Nov 17, 2014, 8:07 pm
Last edit by: IBobi
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Currently, there is no paid Premium subscription to eliminate advertising from the FlyerTalk viewing experience, and at this moment (18 Nov 2014) there is no plan for a Premium subscription in the works.
HISTORY: A few years ago, Randy Petersen, owned a number of travel-related products and websites under Frequent Flyer Services (est. 1986), including FlyerTalk, WebFlyer, FlyerGuide (wiki) and Inside Flyer magazine (more recently, MilePoint and Boarding Area).
When the FlyerTalk Premium subscription was instituted, one could subscribe to Inside Flyer magazine and through it, to an advert-free version of FlyerTalk that also included an expanded message box for Private Messaging.
Randy Petersen sold FlyerTalk to Internet Brands March 2007 and Randy Petersen and FlyerTalk went their separate ways in November of 2010.
When Premium subscriptions came up for renewal, for a period of time the Premium subscription could appear to be renewed by paying once again via the Inside Flyer webform. Unfortunately, due to the separation of ownership, this did not extend the Premium FlyerTalk subscription, and previous Premium members were presented with advertising and saw a sudden diminution of their PM message box.
CURRENT STATUS: Admin has been working on a Premium, ad-free membership solution for over two years, but at this moment there is no Premium membership, nor is there any intent for such a product in the near future.
On a case-by-case basis, Administration has extended an ads-free experience with expanded PM message box to those (relatively few) members with a recent Premium subscription due date gratis. If you feel you have cause to request that interim free service because your Premium service expired recently, please post your request here. These should not be expected to be renewed in perpetuity.
Other posts relating to the future of Premium subscriptions and related issues may be posted here as well.
When (and if) the Tech and Admin departments have a Premium subscription solution at hand, it will undoubtedly be advertised or broadcast to all FT members. For now, there's no comprehensive solution.
Thank you for your understanding.
(lower right wiki corner)Currently, there is no paid Premium subscription to eliminate advertising from the FlyerTalk viewing experience, and at this moment (18 Nov 2014) there is no plan for a Premium subscription in the works.
Hi everyone,
As of now, we do not have a solution regarding Premium. What this means is that there is currently no plan for a Premium, ads-free product. It doesn't mean there won't ever be one, but the fact that it's not on the radar means it probably won't be happening any time soon.
Regarding ads, please *do not promote ad-blocking software on FlyerTalk*. I don't know that anyone particularly enjoys seeing advertising. But the fact remains that FlyerTalk is *free* to use, and that's because of advertising revenue. In addition, the use of adblockers causes us (me) no end of headaches, because it interferes with site functionality in such a way as to make it very difficult to determine if there is an issue with flyertalk.com, or with a single user's computer. The complaint comes in and must be researched either way.
Thank you all for your help,
Paul
As of now, we do not have a solution regarding Premium. What this means is that there is currently no plan for a Premium, ads-free product. It doesn't mean there won't ever be one, but the fact that it's not on the radar means it probably won't be happening any time soon.
Regarding ads, please *do not promote ad-blocking software on FlyerTalk*. I don't know that anyone particularly enjoys seeing advertising. But the fact remains that FlyerTalk is *free* to use, and that's because of advertising revenue. In addition, the use of adblockers causes us (me) no end of headaches, because it interferes with site functionality in such a way as to make it very difficult to determine if there is an issue with flyertalk.com, or with a single user's computer. The complaint comes in and must be researched either way.
Thank you all for your help,
Paul
When the FlyerTalk Premium subscription was instituted, one could subscribe to Inside Flyer magazine and through it, to an advert-free version of FlyerTalk that also included an expanded message box for Private Messaging.
Randy Petersen sold FlyerTalk to Internet Brands March 2007 and Randy Petersen and FlyerTalk went their separate ways in November of 2010.
When Premium subscriptions came up for renewal, for a period of time the Premium subscription could appear to be renewed by paying once again via the Inside Flyer webform. Unfortunately, due to the separation of ownership, this did not extend the Premium FlyerTalk subscription, and previous Premium members were presented with advertising and saw a sudden diminution of their PM message box.
CURRENT STATUS: Admin has been working on a Premium, ad-free membership solution for over two years, but at this moment there is no Premium membership, nor is there any intent for such a product in the near future.
