Kill the Goose, Kill the Goose!
 

What we really need is just one forum that allows exploitation of mistakes by airlines, hotels, and other travel related industries. In doing so, it would simplify life and the need for multiple forums here at FT. They would no longer be able to provide incentives such as elite bonus miles, special bonuses at certain times and markets, upgrades, fare sales, etc.


This is posted in mileage run as it seems the most appropriate place given the frequency of posting for errors pertaining to airlines and hotels.

I disagree. One forum for everything (think OMNI-style) would be a mess -- people would be using the Search function for everything.

Actually AFAIK Mileage Run should NOT have the Melbourne $1 deal (or any other hotel deals) posted here at all, strictly speaking.

;)


Glen

FlyerTalk 'Oz Fest #2' in Sydney May 27/29, 2005. Click for details

It seems that what the OP is initially suggesting is one separate forum for pricing mistakes only.

Yet, the second sentence talks about not having to need multiple forums. I am not sure what that is about.

IMO, a separate "mistake" pricing forum might be a good idea, if the Mod(s) want to keep the Mileage Run forum cleaned up.

{Moderator Hat on} I sort of agree with you on this, but I actually decided to leave it this forum since I wasn't really sure where else to put it & in the past, the MR forum has been a place where this is allowed AFAIK.

Also, as this is a suggestion for a new forum (although you'd never know that from the title) - I'm going to move this thread to the Talkboard Topics forum since that's where requests for new forums go. {Moderator Hat off)

{Flyertalker Hat on} I don't think it's a very good idea as there's not enough of these to warrant a seperate forum...{Flyertalker Hat off}

bhatnasx
Mileage Run Moderator

Perhaps then, it should be called the Mexican Hat Dance Forum? ;)

Glen

FlyerTalk 'Oz Fest #2' in Sydney May 27/29, 2005. Click for details

I think the Mileage Run forum is a fine place for fare booboos as they usually result in... a lot of mileage for very little money.

Also, MR is full of experts who can advise the best FF program to credit booboo fares to. That expertise might be lost with the creation of a new forum.

For what it's worth, the Mileage Run forum has allowed deals related to hotels since the day I joined. We have made a concerted effort to ensure members are able to share ways to maximize miles AND points, extending the Mileage Run concept to "Mattress Runs" as well. So yes, the $1 hotel deal absolutely belongs in the Mileage Run forum, as long as the deal will in some way earn miles or points.

I would agree that it would be nice to have a separate spot for "fare mistakes", but they're so rare I just don't think it's worth maintaining a separate forum. MR seems to do the job just fine...

Dave, a.k.a. dmfriedman
Moderator, Mileage Run

maybe I'm just taking this the wrong way, but title and verbiage within the post leads me to think that the OP (who is an airline employee) is having ethical consternation over FTers taking advantage of these mistakes rather a bonafide request for a separate forum for freakish glitches.

travelalot5 please correct me if I'm mistaken.

ummm... it's pretty clear that the OP feels that posting of mistake prices on FT is counterproductive and that this will lead (magically) to the simplification of all airline pricing, the elimination of all elite programs, and so on. Therefore nobody will need to post in or read any other FT fora. This is, of course, nonsense since there will still be things like 'Coke or Pepsi' (in AA right now) to discuss.

Now it may be that posting mistake prices on FT will lead to fewer mistakes lasting so long, but that, I think, is inevitable in these days of this newfangled 'interweb' and the 'information superhighway'.

Edited to add: on reflection I think the previous poster is right, and the OP is just an airline employee (AS?) disgruntled with the behavior of FTers.

I guess the title wasn't done very well. My point was that exploitation of obvious pricing errors will result in the decreasing of benefits or increasing of fares. Kill the goose (airlines, hotels, etc.) and there will be little need for any forums. Those people who justify taking advantage of the "system" by exploiting mistakes often fail to realize the impact they have both on the company and on other travelers.

It's also interesting how the mileage run forum has had an increase of locked or moved threads when similar threads are allowed to stay open in that forum - nothing to do with the personal opinions of the moderaters I'm sure.

We can't have a 'mistakes' forum and also a 'mileage run' forum because half of FT believes that mistake fare are 'promotions' or 'cheap advertising' and thus not a mistake, and the mistake forum would be completely empty.

:rolleyes:

Missy - I don't think you'll find any mention by me anywhere in FT about being an airline employee and I think your posting of inaccurate information inappropriate.

Wrong on all three points.

so you are saying that you are NOT an airline employee?

And how can the above poster be wrong on "all three counts" ? You just posted that I was right, and you don't agree with FTers "exploiting" fares?