Zamzon

I would like to suggest setting up a dedicated forum for the Aegean Airlines Miles&Bonus programme (A3).

There are already several threads about A3 in the "Other European Programmes" forum. Each of these threads talks about a mixed bag of topics, making it very hard to find information.

Interest in A3 seems to have grown enormously since Aegean joined *A and started offering a very easy path to *G.

Spiff

Could you please answer the questions listed in this thread? I'm especially interested in any existing unmet need for an Aegean Airlines forum.

Thank you.

kokonutz

It mystifies me that the TB refuses to do its own work and insists that posters do their homework for them.

A poster made a suggestion. Why can't the TB poke around a bit, investigate the situation and answer those questions itself?

IMHO it is very off-putting to dismiss a suggestion unless the proper bureaucratic procedures are followed. This is the TalkBoard, not a Vogon ship.

Spiff

Mostly because there's a large number of suggestions that can and have been made regarding forum creation. I for one (not speaking for TalkBoard) would prefer people who make such requests/suggestions justify such requests/suggestions. I've seen way too many "wouldn't it be nice if" requests for forums that have almost zero demand or have nothing to do with TalkBoard's purview or FlyerTalk. My "homework" begins when someone makes a request with the relevant requested information in the sticky. Then I'll look into it. Other TB members may feel differently.

Want to make a request? Show some willingness to justify such a request. I don't think that's asking too much.

kokonutz

I'd prefer that my TB members show some initiative in responding to posters' suggestions since IMHO that's the job they are elected to do. I like to think the TB members work for us rather than the other way round. But maybe that's just me.

Spiff

And work for the membership we do.

The majority of the at the time seated TalkBoard members met in LA on their own dime and time with Randy and IB to form the guidelines for new forum requests. These guidelines help the TalkBoard work more effectively in separating reasonable new forum requests from WIBNI (Wouldn't it be Nice If) ideas thrown out there with no time taken to see whether there's a real need from the community vs. a personal desire.

I'm sorry if we all don't jump when you think we should, but that doesn't mean we don't work on behalf of the community.

Zamzon

I believe I have already shown willingness to justify my request (see second and third paragraph of my original post).

In my experience, it is very hard to find any kind of information in a thread with hundreds of posts, in which a variety of different topics are discussed (I am referring to the thread "Aegean Airlines Miles & Bonus" in the "Other European Frequent Flyer Programs" forum). The most natural way to avoid this in the future seems to be by creating a dedicated forum for A3. This way, people won't shy away from opening a new thread for a new topic, and all threads concerning Aegean will be neatly grouped in one place.

Spiff

Your statement could be applied to any airline with little to no demonstrated need, like Bob's Pretty Good Crop Duster.

Once again, could you please answer the questions in the guidelines that I've linked to? Thank you.

tcook052

Speaking of *A isn't that FT forum already serving as an adequate catch all for member airlines without their own FT forum including Aegean? A quick check I made searching that forum using "A3" and "Aegean" turned up a number of threads this year on topics such as *A gold earning & recognition, lounge access, and airport connections. IMHO while that forum works for these & oother topics a dedicated forum for A3 isn't warranted. Just MHO and YMMV.

travelkid

Seems to be some "internal" discussion on TBs tasks. I just want to add my opinion as a regular average member, its hard not to side with kokonutz.

Hardly not welcoming to a poster with a handful of posts, just trying to be constructive and put up a nice suggestion, just being told to do more homework

That poster vs the elected TB probably with a few hundred K posts and experience, and more access to background data.

Noone are saying TB needs to do the full due diligence on all proposals. But as a minimum maybe about airlines with FFPs within main alliances (FT core value). Its nice though when everyone help. But some more proactiveness from TB would be appreciated.

^ to TB for opening new forums like Iberia and Brasil. Pls keep up in that direction.

NickB

I don't think that I would agree with that. The guidelines were adopted specifically to avoid endless discussions on suggestions for fora which have not a hope in hell of being created. I don't think it is too much to ask of somebody who would like a new forum to be created to make a modicum of effort to make the case for it, anticipating potential objections in view of the guidelines. While this does not mean providing detailed statistics and answer each and every question in the guidelines, it surely goes further than saying that there are a few threads about the airline and interest in the airline is growing. I appreciate that it is more difficult for a very new member but perhaps one should start to walk before trying to run (this would not apply to the OP who has been registered for over a year).

While it is reasonable to expect TB members to do some active research once a plausible case has been made, I don't think that it would be appropriate to treat them as personal research assistants at the beck and call of each and every FTer to make the case in the first place.

lin821

What NickB said. ^

You want to go where?

Are TB members paid? If so, then I agree with you. If not, then they are volunteers just like the rest of Flyertalk membership, and I think it reasonable that they ask the membership to share the load in developing the data necessary to make a decision. The Talkboard was set up to represent us, not to do our dirty work.

kokonutz

They are not paid, nor are the moderators. But they do volunteer and actively campaign for the privilege of representing us. And determining whether/when to adjust forums on FT is pretty much the TB's core competency.

I understand the desire to get a little more detail in the request, but Spiff's post seemed dismissive to me. Maybe because I know Spiff's voting record regarding the creation of new forums. Or maybe it's because this is NOT about Bob's Pretty Good Crop Duster nor Flying with Furniture. It's about a regional but growing airline that is a new member of a major alliance.

In any case, although I'd prefer that the TB investigate rather than requiring posters to lobby, would it be so hard to at least say: 'Thanks for the suggestion! The TB has established guidelines regarding the criteria it will consider regarding the creation of new forums and that is found in <this thread>. Adding a little more detail to your request/suggestion will make it more likely to be approved.'?

BTW, I support the creation of an A3 forum. The reasons are self-evident and it is not my intention to do the TB's job of investigating the situation for them.

Spiff

Dismissive?