What is the most useful frequent flyer blog?
Mar 17, 2013, 5:55 am
#1936
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: Georgia
Programs: AA, UA, DL, BA, HH, IHG
Posts: 155
Lucky is the one getting the free flight to Amsterdam:
http://boardingarea.com/blogs/onemil...top-amsterdam/
http://boardingarea.com/blogs/onemil...top-amsterdam/
Mar 17, 2013, 6:07 am
#1937
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: BUF
Programs: SPG Plt, HHonors Gold, UA Gold, PC Plat, Marriott Gold
Posts: 880
Lucky is the one getting the free flight to Amsterdam:
http://boardingarea.com/blogs/onemil...top-amsterdam/
http://boardingarea.com/blogs/onemil...top-amsterdam/
Anyway, call me a cynic, I'm sure we can expect a very unbiased review...
Mar 17, 2013, 6:32 am
#1938
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: RDU
Programs: A few
Posts: 5,499
While I actually agree with the bias issue, you are still free to just not read it. Why don't you do that? (Serious question I am expecting answers from those who moan here - why do you read these blogs you "hate" so much?)
Mar 17, 2013, 7:07 am
#1939
Join Date: Nov 2012
Location: 1A with Dom Perignon
Programs: Platinum Sky Pimp
Posts: 86
Mar 17, 2013, 7:15 am
#1940
Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: ABQ & RNO
Programs: AA EXP 4MM, Piper Dakota, Admirals Club, Hyatt Glob, Hilton Gold, Wyndham Diamond
Posts: 1,426
Mar 17, 2013, 7:34 am
#1942
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: BUF
Programs: SPG Plt, HHonors Gold, UA Gold, PC Plat, Marriott Gold
Posts: 880
AA (in bantuptcy) didn't give him that Bc they felt generous. They did it Bc they expect a positive review. Regardless of what lucky says, if they were at all worried about a negative review, he wouldnt have got the tix. So any bets on how he finds the product?
Product reviewers who take comps are shills... Plain and simple
Mar 17, 2013, 7:55 am
#1943
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: London
Programs: BA, VS, HH, IHG, MB, MR
Posts: 26,871
But when you redeem a few credit card miles for a (almost) free AA seat and write a trip report on FT, you wouldn't expect someone who was paying $5,000 of their own cash for the same ticket to look at the product the same way either.
Ben does travel enough so that any comparisons he makes with other J seats are properly valid (and would be laughed at if he came to any 'odd' conclusions).
Ben does travel enough so that any comparisons he makes with other J seats are properly valid (and would be laughed at if he came to any 'odd' conclusions).
Mar 17, 2013, 8:09 am
#1944
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: RDU
Programs: A few
Posts: 5,499
I agree it's hard to argue against a blogger taking stuff for free and then blogging about it. Though if you think that one is bad check out something like this: http://jdombstravels.com/paradise-fo...illas-maldives. I stumbled upon this researching some properties, and I subscribed out of curiosity. Every single post ends with "thanks to so-and-so for the free-whatever-whatever, our opinions are our own" with the forgotten bit of "and always singing the praises of whatever-whatever so that if you are the purveyor of another whatever-whatever you can be sure you can give it to us for free and we will write it up in glowing terms"
If people follow it like sheep, well more fool them.
In lucky's case I am sure it will be a good review because hey, it actually looks a pretty good product, and I am sure AA know that. Taking the money makes it a lot harder to be critical but I doubt he'd bury it if were an awful AA crew on an old lie-flat
If people follow it like sheep, well more fool them.
In lucky's case I am sure it will be a good review because hey, it actually looks a pretty good product, and I am sure AA know that. Taking the money makes it a lot harder to be critical but I doubt he'd bury it if were an awful AA crew on an old lie-flat
Mar 17, 2013, 8:25 am
#1945
Join Date: May 2009
Location: South Park, CO
Programs: Tegridy Elite
Posts: 5,678
I agree — there is nothing wrong with that.
The spirit of giving between members of FlyerTalk is very much alive and well today. You can still get great advice for free. All you have to do is ask.
The difference is that the membership of FlyerTalk has experienced exponential growth since those “good old days.” More people are interested in finding out how to earn and redeem miles and points — and thus, more people are capitalizing on that interest by devoting themselves full-time to what they enjoy doing: traveling, writing and dispensing that advice.
However, those people — such as “bloggers” — do need to earn a living. It is one thing to pop onto FlyerTalk for a few minutes to assist a fellow member with no strings attached; but it is another thing to devote to something full time and not expect to be compensated in some manner.
I would suspect that back in the “good old days”, it would have been far more difficult to eke out a career devoted to miles and points — simply because there were far fewer people interested in it. Also, frequent travel loyalty programs have become far more complex — and that is not even including credit cards. People arguably need assistance more than ever.
Let us not confuse the spirit of FlyerTalk with a growing industry which has a potential customer base with a demand being fulfilled by those who choose to devote themselves to supply it full-time — and let us not confuse those who want to earn an honest living “blogging” in the miles and points industry with those who may seem to be deceitful with their editorial content. In both cases, they can be mutually exclusive — and clouding up the differentiation serves little beneficial purpose.
The spirit of giving between members of FlyerTalk is very much alive and well today. You can still get great advice for free. All you have to do is ask.
The difference is that the membership of FlyerTalk has experienced exponential growth since those “good old days.” More people are interested in finding out how to earn and redeem miles and points — and thus, more people are capitalizing on that interest by devoting themselves full-time to what they enjoy doing: traveling, writing and dispensing that advice.
