We are excited to have launched the initial “alpha” of this site for business class reviews! There’s still a long way to go, but something is better than nothing! This Premium Travel Insider Alpha Launch FAQ will give you a better idea of what to expect and why I picked what I did.
What is the point of this site?
We wanted to create a “Rotten Tomatoes” for premium air travel reviews. The idea is this site will serve as both a resource for people planning a vacation or business trip as well as a comprehensive encyclopedia of “AvGeek porn” (i.e., amusement reading for travel nerds like myself) for those who just enjoy seeing what’s out there in a more organized fashion.
How did you pick the airlines you chose for the alpha launch?
It was a combination of what I had already started to enter into my database of reviews which I started when the idea for this site was born along with a “you have to start somewhere” cutoff. Over time, I intend to add all of the major (and minor) long haul business class options.
How did you pick the review sites you chose for the alpha launch?
Again, this was a bit of randomness. I went with a number of sites I personally frequent (The Points Guy, One Mile at a Time, Live and Let’s Fly) plus others that came up when I searched for reviews. I recognize there is a LOT out there—again, over time, I hope to capture it all. Some sites—like the aforementioned three—put out a LOT of content; others only have 25-50 quality reviews. I want a balanced opinion and thus will include sites of all sizes.
An important thing to note: we never will knowingly include reviewers where the reviewer did not pay their own way (in points or miles).
When are first class reviews coming?
Very soon. I actually have over 60 reviews across 16 or so airlines in the database already. It’s now a matter of rounding out the initial launch 11 airlines (targeted) to have at least 5-7 reviews each for launch. I anticipate this will go live before the end of June.
Are you going deeper (more reviews per page) or wider (more airlines) next?
I’d like to start by adding a few of the bigger business class airlines I didn’t include in the alpha launch (Qantas, New Zealand, Korean Air, and Emirates all come to mind), and then go for 10 reviews per major airline. Once that’s complete I’ll likely start adding some of the smaller airlines.
How can I trust your assessment of the reviews?
A great question. First, this is the internet, you should trust no one. Second, you can learn more about our methodology. The reality is it’s more art than science in most cases, as I am measuring sentiment and expectations—i.e., were the reviewers expectations met or not—and this can get a bit squishy. I have a few tricks (i.e., a lexicon/sentiment scale I use) to keep things consistent.
I went with a 3-point scale (failed to meet expectations, met expectations, beat expectations) vs. the “good or bad” of Rotten Tomatoes intentionally. If you’re shelling out big bucks for a business or first class seat, you probably want a bit more detail than “good” or “bad.” Because there’s a LOT of room in between those two.
What else will you have besides reviews?
Once I have more rounded content, I intend to dive into analytics. There’s a lot of fun things that can be done with the data and the reviews that I think will be interesting to readers, but I need to get the sample size up—ideally I want to get to 10 reviews per airline before I do anything too complex. Additionally, we’ll have occasional internal reviews from our own travels.
I’m a reviewer and your characterization of my review is all screwed up. What now?
Contact us! As I note on the methodology page, this is not meant to mis-portray anyone. Let’s chat and we can make sure I explain my interpretation and we are able to correct things. The goal here is accuracy, not to pan anyone (unless you trashed an airline in your review!).
That’s all for today. Thanks for reading, and make sure to follow us on social media and subscribe to the newsletter!