FlyerTalk is about to undergo its first change in leadership in its history of greater than 12 years beginning tomorrow, when SanDiego1K will officially take over as Community Director, while FlyerTalk founder Randy Petersen steps down. While we have no intention of speculating the involvement Randy Petersen will have concerning FlyerTalk in the future, we do know for a fact that in no way is he retiring anytime soon from assisting the frequent flier — in fact, he intends to remain quite active.

Although there are other changes in the works for FlyerTalk in 2011 which we will not discuss here, chances are you will not notice most of them, as the intent is to maintain and improve the FlyerTalk experience as seamlessly as possible. There is, however, one change which we will briefly discuss: where The Gate is located.

Unlike other weblogs, the primary purpose of The Gate is to highlight what is being posted on FlyerTalk on a daily basis. However, The Gate — owned by Internet Brands, which also is the current owner of FlyerTalk — is currently a part of BoardingArea.com, which is a Frequent Flyer Network site owned by Randy Petersen. While Randy Petersen has graciously offered to continue hosting The Gate at BoardingArea.com with no time limitation, plans are for The Gate to eventually — not immediately  — move to an Internet web site wholly within FlyerTalk.

Since its launch in 2006, The Gate has enjoyed its run at BoardingArea.com, which has a collection of many talented and experienced “bloggers” posting useful, informative and valuable content on a daily basis regarding virtually anything that has to do with travel. We have great respect for our fellow “bloggers” and hope you continue to support them. Most of all, we want to thank Randy Petersen for the opportunity to “blog” for The Gate and for hosting it at BoardingArea.com.

This is also a reminder for you to let us know what you want to see in The Gate in the future and how we can further improve it. This invitation is always open.

We appreciate you and thank you immensely for reading The Gate. Have a happy new year, and may the year 2011 be the best one yet for all. We look forward to your continued support in the years to come.

This story takes having a flight attendant “fed up” with a passenger to a whole new level.

Have you ever shared any of your in-flight meal with a flight attendant — and a supposedly young and attractive one at that — on the job during a flight? Well, FlyerTalk member BowTieGuy was fortunate enough to do just that, as he exclaims, “She ate my beef, and I loved it!”

If the meal was that successful, one has to wonder how dessert went…

Using Tabasco® brand hot sauce during a SkyWest flight apparently resulted in the case of a Man arrested for touching himself during flight to Idaho.

A 17-year-old female was sitting next to the 50-year-old man when he exposed himself and started what appeared to be the process of masturbation. She promptly moved to another seat on the aircraft, which was heading from Salt Lake City to Lewiston, and reportedly alerted her father, who then reportedly alerted Transportation Security Administration personnel, who then reportedly notified the Lewiston police department.

The suspect allegedly told police that he spilled Tabasco sauce on himself, which caused his crotch to burn and itch. However, when being questioned, police reportedly found no evidence of the sauce on his person, nor was he itching.

Perhaps during future flights, he either needs to consider switch brands of hot sauce, or refrain from using hot sauce at all.

However, a question immediately comes to mind: airlines — especially regional airlines — do not typically serve hot sauce aboard flights, and the man would not have been allowed through the airport security checkpoint with hot sauce, which would be considered a liquid…

…so if this hot sauce really existed, from where did he possibly obtain it?!?

FlyerTalk members typically like to collect memorabilia such as amenity kits. For example, Do you take hotel toiletries ? Or, Do you take home hotel soap? But, What do you do with multiple airline amenity kits? About those Amenity kits… How do you use them? Is it now time to donate them for a worthwhile cause, as in this example of a hotel Soap donation?

So What would be the good use of airline/hotel amenity kits?

Although not a new idea, FlyerTalk member elCheapoDeluxe suggests giving FlyerTalk amenity kits for the homeless. Amenity kits, usually given to passengers of the premium class cabin on international flights, contain miniature versions of such necessities as toothpaste, soaps, shampoos and toothbrushes — and the donation of such items can continue all year long, not simply around the holiday season.

Some FlyerTalk members have argued in the past that hotel toiletries are the property of the hotel and not necessarily that of the hotel guest. However, we at The Gate have yet to read about a hotel guest accused of stealing the toiletries already provided in his or her room…

There are restaurants and other eating establishments which eventually die due to one of the following reasons, including but certainly not limited to:

• Change of ownership
• Those who serve do not speak the native language of the country in which the restaurant is located
• Tinker with a beloved recipe

It can especially be heartbreaking to clientele which has patronized a dining establishment for years, only to see it change to the point where patronizing it is sadly no longer an option, let alone worth going out of one’s way.

