FlyerTalk costars in lengthy Rolling Stone feature | "Up in the Air" | July 20, 2015
Jul 20, 2015 | 2:03 pm
#1
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FlyerTalk costars in lengthy Rolling Stone feature | "Up in the Air" | July 20, 2015
http://www.rollingstone.com/culture/...-free-20150720
Up in the Air: Meet the Man Who Flies Around the World for Free
Up in the Air: Meet the Man Who Flies Around the World for Free
Around age 13, he discovered the website FlyerTalk, a massive free-for-all forum of all things airline, where users meet to strategize over deals, test for cracks in the bureaucracy and share the spoils.
... FlyerTalk became the singular worldwide hub of airline nerds, and today it claims to have more than 500,000 members. Virtually nothing on FlyerTalk is meant to be understood by outsiders. Posts there are littered with jargon like "3xx" (Airbus), "open jaw" (three-segment round trip) and "FEBO" (in-flight meal delivery).
... Airline representatives insist ... FlyerTalk represent little more than a portal for passionate customers. But mention the Hobby's darker side, and they turn grave. "If any members of these groups were particularly effective, they could have a catastrophic effect on an airline," says Jonathan Clarkson, director of Southwest Airlines' rewards program.
Jul 20, 2015 | 2:07 pm
#2
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Also being discussed in the last few pages of this thread in the External Miles and Points Resources forum:
One Mile at a Time [OMaaT] discussions [merged]
One Mile at a Time [OMaaT] discussions [merged]
Jul 21, 2015 | 9:36 pm
#5
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I almost passed over the story in the dead-tree edition from reading in my subscription copy. Once I realized what it was I had to sit down and read more closely.
Fifteen years ago something like this would be feared to start a noob invasion, but with print media declining in influence and the audience for it getting older it's less of a fear now. It's in the summer RS double issue, even though the issue is normal-sized.
Also, noticeably, they don't tease the article on the cover.
As for content, it seems fairly well-researched, though it's another one of those "freak show" type things leaving the reader scratching his head but thinking, "OK, but WHY?" Someone who gets so hooked on both the miles-collecting and the constant travel and pampering (the luxe part being presumably a huge part of the appeal) that they do it constantly.
In the "Up in the Air" movie you had a mile-hoarder as a main character, though his job was responsible for most of the travel and he liked the special treatment but kept piling up unused miles. Also a bit out of the zone of relatability to the average person.
This can't be the reason seminars fill up...there must be a more balanced version that most people are aiming for. Yet stories in the media tend to make it into more of a freak show.
Fifteen years ago something like this would be feared to start a noob invasion, but with print media declining in influence and the audience for it getting older it's less of a fear now. It's in the summer RS double issue, even though the issue is normal-sized.
Also, noticeably, they don't tease the article on the cover.
As for content, it seems fairly well-researched, though it's another one of those "freak show" type things leaving the reader scratching his head but thinking, "OK, but WHY?" Someone who gets so hooked on both the miles-collecting and the constant travel and pampering (the luxe part being presumably a huge part of the appeal) that they do it constantly.
In the "Up in the Air" movie you had a mile-hoarder as a main character, though his job was responsible for most of the travel and he liked the special treatment but kept piling up unused miles. Also a bit out of the zone of relatability to the average person.
This can't be the reason seminars fill up...there must be a more balanced version that most people are aiming for. Yet stories in the media tend to make it into more of a freak show.
Jul 22, 2015 | 7:52 am
#6
Join Date: Feb 2013
Location: DCA
Posts: 7,777
Despite all of the other things that could have been bugging me as I read this article (and there were a lot of them), this was the one that was making my skin crawl. Not only is it not the way that the phrase is used in the community, it is NOT PROPER ENGLISH!!!
Jul 24, 2015 | 10:24 pm
#9
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In "On the Road," for example, you had a lot of train travel but not JUST that.
But it seems like the media will focus on the most extreme cases that look craziest to the average person.
I also seem to recall some hackers a few years ago that had a big run with ID thefts. They spent the money on staying in 5-star hotels and that kind of thing.
Jul 25, 2015 | 9:29 am
#10
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I read this article, on my phone unfortunately...it was just way too long for a phone article but I was interested so I kept going.
I loved the up in the air movie but yeah this is totally different.
There was a few things I didn't understand and maybe you guys can shed some light.
He's working strictly for this website he runs, which brings in ad revenue and referrals and then some award consulting he does for a fee. That's awesome, I'd be doing that too if I could make a living from it, forget all the flying/hotels.
But there's no WAY that all this comes from just credit card signups and bonuses. He said he started doing mileage runs at an early age. Maybe that was more profitable then, it seems like mileage runs for redeemable miles now isn't as good of an idea, it still works for status, but even then it doesn't make sense (99% of the time) to do MRs to achieve status, it makes sense to push yourself from 90,000k to 100,000k or whatever but not all MR just for status.
