Airports have areas where the airline lounges are located in a specific location. MP has a few lounges, aka social threads, where FF flyers meet and discuss travel and non travel subjects. Each lounge have developed a unique culture and member following. In fact, the "FL" and Community m/a/e" threads have a vibrant and an active membership ! Why not regroup all the social lounges under an umbrella forum designation Milepoint Lounges with each existing social becoming a sub forum ? Each subforum would keep its uniqueness and folllowing. What is the opinion of the MP membership?
I'd like to keep the threads separate, but their location in MP is of no consequence to me. Maybe if you moved them out of the airline forums though we'd see when new info is really posted. As long as I can hang out with whomever I want or don't want, I'm good. Make it all one thread and my participation will decline further.
First of all, it's not true that airport lounges are necessarily located together in the airport. In many airports, they're located close to the gates used by that carrier, which is much more convenient for passengers. In hubs, an airline might operate multiple lounges in order to have one reasonably close to most gate areas. In terms of MP, I think it would be a big mistake to move the airline-specific lounge threads outside of the respective airline fora. It's important for visitors to an airline forum to be aware of the associated lounge thread and for those of us who are aware, it's nice to be able to drop in and out of the lounge easily and quickly while scanning to see what's new in that airline forum. I suspect that many MP users visit only the fora associated with their primary program and don't necessarily explore other areas. In the current system, the airline lounge threads are mostly visited by those who fly particular airlines often, although this isn't at all a rule and everyone is welcome AFAIK in any lounge thread. They serve an important role on MP in helping the regular participants in a forum to get to know each other better. If the airline lounge threads were to be moved together into a single forum, they would cease to be as associated with that airline on MP and would seem like just a big bunch of competing lounge areas that would appear indistinguishable to newcomers. To me, this would ultimately make MP less of a welcoming place as it grows bigger.
Whether or not one agrees with Milchap's question and proposal of moving all Lounges into one common area, or of perhaps just moving all of the non-airline specific social Lounges into a common area (while retaining Lounge thread identities), I think the proposal deserves study and comment as MSPe suggests. Many of us whom participate in one or more specific Airline-related Lounges have also posted in both named social lounges (FL and Community), indeed at least two of the most prolific posters in the Delta forum for example have over 1000 posts each on the FL thread alone. Keeping the identity of each lounge I think we can all agree benefits MP greatly; the issue is merely a matter of proper placement so that everyone - newbies included - can find and investigate and later participate in the lounge(s) he/she likes or has an interest in.
I'm quoting Kaanapali's post above twice in order to show his complete original post and then to emphasize the part to which I'm responding. When I first saw this, I was shocked by the suggestion that I had suggested, in referring to Milchap's proposal in his OP, that "the proposal deserves study." I thought my comments were pretty clear that I think his proposal is a bad idea, not only for the airline-specific fora and their associated lounges but also for MP in general, especially as we grow. I don't think there's really anything to research or study further, although I do of course welcome any comments on the opinions I expressed above. I'm aware of lounge threads in the AC, ANA, CO/UA, DL, US, and JL airline fora; there might be some others.
The referenced quotation was meant as two separate parts - though perhaps it could be read as both things together. "I think the proposal deserves study" AND "and comments as MSPe suggests". Support for the second part of my sentence can be found...for example....in MSPe's post at http://milepoint.com/forums/posts/442579/. Indeed, one could read that post, specifically the sentence "If you have an opinion about the suggested policy change proposed by milchap, you should post your reaction (and reasoning if you wish) in that thread." as supporting both parts of my sentence being read together. In any event....such was not my intention when I wrote same.
Like others, I agree with MSPeconomist's take one this. Could you expand on why you think this is needed? Is there something I'm missing?
A good argument can be made both ways. Speaks to the need for secondary instances and pointers where a thread could "reside" in one forum yet have a pointer in another forum which simply ends up at the main residence. Similarly, a thread about both, say, AA and WN, could appear in both the AA and WN forums regardless of where it actually "resided."
Hi, My vote would go to keeping the lounge threads where they are. They have an affinity to a specific airline, and thus should be close to the other discussions on the topic of that airline. In the end, while there is a lot of banter, the lounge threads are often also used by newbies to ask questions when overwhelmed by the amount of other threads, and there is discussion around some of the airline policies/rules/..., just like you would have in any bar or lounge. The general lounge threads do not have that linkage, and thus can stay in the general area. To summarize, please do not change anything. GenevaFlyer
You could always have a "Lounge Page" with links to all of the respective lounges that reside inside of their forums. This could be done without relocating the actual lounges.
The Delta Lounge™ was the original lounge thread on FT, but its heritage goes back almost eight years to the Unabashed Cholula Spam thread. We are not the least bit interested in having our fine Lounge™ merged, moved or consolidated. If any such thing happens, we simply will start a new Lounge™ thread or go elsewhere. In particular, we will not be caught dead (or alive) cohabiting with those uncouth people who can't even spell the word "the" correctly, although we might occasionally stop by in an attempt to raise their pathetic standards.
This is a good idea....especially if such a Lounge Page was placed in Newbies and listed all the lounges on MP
One thing that I do feel strange, is some lounges, come under the airline program topic and not "off topic". Is this so there posts can be classed as "content"? A quick look at the link posted above (http://milepoint.com/forums/posts/442579/) showed very few posts on that page related to "Delta". I am not saying that there is no posts about delta airlines, don't get me wrong, but it could be confusing for newbies. I tend to agree with milchap. it would make it a lot easier for new members to find the social threads. Lets not kid ourselves, they are all social threads "with content" some may just have a bit more than others. MikeMpls now you know who milchap is
That is a good way to meet in the middle. I am against relocating them, and this provides an easy way for new people to find them and learn about what they are.
I agree. Indexing content to make it easier to find is always good. In vBulletin (XenForo probably has the same capablity) a link in an index can go directly to a URL (including a lounge thread), so it doesn't have to be a real forum or thread that you have to read first to find your link.
Yeah, I don't think that there is any reason to move the lounge threads to a "lounge thread" forum but it would be nifty to have a central lounge listing. Or we can have Skyteam/oneworld/Star Alliance lounge threads a la TBIT at LAX to quiet those who think we have too many lounge threads! (Note the joking manner this suggestion was made in)
