What is the most useful frequent flyer blog?

Is there any difference between bloggers who get comped the highest, most elite status on an airline and those who manage to get free trips and hotel rooms?

Well, if one wants to get technical about it... sure, nothing is free, period. If you don't travel, you'll always save a bunch. To me, however, the ability to cut air travel and accommodations out of the equation makes my trip as close to free as humanly possible. Is it 100% free? Of course not! But I'll take it!

I'm sure Gary posted a few weeks ago that the had NEVER taken a freebie of any value, certainly not a flight or hotel stay.

Nobody's saying that it isn't a killer deal... but it is in no way, shape or form "free" and therefore should not be marketed as such.

Lukcy (aka Ben) with "One mile at a time" still the best one out there...

An interesting read on the business side of travel blogging: http://mattkepnes.wordpress.com/2013...avel-blogging/.

It is more about travel blogs than points blogs (which are what most discussed here are, IMO), but I think there are some pointed parallels between the two. Not surprisingly, there is some significant discussion on the use of paid text links in posts.

Just in time for our discussions: Should You Start Your Own Points Blog?

And VFTW revisits (for the umpteenth time) the only destination that matters, the Maldives

Yes it does. Like in this "Best cards for students studying abroad"

http://thepointsguy.com/2013/03/vide...udying-abroad/

As it turns out Business Chase Ink cards are among them. Imagine that application! I wonder if Platinum MB Amex is good for a students as well.

I bet he has ending template for every post he publishes because it is so much hassle to ad 20 links in every post every time.

I believe you are pulling what he said out of context. While I'm not a big fan of referral links, TPG suggests getting the Freedom card with Chase and then down the road to hit up other cards that have a UR signing bonus since the points from each card can be combined.

His Sunday posts seem to be pumped out a bit quicker. He should have just put up a chart that showed the card, type of rewards, forex fee, and yearly fee... then explained them all.

I would have thought the best piece of advice would be to not get a credit card at all if you are a student and only abroad for 3 months. You could get a Charles Schwab checking account for free and not be charged any ATM or international banking fees. He does suggest being an authorized user on a parent's premium card that had no forex (this probably should have been his first suggestion).

While I was dreaming last night (seriously!), I stumbled on this interesting example...

Anyways, I got a Klout perk a few days ago, and I'm sort of stuck in a weird place. I sort of feel like I have to say that I got a perk, because then that's the only way the perks would continue, because then if I didn't then the provider wouldn't be getting the publicity s/he wanted.

Isn't that sort of like credit cards except with bigger numbers? If you're not going to push, no links for you.

It was the Fish McBites, wasn't it?

I've got your point. But then the question is what exactly is travel.

Two expenses you can't avoid on the road are transportation and lodging. Both can be had on miles and points. Everything else is, strictly speaking, optional.

Don't want to pay for tours -- don't. Read a lot of books, contact locals beforehabd and ask them to show you around.

Food? You still eat out even when not traveling. Not as much, granted, but one can always buy packaged food at a supermarket or grocery. Breakfast is often acheivable with status, and same holds true for snacks and drinks at the lounge.

What else is there? Souvenirs? Come on!

Even the free ride to the airport can be arranged if you ask a buddy or relative to take you there. And a rental can be had on points too. Not the best use of points, but it's easy and doable.

So, it all comes down to one thing: airline taxes. Taxes are inevitable. Yet, unbelievably enough, even that can often be taken care of by applying for the right kind of card with a statement credit.

Leisure travel is fun and some people will argue that having fun while staying home ain't free either. Some folks have expensive habits. Go clubbing in NYC or South Beach and tell me how cheap it is. Even small ticket items like having a cold one with friends, bowling alleyes, movie theaters -- things you routinely do at home without thinking twice cost money. Honestly, no grownup out there will expect to be able to go on a "free trip" without a wallet. What you, guys, demand here is the absolutely highest and improbable level of disclosure that nobody from any industry in the world will ever adhere to.

Schwag is schwag! ^

Lucky also seems to have hit the niche of finding ways to milk the US DM loophole of flying to Asia via Europe in as many ways as possible on *A

That said, if you have a certain travel pattern you become the expert of that route. Venturing outside that niche and writing something readable about it (that people want to read) must be pretty tough...

I probably not understanding this correctly but what loophole is that? from reading it I see he spent 230K miles on each ticket.