SkiAdcock

Moved by nsx and seconded by SkiAdcock:

The TalkBoard recommends the addition of four new forums:

Budget Asian, Australian and South Pacific Airlines
Budget European Airlines
Budget Middle East and Africa Airlines
Budget North and South America Airlines

This vote will close on October 11, 2013, at 7:10pm or after all TalkBoard members have registered their vote, whichever comes first.

Per the TalkBoard Guidelines:

A motion shall pass if at least two-thirds of the yes or no votes cast by TalkBoard members are ‘yes’ and a majority of the total TalkBoard membership votes 'yes.'

The purpose of posting voting topics in the public TalkBoard Topics forum is to solicit member feedback on any motions that are up for a vote and to allow for comments after a vote is made. It is at the sole discretion of the individual TalkBoard members whether they choose to post in the public discussion thread, there being no requirement to do so.

So while there is already a thread and discussion on this general topic and it is safe to assume that TalkBoard members have reviewed that thread, this thread is about this specific motion.

Please feel free to post questions, comments or any other sort of feedback in this thread, or in the other discussion thread.

tcook052

Four more forums? Sorry but IMHO that's 3 too many as I feel we should be working to streamline FT to make it easier for all to use, especially newer arrivals, not adding ever more forums to the mix. Just MHO and YMMV.

Spiff

True "budget" airlines should be in the same forum. Most don't even have a FFP. I agree that 4 forums is 3 too many.

Eastbay1K

If an airline does not have a FFP, it should not be mart of any "miles and points" forum, by definition.

cblaisd

Concur. It's already sometimes challenging enough and "budget" will be a moving target.

obscure2k

My sentiments as well.

browserden

airberlin is a good example. Once considered budget, now a key member of oneworld. The gap between EZY and BA at LGW is narrowing too. BA introduced hand baggage only fares recently, something more associated with LLCs in the UK, plus they charge for advance seat selection if you have no status. Whereas easyJet now has an all inclusive fare that includes seat selection, baggage allowance, no credit card fee and free changes.

easyJet has no frequent flyer scheme but they do allow you to earn Nectar loyalty points in the UK. If that's popular who knows, they may launch their own. easyJet also doesn't have lounges, but BA have been cutting costs in their lounges like crazy lately and their contract caterers have even got into trouble with the health inspectors due to poor standards!

So I do think 4 forums is too many. easyJet is in a position it could make the transition to full service at some point in the near future. airberlin already has. Flybe, no idea what they consider themselves these days - the world's most expensive LCC?

Wickersley

instead I'd recommend that a "Non points earning LCC" board be created; then review after 12 months or so; lets see which carriers are the most popular

GUWonder

I agree, although it may be 3 or 4 too many. Diluting or diverting forum traffic makes the existing forums less useful going forward.

jackal

Eh, FlyerTalk and the airline industry has evolved. This is old-school thinking.

SkiAdcock

I only have a few minutes to post; will add more later today or tomorrow.

There was discussion to have a single LCC forum on FT vs. not having one at all, primarily started because of this thread (started in '10 & bumped up in '13). Good points made there.

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/talkb...ir-forums.html

The reality is that LCCs exist, continue to increase, & FTers fly them (and complain about them ). Some have FF programs; some don't. So the thought process was to move forward with a LCC forum.

The reason for the 4 forums vs. a single LCC forum is that most FTers go to regional fora they're familiar with, which is why you find a lot of the current LCC forum discussions in the "Other (fill in the region) airlines" forums. Would someone from Asia (for example) think to go to just a low cost carrier forum or would they look to a region they're familiar with? Since FT is global, we need to think beyond just the Spirits or the Easy Jets or RyanAirs. As this post shows, there are more.

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/4549539-post2.html

Re: the argument that FT is only about miles & points, that boat has sailed. Even in the airline & hotel forums, you see discussions that have nothing to do with miles & points, but the experiences or generic questions. It's been that way for years (and is one reason we're considering an overhaul of forum names, but that's a separate discussion).

And from the "About Us" section of Flyertalk:

"FlyerTalk features discussions and chat boards that covers the most up-to-date traveler information. An interactive community dedicated to your favorite topic: travel! That's right: all travel, all the time. The FlyerTalk forums are open for business 24 hours, 7 days a week. Even better, all travelers -- from vacation travelers to mileage junkies -- are welcome in the community. Just choose a forum and you can get to the business at hand: conversing about programs, how to make the most of your miles and points, general travel, airports, destination and dining information."

Cheers.

lin821

(Emphasis mind)

Who ever said creating new fora on FT is a tough job or almost mission impossible?

Does TB really see strong enough unmet need for each and every one of the 4 proposed budget airline fora?

Spiff

I don't see enough unmet need to create any additional "budget" airline fora.

cblaisd

+1 Particularly when it will come at the cost of further confusing posters and searchers about where a particular subject might be.

And re "moving target," I still find people that think that WN is an LCC, which is more a testimony to their marketing than anything else. As noted by others upstream, today's LCC can become tomorrow's player.

NickB

And what exactly is the point there? Yes, tomorrow US Airways and AA might merge or it might not. Does that mean that we should not have separate US Airways and AA fora?

You take the world as it is, not as it might be in the future if certain stars align in a certain direction, looking in your best crystal ball as to where it might go. If the day comes when there are no LCCs, then we should consider whether any LCC board that might exist by then is needed at all or should be dusked. That day, I surmise, is far from having arisen yet, so let us not speculate as to what may or may not happen in the future.

Otherwise, as they say, in the long term, we are all dead, so why bother with life at all?