Feedback on the AFF website & brand refresh

[Mr_Orange]

So Points Hacks owns AFF, does it?

 

[DejaBrew]

So Points Hacks owns AFF, does it?

Yes they do.

AFF Thread 'Important Announcement'

Sep 1, 2022

I’ve spent a bit of time thinking about this post, what I’m going to say, the tone etc. But then I realised that what I'm about to announce isn't actually that important to anyone other than myself, so I'll keep it brief and tell it as it is.

After 24 years, I’m finally hanging up my AFF hat! As many of you would know I started AFF as pretty much a hobby website in 1998. I never dreamed it would morph into the AFF we know today with it's vibrant community, insightful editorial articles, and professional services (via our sister website, Frequent Flyer Solutions).

But it's now time to...

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• Forum: Community Announcements

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[PineappleSkip]

Appreciate the "revert to classic" option (I've done that too) and the efforts to increase the font readability and font size.

I have no idea why the "new" inverted Finnair logo is intended to signify. The "old" logo isn't that old; I remember not so long ago it was new. I can understand why you'd let go of the "old" FrequentFlyer branding, which harks back to 1990s Qantas IIRC, but that is bathwater. Please consider keeping the baby.

Cheers skip

 

[RooFlyer]

For those who have been using the site for many years as it was originally established, the Points-Hackification is sad but probably inevitable.

I'm not paid to say this (promise) but I simply cannot see that. For me, its the same FF site, with all the tips and lessons from experts and each other, Matt's editorial pieces, the Gazette, webinars, podcasts. I never see credit card stuff. OK - I just went 'Home' which I never ordinarily do. There's a cc ad and two areas that look into ccs, amongst about 6 or 8. Zero diff from any other similar site you'd go to. Occasionally I see stuff by Chris Chamberlin, but other than that Point Hacks is invisible to me. Having said that, its obvious that PH need income (not least to pay for the AFF side of things!) - its a commercial operation, just like AFF was under Clifford.

I think the re-brand is poor, but again, on the forum pages its less of an assault (and thanks to @DejaBrew at least, I dare say the faults will be ironed out), so I'm continuing the old style that I've used since the last site 'refresh' - which I recall got the same shock, horror, but we all adapted. Remember when they did away with the app ?

 

[Supersonic Swinger]

I'm not paid to say this (promise) but I simply cannot see that. For me, its the same FF site, with all the tips and lessons from experts and each other, Matt's editorial pieces, the Gazette, webinars, podcasts. I never see credit card stuff.

If you look at the site on the Wayback Machine, beyond the community forums the focus was more on News & Views, Trip Reports, Community Insights, Member Blogs, etc. Now 2 of the 5 top dropdowns are "Credit Cards" and "Guides & Tools" which defaults to "Credit Card Points Transfer Assistant".

I understand the business rationale, becoming a more targeted version of Canstar / Finder / money.com.au. The shift has been slow and subtle, but it does limit the impartiality of the editorial content, like the travel bloggers who have morphed their content to drive revenue from affiliate links and sign on bonuses. One can only hope that the Forums remain unpolluted.

 

[clifford]

that the Forums remain unpolluted.

Well, we all have feet that we can vote with, if so inclined. Personally, I think the changes to the website are change for the sake of change. More negative for me than positive. A bit like what's happened to Expert Flyer...

 

[flyingfan]

I visit AFF throughout the day very frequently (imho) but just look for new posts, so the 'new posts' link is essentially the only way I get here. So I don't see the credit card or other pages mentioned at all.

Having said that, I've just clicked to revert to the old look for the first time since the refresh and - what a relief. It's like a breath of fresh air. Not literally fresh since it's old, but it's so so much easier on the eyes!!