From: hideo@tansei.cc.u-tokyo.ac.jp (KANNO Hideo)
Newsgroups: rec.travel.air,fj.rec.travel.air
Subject: Re: Travel Award for sale
Keywords: DISTRIBUTION for articles on ticket for sale, FFP, UA Mileage Plus
Date: 26 Aug 92 07:48:36 GMT
Followup-To: rec.travel.air
Organization: Computer Centre, University of Tokyo

In article <1992Aug25.194433.11297@ultb.isc.rit.edu> txc6266@ultb.isc.rit.edu (T.X. Cheng ) writes:

Hi! Thank you for your kind explanations.

>In article <2924@tansei1.tansei.cc.u-tokyo.ac.jp> hideo@tansei.cc.u-tokyo.ac.jp (KANNO Hideo) writes:
>>Anyway I can't agree with selling FFP awards on rec.travel.air.

>The real situation in US is:
>  A lot of people sell awards and a lot of people buy and use awards.

I'm not sure they are "a lot of" or not.  But I agree it.

>And I believe that the airlines won't check how people get it.
>The reason is pretty simple that the airlines companies' purpose is to earn
>more money.  If they check the award and assert that is sold then refuse 
>anybody to take the plane at the boarding gate.  The result is that they could
>lose two customers at one time.  The one who sold it and the one who buy it.
>The airlines companies won't let that happens.  

Yes, I think so.
Airlines can't check passengers seriously.
There are many risk for airlines. And it takes much costs.
Sometimes FFPs award sellors are Premier Exective or Gold ......

>I'm sorry that I don't know the situation in Japan.

Unfortunatary FFPs are not so popular in Japan.  
Because of Japan Airlines and the Ministry of Transport's pressure.
No airlines can advertise on newspaper or TV.
I hate this situation. 
And, as you know, JAL and ANA offer FFPs to US residents.

The first publication which introduced FFPs to Japanese was wrote by me,  
named "How to Buy and How to Use Discount Airticket 1990"(JICC Press, Tokyo).
It sold approx 200,000.  It made many many FFP member in Japan,
especially of NW WorldPerks and UA Mileage Plus.

After this book, some books and magazines introduced FFPs.

Now, I think, a half or a third of NW/UA Japanese passengers are members 
of FFP.  I am trying to introduce FFPs as many passengers as possible.

Nearly-NO member are selling/buying FFPs awards in Japan,
except just amoung their friends.

I think there are just one award broker in Tokyo
(I don't know its TEL. And they may have another main business),
but I've never seen its advertisement.  It may be working in secret.

By the way,

My opinion is not for just FFPs or risks, 
but rather for **the policy of network**.

In case of "fj"(Japanese main NetNews), peoples are very serious on
articles on anti-rule/anti-law actions, there have been many discussions.
In fj.rec.travel.air, there have never been an article on
ticket/award selling/buying.  Just for discussions on air transportation.
I like this situation.

If most netters on fj.rec.travel.air agree to selling/buying awards,
now I quit to say something on it. And I'm not serious for selling tickets.

Thank you to everyone who kindly discussed on my opinion.

---------------------------------------------------------

At least, please notice.

If you want to post the article for sale.
Please check DISTRIBUTION.  Don't select WORLD.  
At first, please try LOCAL(i.e. your university or your city).
For example, person in Tokyo don't want to know the sale of airticket from
New York to New Orleans. It's not a information but just a noise. 
It must cause serious problems for transpacific/atlantic 
internet connection lines and local trafic and each sites' disk space.
Again PLEASE SELSCT EXACT DISTRIBUTION for your purpose.

Thanks in advance.
--
            _      .---    KANNO HIDEO     kanno@tansei.cc.u-tokyo.ac.jp 
  _________/ |__--'@/      Dept. of Biophysics & Biochemistry, Univ. of Tokyo
 (__PAN AM/__|__===-~      3-1, Hongo 7-chome, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113, JAPAN 
                           (JALNET: JAL13073, NIFTY-Serve: GFC00670)