Originally Posted by
FallenPlat
Let's not lose perspective. Even suggesting that the blog is somehow dishonest is going too far -- and then some besides.
I think the blog's principal problem is that it's become more than slightly slap-dash. Many of the poorer posts are the quasi-encyclopedic ones that simply attempt too much with too little. Others, such as the trip reports, could do with some, any, personal verve, a spark. The Cuba series was simply appalling all the way around.
But more than a few of the posts are pretty good, which is what keeps me checking in to see if there's anything worth reading. There often is.
To me, stating
I never accept free flights either, nor does anyone at TPG
when that's clearly been shown not to be the case, counts as dishonest to me.
Now, as I said up-thread, it could be that current TPG policy is not to accept free flights and the statement posted in the comments response was a flip response from a staff member who didn't know or assumed that policy had always been in place. Had they corrected the error when it was pointed out (in more than one censored comment), that would be one thing. But deliberately deleting such comments and continuing to let the statement stand as-is, sure looks intentional.
And again, there isn't any reason to hide the fact that some trips are comp'd - it's not exactly uncommon.
It makes one wonder about the nature of the trip reports...are some comp'd and not disclosed? What else is being posted on the site that is inaccurate or misleading?
Years ago I read TPG quite a bit, it used to have some pretty straightforward information and analysis in some areas. For a time I referred newbie friends to it as one of the resources to get started in the hobby (along with FT and others). Over time I visited less and less as it just sort of deteriorated compared to what it was.