As 2003 grows brighter on the horizon, and we reflect on all we’ve seen in 2002, I want to take just a moment to say thank you.

Thank you to the frequent traveler programs — I have a lot of fun at your expense sometimes, but please, consider it tough love. Thank you to the thousands of mileage junkies out there who keep this whole game fun and enjoyable.

But most of all, to the readers of Inside Flyer, without whom none of this would be possible, thank you.

It’s taken a while, but we are very proud to announce the formal launch of the online version of Inside Flyer magazine, now available at www.insideflyer.com.

After maintaining an online version of the magazine for years on the webflyer.com site, we decided it was time to give Inside Flyer its own home on the Internet. And while we were at it, we also added several new features and brought back some old features that you’re sure to enjoy.

Our own Mikel Bowman, Critical Content Gate Keeper for the insideflyer.com site and all-around nice-guy here at the House of Miles, explains: “Programs continue to grow in complexity and changes in the frequent travel industry occur ever more rapidly. We set out to design a site that was fun and informative, a site that frequent travelers will enjoy using in their quest to stay on top of the miles and points game.”

Long-time readers may remember the old “Programs and Partners” section, wherein all of the program partnerships were listed in an easy-to-read format. Though quite popular, we were eventually forced to eliminate this section from the print magazine due to space constraints. Well, thanks to the nearly limitless expanse of cyber space, we’ve brought Programs and Partners back, and have made it even better than before. Now readers can search partnerships quickly online by program and partner.

In addition to the Programs and Partners section, readers will also find a Sound Off feature that allows for the posting of comments in relation to selected articles, links that make it easy to print and/or email an article and an improved search application that provides access to current and archived issues.

Insideflyer.com also contains information you won’t find in the print edition. In the Online Only section you’ll find articles, interviews, program reviews and more that we either couldn’t fit in the print edition or that were developed specifically for the online edition. This month is a perfect example of that. We’ve got charts about expiring miles and points as well as elite level re-qualification information that simply would not fit in this issue. That and our 10 trends/predictions for the new year all appear online for you to use.

So what’s this going to cost you? If you are already a subscriber to Inside Flyer magazine, you’ll receive access to the online edition absolutely free — just go to insideflyer.com, complete a short form and you’ll be issued a username and password within hours.

We hope you enjoy insideflyer.com and we look forward to your feedback.

Finally, a sad salute to a fallen comrade. We learned in November that Consumer Reports Travel Letter is calling it quits in January after 17 years. Seems that even the backing of an industry leader like Consumer Reports could not pull it out of trouble. I’ve read the magazine for many years and have had the good fortune to meet many of those who built it, and I can honestly say that the traveling public has been struck a blow. The publishing world will be a lonelier place without them.

To the folks at the Travel Letter, to the industry we hope to see out of the doldrums soon, and to you, our reader, my very best wishes, my thanks, and my hopes for a very happy new year.