Special Members Area with designated access qualifications?

[pauly7]

If it is that top secret then form friendships and alliances and share it via PM, SMS, phone calls rather than creating an admin burden for the forum, another opportunity for bitcaing about people and another opportunity for "what about meeeee???? why wont you let meeee in" and a trade in selling user ids to the secret forum of cheap flight stash.

I agree and what you outline already happens, specifically on QF and Amex related finds, the invasion of the VA fan bois turning every thread into a soap opera made them even more heavily used.

Great, but it drives traffic away from AFF. Thankfully that little episode seems behind us now!

 

[pauly7]

2. Once you have this elite club, what then? Does a Bossreggie lunch say, only get exposure in the sealed forum?
Or at least a first in best dressed option?
Do self funded fliers get priority membership over FIFO persons?

Hahah I hardly think that lunch would be restricted to a premium area. Quite the opposite

Good points though... Would you also toss in FFstatus as a hurdle? $ spend on flights? Would there be two separate sections for VA and QF as most people are either in one or the other and don't care about the airline they don't fly....

I think all the questions probably demonstrate the complexity behind the idea and I'm fine with the non AFF network taking care of confidential news and finds.

 

[extracta]

I agree and what you outline already happens, specifically on QF and Amex related finds, the invasion of the VA fan bois turning every thread into a soap opera made them even more heavily used.

Great, but it drives traffic away from AFF. Thankfully that little episode seems behind us now!

People will still be able to use AFF exactly as they do now.

It just adds another option for people to post information and discuss things that they currently do not.

Not everybody uses the WOOLWORTHS EVERYDAY MASTERCARD section of this forum, but there are many that do. That is why it is there.

Not everybody would want to use a protected section. But there should be a protected section there for those that want to use it.

And if you do not want to use a protected section that is up to you.

 

[tuapekastar]

I think there have been some good reasons posted for having a 'sealed section' and some equally good reasons against the idea.

I fall on the 'nay' side of things. I see the word 'community' in the URL I'm looking at at the top of the page, and if we had a 'sealed section' I think you could possibly prefix community with 'divided'.

I certainly take what I can from AFF, and I give back what I can as well. I'm very unlikely to come up with any 'doozies' for people because I'm not into researching mileage runs (nor, after seven years on AFF, taking them either...yet ) and 'advanced' stuff like that. But where my limited knowledge will help someone out I'm pleased to provide it.

I suspect it can be a little difficult sometimes deciding where discretion should win out over philanthropy, when it comes to great deals and loopholes. You would love to share it, but do not want, in doing so, to kill it.

I'm unlikely to lose too much sleep about a sealed section being created. I'd just post on regardless, giving and taking where I can. There is likely, as has been alluded to, much info already shared in the background by PM and I've no issue with that. I think, if I desperately wanted some specialised info I probably would know who I could PM to request same, and I suspect they would probably be happy to share it with me (or maybe not :shock.

 

[straitman]

I have a reasonably high post count but im a pain in the cough. Can i get in?


I'm too poor to own a signature

Not until you have a signature :!:

(.... at the very least)




Sent from my legal, non technology stealing, iPhone using AustFreqFly App

 

[k_sheep]

I just hope, one day, I'll manage to find a deal worth sharing (or keeping secret!). This forum has given me so much joy, yet I find it very hard to repay.

 

[TonyHancock]

I'd be interested in a special members area if priority posting was a benefit, and also if the area could have a separate J thread....oh yes and no children.

 

[oz_mark]

I'd be interested in a special members area if priority posting was a benefit, and also if the area could have a separate J thread....oh yes and no children.

Hi Viz allowed?

 

[ChrisFlyer]

I'd be interested in a special members area if priority posting was a benefit, and also if the area could have a separate J thread....oh yes and no children.

Only if the lead on priority posting is taken from VA and not QF

 

[cove]

Can we use "the cone of silence" as they have stopped filming Get Smart a little while ago.

 

[oz_mark]

I have decided that if I had to say yes or no to this idea, I would come down on the no side, although not strongly so.

While I understand the motivations behind the idea, I think there are always going to be issues in whatever mechanism is decided for who is in, and who is out.

