Have you heard of Flyertalk, yet? I’m willing to be that even if you think you haven’t, you have. I know that I’ve seen the website a time or two when searching for airfare. The site has been around for well over a decade, and it’s gaining popularity every day. Perhaps you don’t care; I know I didn’t before I began to research the site. However, there is a good reason that so many people are suddenly becoming obsessed with this site – it’s saving them money. If, for no other reason than the fact that saving money on your upcoming flights, Flyertalk is worth the time to at least check out and see what the commotion is all about.
I’ve done it, and while I’m still not overwhelmed with the site, I can see why there are so many good reasons to join the site and talk with the people who are already registered members and have been for a long time. Read on to find out why Flyertalk, the hub for all airline fans, passengers, pilots, crewmembers and obsessed flyers, is actually worth joining.
It’s Helpful
At the crux of the situation, Flyertalk is a site that is designed to help those who are in need of some assistance with their flights – but also so much more. While many people take it upon themselves to use the forum as a place to air their personal grievances against an airline, a flight attendant, a passenger or even a burger that might not have been juicy enough for their palette, it’s so much more than that. Sure, you might find that you cannot help but read threads that debate the difference between the burgers served in first class on international flights to Madrid on one airline versus another, but you will actually find some information that is truly helpful that might not be easy to find anywhere else.
For example, you might just happen to stumble across a thread about your favorite airline that offers a secret to getting an upgrade on every flight, or at least one that mentions how you can get into the more leg room seats on a flight that takes a particular route you use regularly. And, as always, if you cannot find what you are looking for, simply ask and a half dozen people will answer for you before you can even refill your water.
The Site Saves you Money
If there is one reason you should join Flyertalk today, it’s to save yourself someone money, because you will. There is no getting around the fact that this is a site that is designed to offer significant savings to anyone who uses it, and it is all courtesy of the other users. When looking up different stories of savings from those who belong to Flyertalk, I was able to find a story from one man who, several years ago, asked about a flight he was booking around the world. He planned to stop in cities such as Dubai, Frankfurt, Sydney, Hong Kong, London and a few more cities. The price he found was $12,000 and he assumed that would be around what he’d spend to book the trip.
He had another question about his itinerary he wanted answered before he booked, and within minutes of asking, someone else found the same trip for this particular Flyertalk user for a quarter of the price, allowing him to book additional cities and stay a little longer than he had originally planned thanks to the significant savings he found when booking. All that was simply because he had a question and someone else who perhaps made this flight or had a little insider knowledge was able to make sure he could do it for far less.
There’s a Mobile App
Everyone loves a mobile app, right? I know I do; it changes my life in almost every way. I have the mobile app for almost everything I love most, and it saves me so much time (thanks Nordstrom) with my travel, my shopping and even my online bill payments. I am always happy to use something when there is a mobile app. Since Flyertalk is often described as an addiction that some people cannot break, the mobile app makes it so much more enjoyable for them. With this at your hands, you can have all your airline and fight questions answered in minutes with the tap of a button. That certainly makes life a bit easier when you’re sitting on a plane waiting on them to ask you to turn off your mobile devices and prepare for take-off.
Friends Help Friends
No one really joins online communities to make friends, right? Actually, that’s kind of the reason most people join online communities (particularly if they are dating sites). When you have a relationship with people on Flyertalk, you might become friends. In fact, many of the people here will host gatherings every so often so that they can meet in certain cities and get to know the people with whom they converse the most. Listen, I’m not trying to make internet friends anymore than the rest of you, but if my internet friends can help me save money, find a great place to stay and keep me helped out in a number of different manners, I’m making new friends.
For example, I read one story from a Flyertalk member who made friends with a number of people throughout the years and has been able to find friends who work for certain hotels in many cities across the world and he now gets to use their discount when he visits their cities, he gets free gifts sent to his rooms and he gets awesome upgrades. Others state that they’re able to make friends on airlines and travel together. Some are able to make friends with people who work in amazing restaurants across the world who are able to get impossible reservations. You never know who you might meet, and you never know what they have to offer you when you join Flyertalk.
