 | This article needs to be updated.(September 2018) |
 | |
Type of site | Online community |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1998 |
| Headquarters | , |
| Founder(s) | Randy Petersen |
| Parent | Internet Brands |
| URL | www |
| Launched | 28 February 1999 |
FlyerTalk (stylized in lowercase) is an Internet forum for discussion of airline frequent-flyer programs, hotel loyalty programs and other issues related to travel. The site was founded in 1998 by Randy Petersen and was acquired by Internet Brands in 2007. [1]
According to Petersen, as editor of InsideFlyer , he saw FlyerTalk as a way to allow readers to combine their knowledge into a knowledge base. [2] On 16 November 2010, Petersen stated that he would leave FlyerTalk at the end of the year; [3] then in March 2011, he launched MilePoint. MilePoint's brand was changed to InsideFlyer as Petersen started to build a global footprint with local languages in various countries around the world. [4]
Some of the hotel and airline forum participants include official presences who use the site to learn about issues important to their customer base. One example of the site's influence was a wager between the Continental Airlines CEO Larry Kellner and a site member as to whether 60 or more community members would voluntarily fly (using their own miles and incurring their own out-of-pocket expenses) to a feedback meeting in Houston for the airline; 274 did. [5] The forum has been cited as a powerful voice in shaping airlines' reward programs [6] [7] and as a source for novel ways to use frequent flier miles. [8] [9] [10]
Air Canada is the flag carrier and the largest airline of Canada, by size and passengers carried. Air Canada is headquartered in the borough of Saint-Laurent, Montreal, Quebec. The airline, founded in 1937, provides scheduled and charter air transport for passengers and cargo to 222 destinations worldwide. It is a founding member of the Star Alliance. Air Canada's major hubs are at Toronto Pearson International Airport (YYZ), Montréal–Trudeau International Airport (YUL), and Vancouver International Airport (YVR).
A frequent-flyer programme (FFP) is a loyalty program offered by an airline.
A virtual airline (VA) is a dedicated hobby organization that uses flight simulation to model the operations of an airline. Virtual airlines generally have a presence on the Internet, similar to a real airline. Many hundreds of virtual airlines of significance are currently active, with tens of thousands of participants involved at any one time.
A continent pass is a product and service of an airline alliance. For a relatively low price the traveler can travel freely using all intra-continental flights the airline alliance offers on that continent. There are restrictions on the number of miles, flights or stops the traveler can make. Travelers can benefit from the extensive networks airline alliances offer and can earn reward points for each mile they fly by participating in the alliance's frequent flyer program.
Airline booking ploys are used by travelers in commercial aviation to lower the price of flying by circumventing airlines' rules about how tickets may be used. They are generally a breach of the contract of carriage between the passenger and the airline, which airlines may try to enforce in various ways.
David Phillips is an American civil engineer best known for accumulating frequent flyer miles by taking advantage of a promotion by Healthy Choice Foods in 1999. While grocery shopping he calculated that the value of a mail-in promotion for frequent flyer miles exceeded the cost of the pudding on which it was offered. In May 1999, Phillips received 1,253,000 frequent flyer miles.
Qualiflyer was a frequent-flyer program and, to some extent, an airline alliance created in April 1992 by Austrian Airlines, Crossair and Swissair. When Swissair began acquiring stakes in other European airlines in 1998, Qualiflyer was extended to become their frequent flyer programs as well. This spawned the alliance known as The Qualiflyer Group. With the failure of Swissair in 2002, the group dissolved along with the program and a company was formed to give each former member airline an individual frequent-flyer program.
Airlines of the Web (Flyaow) was the first index of airline sites on the web, and has been online since 1994. Airlines of the Web was created by University of British Columbia associate professor, Marc-David Seidel, while conducting research as a graduate student on the strategic development of the airline industry. It now includes a geographic index of airline websites, aircraft photographs, airport codes, Fractional Jets directory, city guides, and full travel booking functionality through its relationships with well established travel companies.
Asia Miles is a loyalty and frequent-flyer program launched by Cathay Pacific. Launched in February 1999, it allows members to earn miles by making different purchases with co-branded credit cards or on partnered flights, hotels, dining, financial services, retail, and technology products and services. Membership is free and open to individuals aged two or above.
Joel Widzer is an American author of travel-related literature, consultant, and travel strategist. In 1999, he wrote The Penny Pincher's Passport to Luxury Travel. He is currently the managing partner of JlwConsulting a division of JetReady LLC.
Mileage Plan is the frequent-flyer program of Alaska Airlines. Members accrue program "miles" by flying Alaska Airlines and partner-operated flights, using co-branded credit cards, and booking vacation and hotel packages, among other methods. Mileage Plan miles can be redeemed for award flights on Alaska Airlines and partner carriers and provide eligibility for elite status with Mileage Plan.
MileagePlus is the frequent-flyer program of United Airlines that offers rewards to passengers traveling on certain types of tickets. Following the 2010 merger agreement between United and Continental Airlines, United Mileage Plus was chosen to be the frequent-flyer program for the combined airline. The program was subsequently renamed to MileagePlus, and maintains its relationship with its Star Alliance partners, as well as other airline and travel enterprise agreements.
AAirpass was a membership-based discount program offered by American Airlines to frequent flyers launched in 1981. The program offered pass holders free flights and unlimited access to Admirals Club locations for either five years or life. After the lifetime and unlimited travel AAirpass program was discontinued, American Airlines offered a different product under a similar name, which instead focused on prepaid fares at a fixed price for frequent business travelers, with an annual minimum commitment per traveller. American Airlines stopped offering this version of Airpass on November 30, 2022, and intended to fully unwind the program by March 31, 2024. Existing unlimited AAirpass memberships remain valid.
DVD Talk is a home video news and review website launched in 1999 by Geoffrey Kleinman.
Harold Brierley is an American business and marketing executive focused on loyalty programs.
InsideFlyer is a website specializing in frequent-flyer news.
A flyer is a form of paper advertisement intended for wide distribution and typically posted or distributed in a public place, handed out to individuals or sent through the mail. Today, flyers range from inexpensively photocopied leaflets to expensive, glossy, full-color circulars. Flyers in a digital format can be shared on the internet.
SkyMiles is the frequent-flyer program of Delta Air Lines that offers points to passengers traveling on most fare types, as well as to consumers who utilize Delta co-branded credit cards, which accumulate towards free awards such as airline tickets, business and first-class upgrades, and luxury products. Created in 1981 as the "Delta Air Lines Frequent Flyer Program", its name was changed to SkyMiles in 1995. Originally all airlines including Delta, only gave miles for airline travel and not credit card expenditures. Delta claims to have been the first major U.S. airline without mileage expiration, so travelers can redeem awards at their leisure, but others have since followed. The airline also has a separate SkyBonus program that provides small to mid-sized business owners with a way to earn points for trips taken by employees, good towards free flights, upgrades, Medallion status and other travel awards. It has been ranked fairly high according to some independent news outlets.
The Points Guy (TPG) is an American travel website and blog that produces sponsored news and stories on travel, means of accumulating and using airline points and miles, politics, and credit cards - in particular, credit card reviews. The site was founded in 2010 and was initially a blog written by founder Brian Kelly. By 2017, the site employed 20 full-time staff in addition to 50 freelance contributors.
AwardWallet is frequent flyer miles and points tracking site. It is considered to be the first in the genre, founded in 2004, and tracked more than 400 sites as of 2011. AwardWallet is based out of Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. As of 2021, it has 700,000 users, despite some airlines blocking access to the app citing privacy concerns.