On a case-by-case basis, Administration has extended an ads-free experience with expanded PM message box to those (relatively few) members with a recent Premium subscription due date gratis. If you feel you have cause to request that interim free service because your Premium service expired recently, please post your request here. These should not be expected to be renewed in perpetuity.
Other posts relating to the future of Premium subscriptions and related issues may be posted here as well.
When (and if) the Tech and Admin departments have a Premium subscription solution at hand, it will undoubtedly be advertised or broadcast to all FT members. For now, there's no comprehensive solution.
Thank you for your understanding.
No ad / Ads - Premium subscription (master thread)
Oct 24, 2011, 6:31 am
#32
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: Yiron, Israel
Programs: Bates Motel Plat
Posts: 68,928
....... does not help at all if you go to an internet cafe and use their computers -- which I often do when traveling.
I dumped my saved messages when my membership expired -- and was not thrilled about it.
Quite honestly, the only reason I subscribed to Inside Flyer (which I almost never read) was to get the premium service. It would have made a lot more sense for IB to offer me the possibility of paying $12 and getting the premium service without Inside Flyer. If any extras were added later, they could just have put them on the subscription I would have bought now.
Taking it away, without giving us any opportunity to renew it immediately, was an extremely bad decision.
Quite honestly, the only reason I subscribed to Inside Flyer (which I almost never read) was to get the premium service. It would have made a lot more sense for IB to offer me the possibility of paying $12 and getting the premium service without Inside Flyer. If any extras were added later, they could just have put them on the subscription I would have bought now.
Taking it away, without giving us any opportunity to renew it immediately, was an extremely bad decision.
Last edited by IBobi; Oct 24, 2011 at 10:56 am
Oct 24, 2011, 6:48 am
#33
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Jun 2004
Location: Either at the shooting range or anywhere good beer can be found...
Posts: 51,051
....... does not help at all if you go to an internet cafe and use their computers -- which I often do when traveling.
I dumped my saved messages when my membership expired -- and was not thrilled about it.
Quite honestly, the only reason I subscribed to Inside Flyer (which I almost never read) was to get the premium service. It would have made a lot more sense for IB to offer me the possibility of paying $12 and getting the premium service without Inside Flyer. If any extras were added later, they could just have put them on the subscription I would have bought now.
I dumped my saved messages when my membership expired -- and was not thrilled about it.
Quite honestly, the only reason I subscribed to Inside Flyer (which I almost never read) was to get the premium service. It would have made a lot more sense for IB to offer me the possibility of paying $12 and getting the premium service without Inside Flyer. If any extras were added later, they could just have put them on the subscription I would have bought now.
I'd happily just pay $12/year for ad-free service without any "extras."
Oct 24, 2011, 11:04 am
#34
No longer with Internet Brands
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: Los Angeles, CA
Programs: DL DM 1.6MM, Marriott LT Plat
Posts: 5,343
We apologize. It was not so much a decision not to have a new ads-free experience as an underestimation of how much time it would take to replace the basic Premium membership.
Rest assured we are working on a permanent solution; it does involve building a mechanism for actually selling such a membership on the site, which previously did not exist and still does not -- you can't currently purchase anything on FT -- as the old premium membership was solely through InsideFlyer and its parent company, not FlyerTalk itself.
As we move forward on this there will likely be different benefits and a new pricing structure, building a Premium service that makes sense not for InsideFlyer and its readers but for FlyerTalk itself.
Rest assured we are working on a permanent solution; it does involve building a mechanism for actually selling such a membership on the site, which previously did not exist and still does not -- you can't currently purchase anything on FT -- as the old premium membership was solely through InsideFlyer and its parent company, not FlyerTalk itself.
As we move forward on this there will likely be different benefits and a new pricing structure, building a Premium service that makes sense not for InsideFlyer and its readers but for FlyerTalk itself.
Oct 24, 2011, 1:12 pm
#35
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Jun 2004
Location: Either at the shooting range or anywhere good beer can be found...
Posts: 51,051
We apologize. It was not so much a decision not to have a new ads-free experience as an underestimation of how much time it would take to replace the basic Premium membership.
Rest assured we are working on a permanent solution; it does involve building a mechanism for actually selling such a membership on the site, which previously did not exist and still does not -- you can't currently purchase anything on FT -- as the old premium membership was solely through InsideFlyer and its parent company, not FlyerTalk itself.
