One Mile at a Time [OMaaT] discussions [merged]
Apr 10, 2016, 3:11 pm
#1831
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: Upper Sternistan
Posts: 10,037
I, for one, was actually surprised to see him talk about the sights in Beijing. I haven't seen that before from him. He even used the word "culture" in there. Granted, it sounds like he's got a schlepping-around routine he does in Beijing, but I was glad to hear that it included sites of historical importance and not just 1200 thread count sheets.
Apr 10, 2016, 3:58 pm
#1832
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jan 2002
Location: Canada
Programs: UA*1K MM
Posts: 23,302
Its the fact that most people leave the hotel and/or the lounge at the hotel if they want to claim that a place is in their "top three"
Apr 10, 2016, 4:29 pm
#1833
Suspended
Join Date: Dec 2014
Posts: 8,460
What more are you looking for?
Apr 10, 2016, 8:41 pm
#1834
Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: Washington, DC
Programs: DL PM; IHG PlatAmb; Hilton Dia; Marriott Plat; Hyatt Discoverist
Posts: 7,320
It's also obvious that one reason that Ben likes these cities is that they all have a culture of service and luxury in their hotels and restaurants (and airlines), which is why, for example, he would hate South America and doesn't travel there.
Apr 11, 2016, 8:17 am
#1838
Original Member, Ambassador: External Miles and Points Resources
Join Date: May 1998
Location: Digital Nomad Wandering the Earth - Currently in LIMA, PERU
Posts: 58,607
Speaking from personal experience, when I want to know what to expect in a premium airline cabin or lounge or in a chain hotel suite omaat is one of the must-stops. And now that he's being forced into more and more business class cabins there is more utility in this area than ever. That's his wheelhouse. Another stop is vftw. Both are transportation and chain hotel bloggers.
When planning a few days in Hong Kong I don't even think of omaat or vftw, and to the extent there are a few posts about what to do there I don't find it compelling (gary's the gourmand's posts included). It's just not their area of expertise. Which is fine! They are not trying to be travel (or food) bloggers.
When planning a few days in Hong Kong I don't even think of omaat or vftw, and to the extent there are a few posts about what to do there I don't find it compelling (gary's the gourmand's posts included). It's just not their area of expertise. Which is fine! They are not trying to be travel (or food) bloggers.
Apr 11, 2016, 8:44 am
#1839
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: DFW
Programs: AA EXP, mid-tier with pretty much everyone else
Posts: 873
Speaking from personal experience, when I want to know what to expect in a premium airline cabin or lounge or in a chain hotel suite omaat is one of the must-stops. And now that he's being forced into more and more business class cabins there is more utility in this area than ever. That's his wheelhouse. Another stop is vftw. Both are transportation and chain hotel bloggers.
When planning a few days in Hong Kong I don't even think of omaat or vftw, and to the extent there are a few posts about what to do there I don't find it compelling (gary's the gourmand's posts included). It's just not their area of expertise. Which is fine! They are not trying to be travel (or food) bloggers.
When planning a few days in Hong Kong I don't even think of omaat or vftw, and to the extent there are a few posts about what to do there I don't find it compelling (gary's the gourmand's posts included). It's just not their area of expertise. Which is fine! They are not trying to be travel (or food) bloggers.
Apr 11, 2016, 8:54 am
#1840
Suspended
Join Date: Dec 2014
Posts: 8,460
One poster on this thread wants Lucky to boycott the Maldives until homosexuals are allowed to love each other openly and publicly. I guess they expect a miles blogger to lead the charge for global human rights.
Apr 11, 2016, 8:57 am
#1841
Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: Washington, DC
Programs: DL PM; IHG PlatAmb; Hilton Dia; Marriott Plat; Hyatt Discoverist
Posts: 7,320
He describes himself as " a travel consultant, blogger, and avid points collector", his blog "chronicles his adventures" - which sounds like a travel blog to me. His instagram defines himself as a "full time travel blogger."
He's not really a miles and points blogger, since most of his stuff is reviews of luxury hotels he pays cash for.
Apr 11, 2016, 9:47 am
#1842
Original Member, Ambassador: External Miles and Points Resources
Join Date: May 1998
Location: Digital Nomad Wandering the Earth - Currently in LIMA, PERU
Posts: 58,607
Originally Posted by Adam1222
He's not really a miles and points blogger, since most of his stuff is reviews of luxury hotels he pays cash for.
His actual experience, expertise and utility is in the premium airline cabin and lounge and mid-to-high end chain hotel premium offering review space.
Last edited by kokonutz; Apr 11, 2016 at 9:59 am
Apr 11, 2016, 6:24 pm
#1843
Join Date: Jul 2001
Programs: AA EP
Posts: 2,203
I agree, he's neither a travel blogger (although I agree that's how he erroneously markets himself) nor a points and miles blogger (the information he provides in this space is tainted by self-interest).
His actual experience, expertise and utility is in the premium airline cabin and lounge and mid-to-high end chain hotel premium offering review space.
His actual experience, expertise and utility is in the premium airline cabin and lounge and mid-to-high end chain hotel premium offering review space.
Apr 11, 2016, 6:51 pm
#1844
Join Date: Jun 2014
Location: DFW
Programs: AA Lifetime Gold, Admirals Club, Global Entry
Posts: 1,141
Wow, there's a lot above that isn't quite right.
