads.

I don't want to over emphasize this particular topic of the DL/US phone call, but it is an example of one matter which could broader implications (portions of discussions in different threads also included related thoughts on UA, NW, *A, and SkyTeam). Other examples are not too difficult to locate. However, these discussions may not be seen by the wider audience if the topic is housed in a "focused" forum. Another example of topics which would seem appropriate for Newsstand which are often discussed only in a focused forum include significant route changes, such one or more carriers entering or leaving a market, especially if such a carrier were a LCC such as SW or Jet Blue.

I am all for placing threads in the most focused forum appropriate to the subject and have advocated that position previously, especially as it relates to the Travel and Dining section. To me, a thread on "Which restaurant has the best Bar-B-Que in NYC?" belongs in the NYC forum, not the broader DiningBuzz. But where there are implications for multiple travel providers, I think a broader forum is the best place to house all of the discussion and info that FTers can provide; in this case Newsstand would seem to be the prime choice since the discussion started from a news report.

I'm not oblivious to the concerns that Newsstand may not have as large a readership as either the US or DL forum, in this example. But I suspect that I am among many members whose time usually limits the number of fora we can follow on a regular basis, so that we follow a few focused fora and several of the more general ones. If information and discussion which is relevant to one of the travel providers we follow is captured only in another provider's focused forum, we could easily miss it.