For me, if I see something in my travels that may be of interest to some, then I will share that here. One never knows what little snippet might be a game changer for others. I look at the example of paying your tax bill, and that single thread looks to have been such a game changer. Should such a thing be hidden away to be discussed by the privileged few? I suspect not.

But perhaps the main idea is to discuss mistake fares in their various forms. Much of this seems to happen in informal ways already, but sometimes they pop up in more open ways. And to me, that is how it should be.

Anyway, just my 2c.

 

[cove]

I agree with you oz_mark. The ATO thread and the Amex threads have been interesting.Then there are the non 4 big bank credit cards that pay great points or the ones that have great sign on bonuses and sometimes both.
You then pick your own pathways but can ask for other folks ideas. Why seal this up to 30,000 when the real competition is the 10 million in a Frequent Flyer plan of some kind.

 

[extracta]

I agree with you oz_mark. The ATO thread and the Amex threads have been interesting.Then there are the non 4 big bank credit cards that pay great points or the ones that have great sign on bonuses and sometimes both.
You then pick your own pathways but can ask for other folks ideas. Why seal this up to 30,000 when the real competition is the 10 million in a Frequent Flyer plan of some kind.

None of that would need to be in a sealed area. It is more like oz_mark said, for the mistake fares and the like that the airlines would remove if they found out about them. ie the expedia.ie fare that was not available for sale in AUST/NZ but some members found that they could get around this and posted it in the open on here. I have found something similar which has been consistent for four months now but I will not post it in the open on here. The information I have could have value to anybody flying QF i.

 

[burmans]

None of that would need to be in a sealed area. It is more like oz_mark said, for the mistake fares and the like that the airlines would remove if they found out about them. ie the expedia.ie fare that was not available for sale in AUST/NZ but some members found that they could get around this and posted it in the open on here. I have found something similar which has been consistent for four months now but I will not post it in the open on here. The information I have could have value to anybody flying QF i.

+1. I don't think anyone is suggesting putting everything in that one thread! But time sensitive stuff you don't want everyone know about (or knowing about just now).

ATO and Amex thread IMO don't come into that category.

 

[JohnK]

While I understand the motivations behind the idea, I think there are always going to be issues in whatever mechanism is decided for who is in, and who is out.

There may well be some collateral damage.

I think the main issue here is about minimising exposure to the outside world if one finds a deal or some anomaly in a booking engine. I guess in theory airline reps can still gain access to sealed members area but at least it is not in the open for all to see and abuse.

 

[amaroo]

FWIW - I'm a huge NO.

IMO when you start selecting/segregating/excluding.........people/members - you end up with a pretty shallow pool.

OT we've just gone through reviewing schools for our kids.........I've decided to stay clear of the ones that want to cherry pick for their own good!

 

[JohnK]

IMO when you start selecting/segregating/excluding.........people/members - you end up with a pretty shallow pool.

This happens already with any number of cliques that have formed on AFF.

 

[amaroo]

This happens already with any number of cliques that have formed on AFF.

I must be ignorant in these matters......however, I've only been around a short time!

 

[Reggie]

This happens already with any number of cliques that have formed on AFF.

What??????? There are cliques here on AFF, and I'm not part of any of them. I think I'll have to form my own, and it will be very exclusive, so exclusive only Reggie can be in it.

 

[ReLoad]

Well I think you are all a bunch of Flog try hard wannabes.

Now that's being said, I am a much bigger Flog try hard wannabe than all of you, so therefore here's the deal;

I have elected myself chairperson of the AFFEFTWB (pronounced A-feft-web) Australian Frequent Flyer Elite Flog Try hard Wanna Be club.

This elite club offers benefits and rare discussion on the best way to Flog oneself and scam airlines.

I can categorically say that Alan Joyce is not a member of this ancient and secret society however large his flog credentials are.

Now whilst I welcome all new membership applications, the prerequisites to join are extensive and elusive.

Being such an exclusive club, membership cards are simply not enough to signify ones significance, so our membership "knobs" are of course made from Unobtainium, and they come in a leather pouch made from 400 year old tanned bald eagle leather, softened with baby harp seal tears.

Now, this club is so exclusive we have actually now added a new sealed special members area which indeed sits inside our very special members area.

Of course in reality all we do is once we get a new member is try to work out how to form a new level of exclusivity to exclude that new member.

Now excuse me while I polish my Unobtainium membership knob - which of course none of you can have.