So they briefly mention manufactured spend, and I know there was a great thing going with Target Red or something. I did enough reading to know just a bit about it and that it was dead and that it didn't really apply to Canadians, so I was out. But from my recent readings there isn't much TRUE MS these days if any. I mean true as in you get your money back or the goods were something you'd pay for anyway that never expire and never go bad (but that can still only take you so far).
So where do all these miles come from? He even admits to paying for many of his hotel rooms, I'm assuming he strategically pays for the cheaper ones, but hotels are insanely expensive and I can't see him paying for that many of them considering he's doing hotels for an entire year.
My other thing was...ok great he loves to fly, not necessarily travel, but fly. It seems like he's built in stopovers strictly to try other products, or just to keep flying. Is that accurate? Like arriving in Tokyo at 3am only to leave again at noon? I realize travelling would add to his expenses but I just don't see the point in flying OZ F for the 5th time ICN-LAX after flying across the ocean the day before. He doesn't say he's mileage running much, it SEEMS most of these are being done on points, or am I nuts?
It sounds glamorous and I like that he points out the loneliness, which makes it feel more genuine. I know it's also kinda advantageous for him not to give away all the secrets, but I wanna know the background behind the stuff he's doing, not because I wanna do that myself, but because I think you could probably scale it down to do a couple times of year. I'm probably already doing that now following the teachings on this board, but he seems to travel FREE, whereas I can sign up for a credit card, but having to meet a $500/$1000/$3000 spend in 3 months isn't always a good idea/practical/easy.
The whole thing is only made harder too by being a Canadian...damn you maple leaf!!!! We have like 3-4 viable credit cards to what seems like your 10-15!
I loved the up in the air movie but yeah this is totally different.
There was a few things I didn't understand and maybe you guys can shed some light.
He's working strictly for this website he runs, which brings in ad revenue and referrals and then some award consulting he does for a fee. That's awesome, I'd be doing that too if I could make a living from it, forget all the flying/hotels.
But there's no WAY that all this comes from just credit card signups and bonuses. He said he started doing mileage runs at an early age. Maybe that was more profitable then, it seems like mileage runs for redeemable miles now isn't as good of an idea, it still works for status, but even then it doesn't make sense (99% of the time) to do MRs to achieve status, it makes sense to push yourself from 90,000k to 100,000k or whatever but not all MR just for status.
So they briefly mention manufactured spend, and I know there was a great thing going with Target Red or something. I did enough reading to know just a bit about it and that it was dead and that it didn't really apply to Canadians, so I was out. But from my recent readings there isn't much TRUE MS these days if any. I mean true as in you get your money back or the goods were something you'd pay for anyway that never expire and never go bad (but that can still only take you so far).
So where do all these miles come from? He even admits to paying for many of his hotel rooms, I'm assuming he strategically pays for the cheaper ones, but hotels are insanely expensive and I can't see him paying for that many of them considering he's doing hotels for an entire year.
My other thing was...ok great he loves to fly, not necessarily travel, but fly. It seems like he's built in stopovers strictly to try other products, or just to keep flying. Is that accurate? Like arriving in Tokyo at 3am only to leave again at noon? I realize travelling would add to his expenses but I just don't see the point in flying OZ F for the 5th time ICN-LAX after flying across the ocean the day before. He doesn't say he's mileage running much, it SEEMS most of these are being done on points, or am I nuts?
It sounds glamorous and I like that he points out the loneliness, which makes it feel more genuine. I know it's also kinda advantageous for him not to give away all the secrets, but I wanna know the background behind the stuff he's doing, not because I wanna do that myself, but because I think you could probably scale it down to do a couple times of year. I'm probably already doing that now following the teachings on this board, but he seems to travel FREE, whereas I can sign up for a credit card, but having to meet a $500/$1000/$3000 spend in 3 months isn't always a good idea/practical/easy.
The whole thing is only made harder too by being a Canadian...damn you maple leaf!!!! We have like 3-4 viable credit cards to what seems like your 10-15!
Jul 25, 2015 | 11:20 am
#11
Join Date: May 2009
Location: South Park, CO
Programs: Tegridy Elite
Posts: 5,678
I read this article, on my phone unfortunately...it was just way too long for a phone article but I was interested so I kept going.
I loved the up in the air movie but yeah this is totally different.
There was a few things I didn't understand and maybe you guys can shed some light.
He's working strictly for this website he runs, which brings in ad revenue and referrals and then some award consulting he does for a fee. That's awesome, I'd be doing that too if I could make a living from it, forget all the flying/hotels.
But there's no WAY that all this comes from just credit card signups and bonuses. He said he started doing mileage runs at an early age. Maybe that was more profitable then, it seems like mileage runs for redeemable miles now isn't as good of an idea, it still works for status, but even then it doesn't make sense (99% of the time) to do MRs to achieve status, it makes sense to push yourself from 90,000k to 100,000k or whatever but not all MR just for status.
