Raffles

$1m+ for the main BA guys.

Sounds like a lot, but it isn't. At $100 a card that is only 10,000 cards a year or 200 per week. Gary has 40,000 people just on his email list. Points Guy claims 1m unique monthly visitors (which I believe, as I have 150,000 and I run a tiny UK blog).

You also need to understand how the links work. They are 30 day cookies. You do NOT have to 'choose' to use someones links. If you click through to card website via a link on a blog, just to check out the small print for instance, the blogger gets paid if you apply via the same computer at any point in the next month. The cookies are normally brand-wide as well, so even if you apply for a totally different card from the same issuer they are still paid.

TMM1982

So 1) why wouldn't every Joe Schmo try to write blogs at BA? Seems like a decent way to scrape by a decent living?

And 2) TPG (as far as I know) has his own business and isn't affiliated with BA. Meaning all affiliate link comp is his and his alone. I'm assuming BA takes a big cut from any of its bloggers.

Raffles

BA takes no cut of affiliate income at all AFAIK. They only take a cut of advertising revenue.

You're right, TPG is not part of BA. I only mention him because he makes his readership figures public.

The reason everyone doesn't do it is because it is hard work. My site is now a full-time job (well, full-time hours, although I have the luxury of setting my own). For every hour you spend writing (and I am doing 21 articles a week so that is a lot of hours) you should assume another hour answering reader emails and queries and another hour dealing with affiliates and advertisers. That is before you start dealing with tax, site layout, site redesigns etc.

At the same time, it will take you a decent amount of time to get to a position where the card companies will deal with you. For a couple of years you are relying on just the advertising income.

You also need to be able to write well, of course.

So, basically, IF you have the right mix of writing and business ability AND you are prepared to work flat out for a couple of years without a huge return then eventually you MAY get to a position where the card companies will deal with you.

It is not a complete coincidence that Frequent Miler and I followed a similar trajectory, being laid off with long notice periods which gave us time to get traction before the making the call on whether to get a 'proper' job or push on with our blogs. Ben / Lucky and Scott / Travel Codex both started whilst at college (and Scott developed it in the time after leaving and whilst looking for a 'proper' job). Gary does not work full time in his real job, I believe, and has no family which makes it easier for him (he has written that, I am not putting words in his mouth I hope).

oliver2002

Because you don't get affiliate links handed to you without a track record of regular traffic. Also once you have the affiliate contracts in place you need to deliver about 150 sign ups each month, or else you loose your contract.

In other news: It seems BAs ad revenue took another hit this month. Now some type of ads pay less. Curious what the HOM has up the innovation pipeline, the BArea business model is maturing fast...

84fiero

While this should matter, the poor writing ability (or proofreading ability) of even the very successful P&M blogs seems to indicate otherwise. There are some exceptions of course.

FallenPlat

But not many exceptions. The writing's mostly just terrible. Some don't even know how to tell (and pace) a decent story.

Astrophsx

The future of Boarding Area:
http://nymag.com/news/features/buzzfeed-2013-4/

Kagehitokiri

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/exter...late-post.html

MMS is very different from ben

pricesquire

My new least favorite blogger: Economy Class and Beyond. UK based blog? I caught NO less than 18 errors on the past 3 posts. 18!!!

The substance is absolutely garbage.

Don't mean to offend the writer or anyone involved, but this is a poor effort at best.

A shame, because I actually fly a decent amt of Econ and would like a bloggers take..

Astrophsx

Looks like a certain BA blogger doesn't know the difference between Grenada and Granada. Reminds me of those new stories where a couple lands in the wrong country due to a similar mistake.

http://michaelwtravels.boardingarea.....QH2By6y4.dpbs

MichaelWTravels

Of course I know the difference, it's called a typo... Thanks for pointing it out though.

Astrophsx

No problem

PaladinUA

If I recall correctly - TPG is actually owned by Bankrate...

Kagehitokiri

and IB acquired FTG

eponymous_coward

One Simple Trick to Stop Clickbait from Annoying You