[LuganoPirate]

Not quite Friday but maybe interesting to see what others get out of BT and the forum and to let you know how I find the forum useful

I quite expect to be told to get a life, but I was thinking about the forum this morning when I noticed I’ve made over 6,200 posts. I believe this is second only to MartynSinclair and we have now both passed he who must not be mentioned!

Now I don’t often look, but I do recall where I was not only when JFK was shot, but also when I made my 1,000th post. I recall looking again around the 4,000 mark and then today.

So some statistics: At 2 minutes average per post equates to just under 9 days of my life!

I don’t read every post, only the topics that are of interest and tend to ignore most of those about BA as i rarely fly them. However I do spend perhaps 15 minutes each day reading through posts and commenting, so that’s another 4 days a year.

I also read the magazine, now on my tablet, and browse the website, but haven’t really a clue how long I spend, but I do enjoy both and find them very useful. I’ve been a subscriber almost continually since the first issue, at 1 hour a month that’s another 16 days and let’s say the same again for the website, though that has not been going as long, so in total another month of my life.

So 2.5 months of my life (the maths might be a bit dodgy but I’m sure you get my point) spent reading the magazine and forum, browsing or commenting, but was it worth it?
I have to say a resounding yes, in order of importance (though after points 1 – 3 it’s pretty equal):

Friends and connections I’ve made through the forum
Urgent advice given to me when desperately needed
Making me more aware of my personal safety when travelling
Time saved through various tips and tricks shared by members
Money saved through various tips and tricks shared by members
Ideas for obtaining status with airlines and hotel chains
Travel destinations, hotels and restaurants, which have increased my enjoyment of places I visit
A broadening of my knowledge of the travel industry – important for a frequent traveller
A general broadening of my geographical knowledge through articles and posts

So all in all a big thank you to Tom and your team for making this all happen, for insightful and well written articles by your journalists, and to all my fellow posters for your idea’s, tips and tricks.

17 users thanked author for this post.

fatbear, IanFromHKG, SimonRowberry, Montysaurus, GivingupBA, NTarrant, mkcol74, AMcWhirter, knightflyer, BA789, canucklad, handbag, conshaldow, BPP, Switzerlanding, TimFitzgeraldTC, Mark Caswell

[Tom Otley]

… what a lovely post.

Well thank you for all the time you have given up to the subject, and to contributing.

We are always ipen to new ideas, so if anyone has suggestions for the magazine, website, forum, events or anything else, please let me know and we’ll see what we can do.

Best wishes

Tom

3 users thanked author for this post.

IanFromHKG, SimonRowberry, LuganoPirate

[GivingupBA]

This forum has been very [1] useful, and [2] money-saving, and [3] interesting, and [4] enjoyable for me. Long may it continue and thanks a million to those who make it happen.

1 user thanked author for this post.

Montysaurus

[Cedric_Statherby]

LP

I have not posted nearly as many comments as you but I may have read nearly as many. And I echo your comments entirely.

All forums will have people you rather were not there, but this forum has consistently had a bigger proportion of sensible contributors making interesting and useful comments than most.

Long may this continue (and your next target is 10,000 posts).

3 users thanked author for this post.

fatbear, SimonRowberry, LuganoPirate

[LuganoPirate]

[quote quote=904119]All forums will have people you rather were not there, but this forum has consistently had a bigger proportion of sensible contributors making interesting and useful comments than most.

Long may this continue (and your next target is 10,000 posts).[/quote]

Thanks Cedric, I fully agree, though I’m not sure I’ll make 10,000 unless i live to a 100!

1 user thanked author for this post.

SimonRowberry

[MartynSinclair]

I have dabbled occasionally in Flyer Talk but in the main stick to this Forum, which I find far more personal and professional.. The enjoyment for me over the years I have been contributing (and in no particular order)

1. Fabulous and enjoyable evenings out, both in London and Milan ….. and somewhere else near to Milan

2. Having the opportunity of meeting some very interesting, energetic, positive & very likeable people as well as their families

3. Learning how to fly First and Business without it costing the earth and of course the concept of ex-Europe tickets

4. Meeting Tim F, who has, without exaggeration, saved me thousands in cost savings and research time. I hope to continue supporting his business for many years to come

5. Bumping into (literally) other contributors, whether in an airport or hotel lounge

6. Being part of community of professional travellers

7. Occasionally being able to offer help and guidance, but usually its the other way round… it’s me asking…

8. I guess the only sort of Forum regret is losing some contributors (well, except for the one that cant be mentioned by name) for what ever reason, usually because they have taken exception to how another person has posted. We are a smallish community, hopefully we will start growing.

