SkiAdcock

Valid points.

I did misunderstand and I apologize.

Cheers.

travelkid

Any of lin821s suggestions are probably better. As noone have voted yet (?), can OP rename?

Its no big deal (IMO), as its also possible to change later, but it is a valid point.

Kagehitokiri

"Only people in Taiwan"

http://www.immd.gov.hk/ehtml/facts_3_0.htm
example of HK gov site using "mainland"

do natives in hong kong and macau use "mainland" ?
do british expats etc in hong kong and macau use "mainland" ?
(and perhaps other chinese islands?)

MSPeconomist

I've been told by China experts that Mainland is the preferred term, at least in English. When I say "Mainland" among people from PRC, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Singapore, etc., (as well as USA based academic specialists of various nationalities) the word doesn't seem to receive objections, but I'm willing to be corrected if the current consensus is different. [Unfortuantely the only connection I have to Macau (other than vaguely knowing of a few on FT who have gone there to gamble) is a Portuguese native who lived there for some years as a child, IIRC in a diplomatic family, but hasn't been back.]

travelkid

With that said, I have no objections to any of the suggestions. In any case I would be pragmatic and non-politic.

kokonutz

As I posted in the private TB thread:

I'm torn on this issue. On the one hand, I am generally for giving new forums a shot.

But in this case I am not sure I see any value added at all.

Plus I am confused as to where, say, HKG-based Dragonair would land under this proposal. I guess it would remain in 'other Asian!?

Anyway, unless someone can make a more compelling case as to why this forum adds value I am a soft no...

lin821

I read from the forum name that TB intends to vote on a forum for PRC-based airlines. IMHO, it's overcompensating to name it "Airline of Mainland China Forum."

(bolding mine)

Is it safe to assume those "China experts" are not experts in China-based airlines or loyalty programs? When I see "China experts", I usually think of experts in China politics, history, economic & social issues...etc. Never in Chinese FFPs nor airlines.

My nitpicking of the named forum is all about context and purpose. Being a Taiwanese, I know why Mainland is used to refer to China. I assume among the global ethnic Chinese communities, "Mainland China" does have its significance. However, is FT creating an airline forum for a specific ethnic group? To an extend, an "Airlines of Mainland China Forum" sounds almost like an "Airlines of Communist China", with "mainland" to highlight the political regime. "Mainland China" is not a wrong name. It's just what FT wants to deliver or convey in this airline forum.

I would think a clear & simple name for an airline forum should work better on FT, adapting the same principle for our "Russia/CIS-based Airlines Forum" & "Hawaii-based Airlines Forum." Why not "China-based Airlines Forum?" I don't think folks will get confused and mix up with any Taiwanese carriers in such forum.

travelkid

AFAIK Dragonair remians under Cathay

As for compelling reasons, and for giving new forums a chance, either one see the value of specific forums for specific (groups of) carriers, or one does not. I have run out of arguments, but general arguments for creating such forums, as to me what FT is all about, is easily found on the last 5-10 proposals of forums that have passed.

Several TBers have been liberal in stating that they want to give new forums a chance. Now its another time to vote with your feet^

travelkid

To put it another way. IMO the creation of forums for AB, Lifemiles, A3 and EY haved much value to FT, as its much more structured and easier for readers and users.

Here we are talking much more volume, much more spread, much less user friendly as of today.

Kagehitokiri

im going to quote myself then shut up

relangford

I lived for 4 years in the PRC and 6 months in Taiwan; these terms are sensitive issues for the peoples there. While the PRC considers Taiwan to be a province and Taiwan considers itself separate from the "Mainland", it seems to make sense that any forum separate "Taiwan" airlines from "PRC" airlines because they are "different". I have flown Air China, China Southern, China Eastern, EVA, China Airlines, Shanghai Airlines, etc. and feel that these be considered separately (although some people of the PRC might claim that Taiwan, being a province, should be grouped with China).

CX HK

Not really - almost no one uses the term "inland" outside of China/HKG/MAC/Taiwan, but "Mainland China" is an often-used term in newspapers to refer to China excluding the aforementioned places.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mainland_China

lin821

That's what I had said: China people use the term "inland" among themselves.

As a matter of fact, in Taiwan, "Mainland" is the standard and more "intuitive" term to refer to PRC. For Taiwan, "inland" is a recent "imported" term from China only after the increasing trade and communication "exchanges" between Taiwan and China. I have no 1st-hand knowledge of the usage in HKG/MAC though.

In case you missed it, I had provided the wiki reference for Mainland China up thread. Anyone who pays enough attention to the wiki reference will be able to tell the context for "Mainland China." Such context, let it be explicit or implicit, tends to lean on the political/social side. I am merely making a point and questioning which would be a more suiting name for PRC airlines forum:

Is "Airlines of Mainland China Forum" a better name than either "China-based Airlines Forum" or "Airlines of PRC Forum" on FT?

BTW, according to the Organization of Airline Programs in 2012, I *believe* any new airline forum will have a name like "XXX-based Airlines Forum."

travelkid

For reference Taiwanese carriers are grouped with (mianland) Chinese carriers today. Grouping them in the same forum, giving it a name to respect both countries, does not mean China is annecting Taiwan.

Taiwan is a separate country. I feel it would have been a gain to group them together, just like we happen to do on FT for many regions, but that is now not up for voting. The proposal as it stands includes only mainland carriers.

Hopefully one day the traffic on Taiwanese carriers will increase enough to warrant a seperate forum.

AlwaysFlyStar

That is kind of a bold statement to make. PRC doesn't consider it a separate country, ROC doesn't consider itself a separate country. The UN doesn't consider it a separate country. Every country in the world acknowledges Taiwan as a part of China. (Though a few countries consider ROC to be the real China) Anyway, I think that there should be just one thread for Chinese airlines that don't have their own thread. I don't think the Taiwanese carriers need to be separated from the rest of the China thread, though I do want a China thread personally.