So they briefly mention manufactured spend, and I know there was a great thing going with Target Red or something. I did enough reading to know just a bit about it and that it was dead and that it didn't really apply to Canadians, so I was out. But from my recent readings there isn't much TRUE MS these days if any. I mean true as in you get your money back or the goods were something you'd pay for anyway that never expire and never go bad (but that can still only take you so far).
So where do all these miles come from? He even admits to paying for many of his hotel rooms, I'm assuming he strategically pays for the cheaper ones, but hotels are insanely expensive and I can't see him paying for that many of them considering he's doing hotels for an entire year.
My other thing was...ok great he loves to fly, not necessarily travel, but fly. It seems like he's built in stopovers strictly to try other products, or just to keep flying. Is that accurate? Like arriving in Tokyo at 3am only to leave again at noon? I realize travelling would add to his expenses but I just don't see the point in flying OZ F for the 5th time ICN-LAX after flying across the ocean the day before. He doesn't say he's mileage running much, it SEEMS most of these are being done on points, or am I nuts?
It sounds glamorous and I like that he points out the loneliness, which makes it feel more genuine. I know it's also kinda advantageous for him not to give away all the secrets, but I wanna know the background behind the stuff he's doing, not because I wanna do that myself, but because I think you could probably scale it down to do a couple times of year. I'm probably already doing that now following the teachings on this board, but he seems to travel FREE, whereas I can sign up for a credit card, but having to meet a $500/$1000/$3000 spend in 3 months isn't always a good idea/practical/easy.
The whole thing is only made harder too by being a Canadian...damn you maple leaf!!!! We have like 3-4 viable credit cards to what seems like your 10-15!
I loved the up in the air movie but yeah this is totally different.
There was a few things I didn't understand and maybe you guys can shed some light.
He's working strictly for this website he runs, which brings in ad revenue and referrals and then some award consulting he does for a fee. That's awesome, I'd be doing that too if I could make a living from it, forget all the flying/hotels.
But there's no WAY that all this comes from just credit card signups and bonuses. He said he started doing mileage runs at an early age. Maybe that was more profitable then, it seems like mileage runs for redeemable miles now isn't as good of an idea, it still works for status, but even then it doesn't make sense (99% of the time) to do MRs to achieve status, it makes sense to push yourself from 90,000k to 100,000k or whatever but not all MR just for status.
So they briefly mention manufactured spend, and I know there was a great thing going with Target Red or something. I did enough reading to know just a bit about it and that it was dead and that it didn't really apply to Canadians, so I was out. But from my recent readings there isn't much TRUE MS these days if any. I mean true as in you get your money back or the goods were something you'd pay for anyway that never expire and never go bad (but that can still only take you so far).
So where do all these miles come from? He even admits to paying for many of his hotel rooms, I'm assuming he strategically pays for the cheaper ones, but hotels are insanely expensive and I can't see him paying for that many of them considering he's doing hotels for an entire year.
My other thing was...ok great he loves to fly, not necessarily travel, but fly. It seems like he's built in stopovers strictly to try other products, or just to keep flying. Is that accurate? Like arriving in Tokyo at 3am only to leave again at noon? I realize travelling would add to his expenses but I just don't see the point in flying OZ F for the 5th time ICN-LAX after flying across the ocean the day before. He doesn't say he's mileage running much, it SEEMS most of these are being done on points, or am I nuts?
It sounds glamorous and I like that he points out the loneliness, which makes it feel more genuine. I know it's also kinda advantageous for him not to give away all the secrets, but I wanna know the background behind the stuff he's doing, not because I wanna do that myself, but because I think you could probably scale it down to do a couple times of year. I'm probably already doing that now following the teachings on this board, but he seems to travel FREE, whereas I can sign up for a credit card, but having to meet a $500/$1000/$3000 spend in 3 months isn't always a good idea/practical/easy.
The whole thing is only made harder too by being a Canadian...damn you maple leaf!!!! We have like 3-4 viable credit cards to what seems like your 10-15!
Also being discussed in the last few pages of this thread in the External Miles and Points Resources forum:
One Mile at a Time [OMaaT] discussions [merged]
One Mile at a Time [OMaaT] discussions [merged]
Jul 30, 2015 | 7:55 am
#14
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2002
Location: Currently in Bloomington, IN, but Normally NYC, CDG, and even POZ or wherever FT takes me.
Programs: Northwest Airlines. MTA pay-per-ride Metrocard; zero-balance Oyster card.
Posts: 14,080
I actually had to do a search for Rolling Stone to find this one.
The other one, mentioned here, is of a far more general nature concerning the boardingarea blog.
I wouldn't get too upset about it if this one remain topical to the article in the mag. Which I liked, BTW, although it was written in the mag's questionable "style". To each their own. I barely tolerate Matt Taibbi even though I'm in their target audience.
The other one, mentioned here, is of a far more general nature concerning the boardingarea blog.
I wouldn't get too upset about it if this one remain topical to the article in the mag. Which I liked, BTW, although it was written in the mag's questionable "style". To each their own. I barely tolerate Matt Taibbi even though I'm in their target audience.