Information Sharing
We all know something that someone else does not know. For example, I know that as a frequent guest at a particular high-end hotel near Disney where we got at least once a month with our kids that we can just ask the hospitality director for an upgrade from a standard room to a 1,200 square foot suite with two bedrooms, three bathrooms, a living room and a full kitchen and a suite-size balcony over the pool – and she always sends champagne and my favorite chocolates up to the room for us since we visit so often. I know that all you have to do to get this room is ask, whereas other people see it online and pay hundreds of dollars more every night than they would for a regular room with the free upgrade.
I’m not the only person in the world with knowledge like this, either. Many people know that you can do certain things at certain places, and they are happy to accommodate you and your requests. That’s why it’s a good idea to join Flyertalk; the information sharing is invaluable to those who love to travel, and it’s good for hotels, airlines, locations, car rental agencies and so many more locations.
Insider Information
You know when you pick up a magazine waiting for a flight and one of the articles is a restaurant employee, hotel clerk or flight attendant that’s sharing insider information about this, that or the other with the readers? They might tell all about how they know which passengers are going to drink too much or which passengers are really cheap or really important or really annoying. They might tell about which meals to avoid at a certain location or which nights not to visit since the actual chef is off. They might have all kinds of personal insider information that changes the way you visit a location or venue; that’s how Flyertalk works. The only difference here is that these people can share their insider information anytime.
You might learn so much you have to take notes. This information is often valuable to different Flyertalk members in different manners, but it’s always useful and it’s always something that you will find is going to make your day that much simpler and your travel that much more enjoyable or affordable.
Entertainment
Let’s be honest, here; there is one reason that most people do anything online and it’s for the simple enjoyment of interacting with others, seeing what they post and seeing how others respond to their posts. It might not always be the most mature or rational reason to join Flyertalk, but you’re going to get the other benefits as well when you go this route. You’re going to see just how easy it is to learn how to enjoy the threads while still learning from them. We all get a little kick out of someone arguing back and forth with others of the best use of frequent flyer miles to certain destinations, but we will also learn something from this conversation – such as the actual best use of frequent flyer miles to certain destinations.
Learn How to Really Use your Perks
If there is one thing that Flyertalk is good for, it’s teaching the masses how to make the most of their frequent flyer miles. Most of the people on this site have been members for years, and they travel a lot more than the rest of the population. They earn more points in a year than most people will earn in a lifetime, and they know how to make those points last, how to make them work and how to make them the most beneficial.
You might not learn right away how to do this, but you’ll get better at it over time. If there is one piece of advice that professional Flyertalk members like to share with the general public and new members, it’s that it takes time to get to know the site, the forums, the thread and the other members. Once you do, however, you will be able to see how much you’ve learned. Others can help you stop making mistakes before it’s too late, they can provide you with tips that might help you save money when booking, and they might be able to share their knowledge with you. As you engage, you will learn how to recognize useful information and apply it to your own travels.
Airlines Offer Perks
Did you know that Flyertalk is actually a site that is also used by many airlines? Since the site is designed to allow frequent flyer mile members to join and discuss airlines, airlines have decided to monitor conversations and make sure that their passengers and guests are always happy and being given exactly what it is that they want and need. This site offers so many things to so many people. You might become someone so valuable to airlines because of how many people listen to you, follow your threads and respond to you that you might become important to an airline.
For example, before Continental and United merged a few years ago, Continental airlines even hosted events in Houston for some of their favorite Flyertalkers, and they even brought on the company’s CEO to meet and greet, interact with and get to know these members of Flyertalk. That’s how important this site is to the masses.
To Share
If there is one thing that all new Flyertalk members need to know, it’s how to share. You are not going to earn any points or friends on this site unless you are willing to share your travel secrets. The more people learn to trust you on Flyertalk, the more willing they are to share their own secrets with you. This means it’s going to cost you a few of your own, a little niceness and some trust. You can do it; and you will be happy for it.
Think of it this way; it’s like donating to someone who cannot do something for themselves and seeing the appreciation and happiness that they feel when you do it. At some point, the people you’ve helped with your own secrets are going to want to do a little bit to help you out, too, and that’s where things are really going to pay off for you.
Photo by Getty Images
Comments
Loading…