As we move forward on this there will likely be different benefits and a new pricing structure, building a Premium service that makes sense not for InsideFlyer and its readers but for FlyerTalk itself.
Rest assured we are working on a permanent solution; it does involve building a mechanism for actually selling such a membership on the site, which previously did not exist and still does not -- you can't currently purchase anything on FT -- as the old premium membership was solely through InsideFlyer and its parent company, not FlyerTalk itself.
As we move forward on this there will likely be different benefits and a new pricing structure, building a Premium service that makes sense not for InsideFlyer and its readers but for FlyerTalk itself.
I think many probably don't realize that they can no longer have those benefits by renewing their Inside Flyer subscription and don't realize that they will disappear when their subscription to Inside Flyer is up for renewal.
Oct 24, 2011, 1:57 pm
#36
No longer with Internet Brands
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: Los Angeles, CA
Programs: DL DM 1.6MM, Marriott LT Plat
Posts: 5,343
That's what the actual issue is; there is not yet a way to sell those benefits to any user. But we're working on it. At the moment, they just expire.
We have changed the messaging so that people don't renew their IF subscription thinking they will get FT membership benefits.
We have changed the messaging so that people don't renew their IF subscription thinking they will get FT membership benefits.
Oct 24, 2011, 2:24 pm
#37
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: Yiron, Israel
Programs: Bates Motel Plat
Posts: 68,928
Oct 25, 2011, 6:45 am
#38
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Jun 2004
Location: Either at the shooting range or anywhere good beer can be found...
Posts: 51,051
Oct 26, 2011, 5:56 am
#41
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 2002
Location: All over
Programs: Most
Posts: 10,839
Here's the problem that I have today:
Inbox contains 1,193 messages.
You have 2,124 messages stored, of a total 500 allowed.
I have ....... Plus running on my laptop. I subscribed for the InsideFlyer only to get the ad free version of FT when using other computers and a larger PM box.
Inbox contains 1,193 messages.
You have 2,124 messages stored, of a total 500 allowed.
I have ....... Plus running on my laptop. I subscribed for the InsideFlyer only to get the ad free version of FT when using other computers and a larger PM box.
Oct 26, 2011, 11:35 am
#42
No longer with Internet Brands
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: Los Angeles, CA
Programs: DL DM 1.6MM, Marriott LT Plat
Posts: 5,343
Understood. There are a number of members in that position unfortunately. Your PM box should expand and retain your old PMs when youn sign up for the new Premium service, provided you don't delete them to make space in the smaller box.
I don't have a date yet for when the new Premium will be up though
I don't have a date yet for when the new Premium will be up though
Dec 22, 2011, 9:43 am
#43
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: SEA
Programs: AS MVP, Hhonors Gold, National Executive, Identity Gold, MLife Gold
Posts: 2,687
You guys have been talking about how awesome this is going to be for 7 months now. Do you have any updates that you can share with us, including a rough timeline for when it will be online? I'm amazed that you have many people that want to give you money, yet you can't even figure out a way to accept it.
Jan 1, 2012, 4:00 am
#44
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2005
Programs: ua mm, aa plat, starriott LTPP, ihg plat, hh gold.
Posts: 13,017
my inside flyer/flyertalk premium subscription ended yesterday, and my mailbox is 100% full because of it. i have ad-block (thank you, safari) so while the ft page layout looks somewhat different, i'm not subjected to annoying ads, but i would like not to have to delete my pm's going back to 2005. that led me to seek out this thread.
so, um, while reading this thread where questions about the end of premium service started (ahem) last year, i'm wondering why you guys can't seem to find a way to take money from people who obviously would like to give it to you. just askin'.
to my fellow flyertalkers in the same position, have you deleted hundreds of pm's or decided not to accept new ones?
so, um, while reading this thread where questions about the end of premium service started (ahem) last year, i'm wondering why you guys can't seem to find a way to take money from people who obviously would like to give it to you. just askin'.
to my fellow flyertalkers in the same position, have you deleted hundreds of pm's or decided not to accept new ones?
Jan 1, 2012, 4:43 am
#45
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: Yiron, Israel
Programs: Bates Motel Plat
Posts: 68,928