However, those people — such as “bloggers” — do need to earn a living. It is one thing to pop onto FlyerTalk for a few minutes to assist a fellow member with no strings attached; but it is another thing to devote to something full time and not expect to be compensated in some manner.
I would suspect that back in the “good old days”, it would have been far more difficult to eke out a career devoted to miles and points — simply because there were far fewer people interested in it. Also, frequent travel loyalty programs have become far more complex — and that is not even including credit cards. People arguably need assistance more than ever.
Let us not confuse the spirit of FlyerTalk with a growing industry which has a potential customer base with a demand being fulfilled by those who choose to devote themselves to supply it full-time — and let us not confuse those who want to earn an honest living “blogging” in the miles and points industry with those who may seem to be deceitful with their editorial content. In both cases, they can be mutually exclusive — and clouding up the differentiation serves little beneficial purpose.
The maturity of the internet, both in technology and exposure, since 1998 are factors too, I suppose.
Mar 17, 2013, 8:35 am
#1946
Join Date: Feb 2001
Location: Ann Arbor, Michigan
Programs: Airline Free Agent, Fairmont Lifetime Platinum, Hyatt Globalist, Hilton Honors Diamond
Posts: 3,041
I agree it's hard to argue against a blogger taking stuff for free and then blogging about it. Though if you think that one is bad check out something like this: http://jdombstravels.com/paradise-fo...illas-maldives. I stumbled upon this researching some properties, and I subscribed out of curiosity. Every single post ends with "thanks to so-and-so for the free-whatever-whatever...
Mar 17, 2013, 8:40 am
#1947
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: RDU
Programs: A few
Posts: 5,499
Actually this one makes me nauseate more than any affiliate links... I mean at least I as the reader stand to make something out of a card link. This is like "look at us traveling the world for free because you dopes keep clicking on our page"
Mar 17, 2013, 9:05 am
#1948
Join Date: Dec 2011
Location: In the heart of the Evil Empire
Programs: AA LT Gold, Starwood Gold, Hertz Gold, HHonors Gold, IHG Plat., BFD
Posts: 113
Mar 17, 2013, 10:22 am
#1949
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: SEA, but up and down the coast a lot
Programs: Oceanic Airlines Gold Elite
Posts: 20,392
But when you redeem a few credit card miles for a (almost) free AA seat and write a trip report on FT, you wouldn't expect someone who was paying $5,000 of their own cash for the same ticket to look at the product the same way either.
Ben does travel enough so that any comparisons he makes with other J seats are properly valid (and would be laughed at if he came to any 'odd' conclusions).
Ben does travel enough so that any comparisons he makes with other J seats are properly valid (and would be laughed at if he came to any 'odd' conclusions).
And seriously, guys... if you're doing luxury hotels as a blogger, you use social media a lot (including when things go wrong), and your name is distinctive, do you honestly think that any chain property isn't going to perk up their ears and take notice, and have lots of notes on "VIP VIP VIP" when their name comes up during checkin?
Read some Anthony Bourdain about how high end restauranteurs deal with VIP writers/reviewers to get an idea of what's going on here. I'm not saying Lucky is trying to milk the deal per se, but there's a reason why newspapers try to do blind reviews (and why restauranteurs try to figure out who those reviewers are).
Mar 17, 2013, 12:40 pm
#1950
Join Date: Feb 2013
Posts: 212
Just read this:
http://boardingarea.com/blogs/loyalt...age-miles-168/
For a beginner, it was really a good read. And as I thought about posting something here, I thought back and realized there were no cc links. I went back to verify and saw two ads along the side, but nothing embedded.
I am still trying to sort out which bloggers are worth following. I certainly recognize Ric's name but frankly as I try to get up to speed, I have been reading so many blogs with such similar names that they do blur a bit. However, this one stands out and I will now remember both Ric and Loyalty Traveler. I like his approach which mirrors mine. As he explains in his "About" page:
"I am not a luxury seeking global traveler staying 200+ nights in a hotel. That is not the lifestyle I want. My hotel lifestyle concern is usually something more mundane like how to get a good 4-star hotel in Los Angeles or San Francisco when rates are over $250 per night and I don’t want to spend more than $125."
and I like this:
"Disclosure Policy: Any link that provides referral income, any sponsored blog post or complimentary media trip will be disclosed. There are no affiliate marketing links on Loyalty Traveler at this time."
I expect FT old-timers know all this, but for the newbies following this thread, who are not into fancy aspirational travel and prefer few/no affiliate links, Ric and his Loyalty Traveler are worth some blog-reading time.
http://boardingarea.com/blogs/loyalt...age-miles-168/
For a beginner, it was really a good read. And as I thought about posting something here, I thought back and realized there were no cc links. I went back to verify and saw two ads along the side, but nothing embedded.
I am still trying to sort out which bloggers are worth following. I certainly recognize Ric's name but frankly as I try to get up to speed, I have been reading so many blogs with such similar names that they do blur a bit. However, this one stands out and I will now remember both Ric and Loyalty Traveler. I like his approach which mirrors mine. As he explains in his "About" page:
"I am not a luxury seeking global traveler staying 200+ nights in a hotel. That is not the lifestyle I want. My hotel lifestyle concern is usually something more mundane like how to get a good 4-star hotel in Los Angeles or San Francisco when rates are over $250 per night and I don’t want to spend more than $125."
and I like this:
"Disclosure Policy: Any link that provides referral income, any sponsored blog post or complimentary media trip will be disclosed. There are no affiliate marketing links on Loyalty Traveler at this time."
I expect FT old-timers know all this, but for the newbies following this thread, who are not into fancy aspirational travel and prefer few/no affiliate links, Ric and his Loyalty Traveler are worth some blog-reading time.