FallenPlat

I agree completely. The comments are WAY better than the original post.

But, really, who ever heard of not checking in on line the day before . . . unless you get the dreaded random SSSS?

AAerSTL

Lucky seems to be getting particularly testy and defensive of late. He just posted about the expanded DL/KE codeshare about 18 or so hours after it hit the wires. Some clueless read referred him to ANET saying his point on the very limited SkyMiles accrual (only RDM, no MQM or MQD) and associated restrictions. He then acts like he has special insider access because he gets their news releases emailed to him...

http://onemileatatime.boardingarea.c...r-partnership/

JetAway

Things are getting bizzaro and desperate in the points and miles world. It's all crashing down at once-devaluations, revenue-based earning, Chase 5/24, etc.

FallenPlat

Oh, come now. Really?

Love it or hate it, and for good or for ill, One Mile at a Time is one of the more prosperous and successful points & miles blogs. Many other bloggers will starve long before he does. And in the meantime all these changes together with the attendant publicity just help the good blogs win more readers.

Too bad there's not exactly a one-to-one correlation between new readers and profit . . . .

My personal experience? I've only tipped Ben once (on the Ask Lucky page). My source got a full up-front "hat tip" in the resulting post.

JetAway

I do agree that OMaaT (or possibly TPG) will be the last blog standing.

ctownflyer

TPG is in another league from the other P&M blogs in terms of visitors and monetization. I'm talking orders of magnitude.

JetAway

I'm not sure TPG is really a "blog" anymore. More of a commercial travel site.

AAExPlat

Just wait until the next recession. When the millennials will take it on the chin. That's when the desperation will get real...

84fiero

Yep, the huge changes in loyalty programs, and particularly co-branded rewards cards, are gradually impacting everyone and the P&M bloggers won't be immune either. I see things only getting worse in the near future with perhaps WN style revenue-based redemptions at the legacy carriers and even more restrictive redemption policies. The wise ones will diversify and plan their transitions to have more breadth than just pumping credit cards and such.

pairofkeets

You must have missed it. There are TONS of posts recently on which Ritz Carlton's are the best, and coincidentally you are actually able to get 3 free nights at ANY Ritz Carlton (tier 1-4). You even get 300 dollars of travel credit!

I'm actually amazed at how he is able to repackage the same information, but in slightly different ways all during the span of a week.

"Best International Ritz-Carlton Properties For Redeeming Complimentary Nights" 09/08
"Chart With All Ritz-Carlton Hotels By Tier" 09/06
"6 U.S. Ritz-Carlton Properties I’d Redeem 3 Complimentary Nights At" 09/05
"How Much Is Ritz-Carlton Gold Status Really Worth?" 09/04
"How Does The Ritz-Carlton Annual Travel Credit Work?" 09/03
"Earn 3 Complimentary Nights At A Ritz-Carlton Hotel!" 09/02

Like really, what is difference between the 3 most recent posts regarding RC?

I guess you can't sell the CSR to people who can't get it.

I skim this blog for headlines and in general I can block out the post-like ads, but this week was just painful. It was either ads or clickbait. I do agree that the comments are typically comedy gold, helps start my day off well when I'm forced to stumble into the office in the morning.

cruisr

His opinion as to the most valuable card changes depending on where he is getting the most $$$$. No integrity. I really don't know why his fanboys don't see this.

gpapadop

OMG, Really? Wow!

FallenPlat

Fine, I'll bite. And I'll disagree, at least in part.

The Ritz Carlton card appears to be something of a niche product and one that, besides, I don't know much about, and so I'll defer to you on that one.

But several other more-or-less greatest cards pushed on the blog really have been just exactly that -- the greatest. Specifically, the current Chase reserve card is unquestionably the greatest thing going right now, 100,000 point sign-up bonus and all. Before that, the "old" version of the Citi Prestige was clearly the greatest thing going, especially with Admirals Club access and what amounted to a 5% or so rebate on AA flights (more for me). And then still before that there was the Citi Exec, with $200 refunded the first year, Admirals Club membership and a 100,000 mile sign-up bonus.

Here's the weirdest thing, though. The blog has also pushed the Citi double cashback card. It, too, is pretty great, at least for people like me. (I have the card.) I suspect that it also pays the blogs either nothing or close to it.

So I think your point is certainly partly valid. I just think you just take it too far. WAY too far.

(Full disclosure: the new Chase reserve card, great though it may be, isn't something I'm planning to get even though I easily could; I have, or have had, all the other cards positively mentioned above.)

iadisgreat

It is to the point (especially with his latest comment that he was recognized at the St. Regis SF just like anyone else would be as opposed to because he's a well-known blogger who requires extra attention) that I can barely read the blog anymore. Either he truly is completely not self aware or he is trolling the **** out of all of us. I think it's the latter and that's why I can't comment on the blog anymore either because I have literally nothing nice left to say.

Not that my opinion matters, but his "old" self helped me to have a bunch of truly great trips and this "new" persona makes me a little sad.

ctownflyer

That is one heckuva assumption.