Here are more details on how to kill a restaurant — or, more accurately, how restaurants kill themselves…

“Is that a service cat?”

Here is the story that allegedly happened in the words of FlyerTalk member CDTraveler:

“Third day on the road, and our big guy was not going back in the carrier when we arrived at our La Quinta for the night. So we clipped on his leash (our cats always wear their harnesses while traveling) and walked him on in to the lobby. Desk clerk looked at him, strolling so casually along on a leash, and said, ‘Is that a service cat?’ I said, ‘Well, he does the work of one, but he doesn’t have the paperwork.’

“While she was checking us in, a woman came in with her ‘dog’ – I’ve seen bigger rats on leashes. My son laughed at the dog, because it was literally one-forth the size of our cat and made a joke about size reversal – big cat/tiny dog.

“As we’re walking away, the woman is heard complaining to the desk clerk ‘People shouldn’t travel with cats, they’re just nuisances in public.’ to which the desk clerk replied ‘That’s a service cat; he has the right be here!’

“Gotta love those who know the ADA.”

Every year, FlyerTalk and its members share thoughts regarding the Christmas holiday by posting threads on — where else — but FlyerTalk.

The Gate wishes you and yours a very Merry Christmas and a joyous holiday season!

Listed below are some select Christmas and holiday threads that were launched on FlyerTalk in 2010:

• Merry Christmas!
• Thank you AA for getting me home before Christmas!
• Christmas Song for all and AC
• Hasn’t anyone started a BAEC “Merry Christmas” thread?
• Happy Holiday Cocktails: Hilton’s 12 Drinks of Christmas
• It’s Christmas – Did you ask “Fairmont Claus” for anything?
• Happy Christmas
• OT: Christmas and all
• Merry Christmas to everyone in the Eurobonus forum
• Merry Christmas to everyone in the US forum
• Happy Holidays to our fellow OnePass’ers!
• Happy Holidays, UA MP Flyertalkers!
• Happy Holidays to those who read & contribute to TB
• Season’s Greetings and Happy Holidays
• Seasons Greetings from your CommunityBuzz! Moderator team
• Felices Fiestas – Seasons Greetings !!!!!
• Seasons Greetings
• Thank you all and festive greetings

Many people would be thrilled just to be able to secure an airline reservation with a seat in the premium class cabin, let alone be upgraded to it. In fact, there are those who have not yet — and may never will have — the opportunity to travel in a premium class seat on a flight.

Then again, there are those such as FlyerTalk member gabgab who ask “What is the worst first-class seat you have ever had?”

As true to form on FlyerTalk, there is already a growing list of candidates to answer that question, as well as some differences in opinion as to exactly what defines a first-class seat…

If you own an Apple iPhone and want to be able to access FlyerTalk from it, here is some good news for you: Internet Brands has announced about how the Flyertalk iPhone app launched! The “app” is free of charge and works with all Apple devices running iOS 3.2 and higher, which includes the iPad, iPhone 3G/3GS, iPod Touch and iPhone 4. It enables one to post, read and edit messages; upload photos; start drama in PR; moderate; send PMs; and use FlyerTalk similar to how one uses FlyerTalk while sitting in front of a computer. Also, the FlyerTalk iphone app has arrived in iTunes store!!!

To submit feedback on this new iPhone “app” for FlyerTalk, please post in the Flyertalk iPhone App Feedback thread.

Is it frowned upon to be Asking for seconds during meal service in First class…?

The answer is that it depends on how one asks.

During a domestic flight in the premium class cabin several years ago, I was served a bowl of mushroom soup as part of the meal service. I do not typically care for mushrooms, but this was the best mushroom soup I have ever had, and I let the flight attendant know my thoughts. She promptly returned with another steaming hot bowl of mushroom soup and a big smile. Although I did not purposely try to get another bowl, she went out of her way to do so — and I greatly appreciated it.

However, FlyerTalk member kh105000 had a starkly different experience on one particular flight: “My most memorable CO 1st class dining experience was the FA getting distracted before getting to me with my beverage and nuts, then engaging upfront in chitchat with another FA. When he finally got back to my seat I asked for the drink and nuts and he said ‘you don’t get seconds, and any way we’re out of nuts.’ When I responded that he never served me the first time he left, returned with the missing nuts and slammed them on the tray.”

As is said often on FlyerTalk, your “mileage may vary”…