9. For the personal threads which bring humility into the Forum. Mr Michael for one, and reading today on the back of a post by Stevecoots, Chris in Makati, was prompted to have what turned out to be an important blood test

10. I also agree with LP, thanks Tom and the team for enabling this wonderful Forum to continue.

11. I will give this another plug, for those of you attending the BT wine evening next Monday week in London (19th) “I’ll be seeing you” there 🙂

Great thread LP…

9 users thanked author for this post.

fatbear, IanFromHKG, SimonRowberry, Montysaurus, AMcWhirter, Switzerlanding, LuganoPirate, stevescoots, Mark Caswell

[Mark Caswell]

Here’s the details of the wine tasting which MartynSinclair refers to:

https://businesstravellerevents.com/events/business-traveller-events-wine-tasting

[conshaldow]

I have been a BT forum member for a few years now, although I couldn’t tell you exactly how long it has been (time flies and all that!). I am more of a spectator than a contributor but like to put my limited knowledge forward wherever possible.

As a business travel consultant myself I do have a genuine interest in the subjects brought up both on the website and also via the forum, and I find that both of these keep me up to date on a variety of subjects that are relevant to my job. I couldn’t count the number of times I’ve read an article or a forum post where this has come in handy almost instantly or further down the line – so for this I must say to one and all, THANK YOU.

Personally I am also an aviation geek and enjoy reading updates on aircraft layouts, airline routings etc. These do come in very handy as I feel having the extra knowledge in my profession give a real cutting edge personal touch, as I know that for some of my clients – like yourselves – aircraft/seat config can make or break a journey. A personal highlight was being able to save a client a substantial amount on the cost of a return trip to Australia while simultaneously getting him in first class rather than business class – AND on the A380 for one of the legs. This perhaps wouldn’t have been possible had it not been for the input from the BT website and Forum over the years.

I look forward to continuing to reading your very informative and interesting articles/forum posts in the future so to all of you – keep it up!

Thanks,

1 user thanked author for this post.

Seat62k

[handbag]

I started reading the Forum after regularly reading the Magazine in the middle of night on a long range flight and had exhausted the papers. Found so interesting I joined the Forum. It has been so useful for personal travel, best ways to use/save points, tips and tricks and so much more info on great places to go to and where to stay.

As a Crew member have really enjoyed reading what peoples perceptions are and believe it helped me at work to sometimes deal with things differently. I became more aware that what Crew think is the norm, isn’t the same for others and a better explanation is sometimes needed. Crew tend to think a regular traveller always knows why things happen, but that often is not the case. I have also liked being able to explain when people don’t realise why something is done. It also showed be what people value, not what BA have told me they value.

BT Team, thank you for a great Forum and keep up the great comments everyone.

7 users thanked author for this post.

summerfly, IanFromHKG, Seat62k, Montysaurus, GivingupBA, travelsforfun, LuganoPirate

[Cedric_Statherby]

And the last two posts I think explain why the Forum works. If something is appreciated and found useful by all three of (a) travellers, (b) travel advisers and (c) crew members then it is clearly several levels above the average.

1 user thanked author for this post.

LuganoPirate

[capetonianm]

I’m a bit of a novice compared to some with 1858 posts and 19 topics started.

It’s a thoroughly useful resource and also enjoyable reading and as there are relatively few poster, it’s rather more personal than Flyertalk, which I’ve never got to grips with although I do dive in and out of there sometimes, but rarely more than twice a month and then only if I am researching something.

I’ll echo the gratitude that others have expressed for the excellent resource and for the sensible moderating.

I also know that I owe someone whom I had the great pleasure of meeting recently via this forum an email – he knows who he is – and I will get round to it but have had a busy couple of weeks with various things.

1 user thanked author for this post.

LuganoPirate

[canucklad]

My journey started with me picking up a freebie copy in the Diamond Lounge, enjoying the content, and learning a few invaluable tips that enhanced my travels.

Then, after a particularly outrageous experience with AF/CDG I wrote to AF and received no reply. I then told the story to BT, seeking advice, which I received. Alas AF’s Laissez-faire attitude remained, so I never received a meaningful resolution. My regret was not giving consent to Tom/Alex to publish my letter.

As far as the forum goes, I have thoroughly enjoyed contributing, and benefiting from you all . Since a promotion, I’m not travelling as much on business, on the other hand it does give me more opportunity to travel for leisure. And even though this is a business forum I’ve taken advantage of advice on those trips too.

I’d like to give special mention to the cabin crew contributors. Their inputs should really remind us all, that we’re in a privileged position. A position that some around us jealously see as “perks” .

Also, I’m not on social media, so the only people I really interact online with are you guys, so thank you. One day I’m hoping the fate gods align my travel plans and I’m in Bangkok or Cape Town or indeed London, so I can clink glasses face to face rather than through the ether with you all : )

4 users thanked author for this post.

Jacob, handbag, LuganoPirate, DerekVH

[Cwyfan]

How does one know how many posts one has done?

[GivingupBA]

[quote quote=912151]How does one know how many posts one has done?[/quote]

Click on your user name on the forum page.

[Seat62k]

I started reading BT in the early 1990s, picking up copies on planes or in lounges.

Discovered the online forum about 15to20 years ago, and have it to thank for much of what I know about travel tips.

Best bargain was CPH/JFK for £400 on BA J a few years ago.

Sadly I have still to meet any participants in person. Would there be any interest in a link detailing which lounges members will be in?

[Author]

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