http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/alaska-airlines-mileage-plan/1720535-loose-ek-routing-
#16
Join Date: Feb 2009
Posts: 3,737
This article states that he just found out about card churning around a year ago and that is how he acquired the miles needed.
"So I just started typing different city combinations. I nested a lot of 24-hour layovers — but [in the computer] it looks like Singapore to New York."
"I don't fly usually for the sake of flying first class," Huang said. "This was just a cool loophole. If they're going to let me do this why not see how far I can take it."
Even though he was able to book the ticket, he was still nervous about being able to actually get on the plane. But he needn't have been.
"No one ever really questioned me at the check-in counter. I was surprised: I thought for sure someone would flag it eventually. But no, no one really questioned it, they just said 'Welcome, Mr. Huang.'"
At one point, Alaska reached out to him on the phone, and an agent asked if he really wanted all of the layovers scheduled for the ticket. "She said, 'well it looks weird, but as long as the computer says it's OK,'" said Huang.
None of this information explains this routing:
I have doubts that someone this new to the game just stumbled upon a method on their own to get something like that to work. Can explain how he did this via a PM?
#17
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: Mountain Time Zone
Programs: AS Million Miler/Marriott Lifetime Titanium/ IGH Ambassador
Posts: 5,990
I created a thread for this topic in external miles:
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/exter......-300-a.html
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/exter......-300-a.html
Just saying
#18
Join Date: Feb 2009
Posts: 3,737
He is using this as a publicity stunt to drive traffic to his website that is for the average person so that he can get credit card sign ups. The website is actually well designed. You can tell that there was a lot of preparation before he published this trip to all forms of social media. He may have also hired someone to get the word out as I noticed that many of the stories hit the same day... This was highly planned. He even has a email address for media inquiries. This is not some amateur blog that is "all about the blogger". This is from TPG playbook of setting up a business plan that then turns into a blog.
#19
Suspended
Original Poster
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: BOS
Posts: 15,027
How many bloggers can actually live off a website touting award trips and credit card bonuses? Eventually, the game is up and all these bloggers are out of business. How long can it last when you hear these "I flew F for only 60,000" every other day??
#20
Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: DFW AA PLT
Programs: SPG HHonors
Posts: 1,045
He is using this as a publicity stunt to drive traffic to his website that is for the average person so that he can get credit card sign ups. The website is actually well designed. You can tell that there was a lot of preparation before he published this trip to all forms of social media. He may have also hired someone to get the word out as I noticed that many of the stories hit the same day... This was highly planned. He even has a email address for media inquiries. This is not some amateur blog that is "all about the blogger". This is from TPG playbook of setting up a business plan that then turns into a blog.
#21
Join Date: Feb 2010
Posts: 642
Definitely seems well-executed. And cc conversions are likely his end game, yes, but he doesn't have any affiliate links yet. So, he will need to sustain some content to build an audience that he can sell to. So far, all he has is a lot of eyeballs that will go away if there's not something more.
#22
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: BOS/ORH
Programs: AS 75K
Posts: 18,323
That screwed up many people in the US who done have single connect options to gateways. many countries were not impossible to get to in 4 segments.
#23
Suspended
Original Poster
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: BOS
Posts: 15,027
#24
Join Date: Feb 2013
Location: ANC
Programs: AS; Hyatt; Bonvoy
Posts: 1,718
^ ^ ^
^ ^ ^ ^ ^
#26
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: Austin, Texas
Programs: Airline nobody. Sad!
Posts: 26,062