The correct kernel here, as noted already once above, is that Ben's "actual experience, expertise and utility is in the premium airline cabin and lounge and mid-to-high end chain hotel premium offering review space." And that is, in fact, how he sells himself and what he himself repeatedly says on his blog. At that, I think he's the best in the world -- at least that I've seen.
That granted, it's also true, as Adam noted, that he sure has a fair bit of other stuff on his blog such as, for example, how great Dubai (!) is. What annoys me is that he seems to have no idea how off-the-charts that opinion is. Shanghai, too. Uhg.
(Full disclosure: I like places like New York, Paris & London.)
But he has actually been to South America several times. Again, as already noted once above, there was a long, multi-part review of his wine-country tour there. While the trip was sponsored, the report was one of the best he's published. He also recently spent the better part of a week in Columbia, if I have the country right; that write-up was considerably less impressive. All this certainly makes for a good start if not quite enough to satisfy the ghost of Hiram Bingham.
I think the blog still clearly has much to recommend it. Even the credit card reviews are usually helpful and accurate. So implying that the whole shebang is some kind of emperor-has-no-clothes affair is really, in my view, almost wholly without foundation.
The correct kernel here, as noted already once above, is that Ben's "actual experience, expertise and utility is in the premium airline cabin and lounge and mid-to-high end chain hotel premium offering review space." And that is, in fact, how he sells himself and what he himself repeatedly says on his blog. At that, I think he's the best in the world -- at least that I've seen.
That granted, it's also true, as Adam noted, that he sure has a fair bit of other stuff on his blog such as, for example, how great Dubai (!) is. What annoys me is that he seems to have no idea how off-the-charts that opinion is. Shanghai, too. Uhg.
(Full disclosure: I like places like New York, Paris & London.)
But he has actually been to South America several times. Again, as already noted once above, there was a long, multi-part review of his wine-country tour there. While the trip was sponsored, the report was one of the best he's published. He also recently spent the better part of a week in Columbia, if I have the country right; that write-up was considerably less impressive. All this certainly makes for a good start if not quite enough to satisfy the ghost of Hiram Bingham.
I think the blog still clearly has much to recommend it. Even the credit card reviews are usually helpful and accurate. So implying that the whole shebang is some kind of emperor-has-no-clothes affair is really, in my view, almost wholly without foundation.
Apr 11, 2016, 7:06 pm
#1845
Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: Washington, DC
Programs: DL PM; IHG PlatAmb; Hilton Dia; Marriott Plat; Hyatt Discoverist
Posts: 7,320
Wow, there's a lot above that isn't quite right.
The correct kernel here, as noted already once above, is that Ben's "actual experience, expertise and utility is in the premium airline cabin and lounge and mid-to-high end chain hotel premium offering review space." And that is, in fact, how he sells himself and what he himself repeatedly says on his blog. At that, I think he's the best in the world -- at least that I've seen.
That granted, it's also true, as Adam noted, that he sure has a fair bit of other stuff on his blog such as, for example, how great Dubai (!) is. What annoys me is that he seems to have no idea how off-the-charts that opinion is. Shanghai, too. Uhg.
(Full disclosure: I like places like New York, Paris & London.)
But he has actually been to South America several times. Again, as already noted once above, there was a long, multi-part review of his wine-country tour there. While the trip was sponsored, the report was one of the best he's published. He also recently spent the better part of a week in Columbia, if I have the country right; that write-up was considerably less impressive. All this certainly makes for a good start if not quite enough to satisfy the ghost of Hiram Bingham.
I think the blog still clearly has much to recommend it. Even the credit card reviews are usually helpful and accurate. So implying that the whole shebang is some kind of emperor-has-no-clothes affair is really, in my view, almost wholly without foundation.
The correct kernel here, as noted already once above, is that Ben's "actual experience, expertise and utility is in the premium airline cabin and lounge and mid-to-high end chain hotel premium offering review space." And that is, in fact, how he sells himself and what he himself repeatedly says on his blog. At that, I think he's the best in the world -- at least that I've seen.
That granted, it's also true, as Adam noted, that he sure has a fair bit of other stuff on his blog such as, for example, how great Dubai (!) is. What annoys me is that he seems to have no idea how off-the-charts that opinion is. Shanghai, too. Uhg.
(Full disclosure: I like places like New York, Paris & London.)
But he has actually been to South America several times. Again, as already noted once above, there was a long, multi-part review of his wine-country tour there. While the trip was sponsored, the report was one of the best he's published. He also recently spent the better part of a week in Columbia, if I have the country right; that write-up was considerably less impressive. All this certainly makes for a good start if not quite enough to satisfy the ghost of Hiram Bingham.
I think the blog still clearly has much to recommend it. Even the credit card reviews are usually helpful and accurate. So implying that the whole shebang is some kind of emperor-has-no-clothes affair is really, in my view, almost wholly without foundation.
2) your evidence of South America travel is a) a sponsored post and b) his Colombia posts where he explicitly acknowledges he rarely travels to South America. Keep in mind there have been hundreds of posts on the UAE alone. Two trips in 7 years for a guy who does 4 trips a week? (Whose home base is Florida and flies AA)
The two things you've pointed to do nothing to address the actual point: Ben's favorite places to travel are those with a culture of service and many opportunities for him to be waited on hand and foot.
Did I say that made his blog useless? Nope. But it's a relevant factor a reader should consider in determining whether they should care if Dubai is his "favorite" city.