One Mile at a Time [OMaaT] discussions [merged]
Jun 8, 2015, 8:51 am
#303
Join Date: Jun 2014
Location: DFW
Programs: AA Lifetime Gold, Admirals Club, Global Entry
Posts: 1,141
You know, Big_Foot, nasty, repetitive, personal and baseless charges don't really advance the ball much here or help the rest of us gain any insight. Even an attempt at a little value added here on your part would be really helpful.
Shouldn't it occur to you that perhaps he's more sophisticated than you think and better at what he does than you think? His writing, for one example, while by no means perfect at all, is actually much better than the writing in a lot of the posts here.
I, for one, am happy for his obvious success even while I (frankly) tune out a lot of the premium air and hotel reviews. That kind of stuff really isn't my thing anymore than it's apparently yours. Some of the "how to" and other stuff he posts, on the other hand, are often interesting -- at least to me, anyway.
If you think he earns too much money and travels too much too richly -- and if you think this is all somehow morally wrong, ethically obtuse, and possibly fraudulent or at least somehow (?) improper besides -- you could just stop reading. I often take my own advice here and just stop reading stuff I don't like.
But let's cut to the chase, shall we? I'm going to give the "value added" criticism approach a whirl myself. We'll see how I do. Here goes.
I don't think you've even touched on what I think of as the blog's biggest shortcoming: It's all written from the perspective of a 20-something who has no children and no "regular hours" job. Nearly infinite flexibility is great, obviously, but doesn't reflect the calendar-constrained circumstances that many of us mere mortals have to deal with in our everyday lives.
Of course, for many of us our own calendar limitations reflect some of the happiest circumstances of all.
Shouldn't it occur to you that perhaps he's more sophisticated than you think and better at what he does than you think? His writing, for one example, while by no means perfect at all, is actually much better than the writing in a lot of the posts here.
I, for one, am happy for his obvious success even while I (frankly) tune out a lot of the premium air and hotel reviews. That kind of stuff really isn't my thing anymore than it's apparently yours. Some of the "how to" and other stuff he posts, on the other hand, are often interesting -- at least to me, anyway.
If you think he earns too much money and travels too much too richly -- and if you think this is all somehow morally wrong, ethically obtuse, and possibly fraudulent or at least somehow (?) improper besides -- you could just stop reading. I often take my own advice here and just stop reading stuff I don't like.
But let's cut to the chase, shall we? I'm going to give the "value added" criticism approach a whirl myself. We'll see how I do. Here goes.
I don't think you've even touched on what I think of as the blog's biggest shortcoming: It's all written from the perspective of a 20-something who has no children and no "regular hours" job. Nearly infinite flexibility is great, obviously, but doesn't reflect the calendar-constrained circumstances that many of us mere mortals have to deal with in our everyday lives.
Of course, for many of us our own calendar limitations reflect some of the happiest circumstances of all.
Jun 8, 2015, 9:10 am
#304
Original Member, Ambassador: External Miles and Points Resources
Join Date: May 1998
Location: Digital Nomad Wandering the Earth - Currently in LIMA, PERU
Posts: 58,626
I agree with you that it comes down to perspective: I have nothing in common with OMAAT's perspective. I still read VFTW because he does have a work/travel balance to contend with, a wife who wants to travel with and plus there are always those bathroom PJ photos!!!
^ Also, there seems to be some aspect of gay culture/interaction that I don't quite comprehend that takes place in the OMAAT comments. And no, I don't envy the OMAAT approach to travel at all. It seems like hell to me: rushing around all the time but never actually going anywhere.
So I have taken OMAAT's advice and used the door in the upper right hand corner of my screen. Which is why I appreciate this thread for when something particularly good or bad gets posted there. Thanks!
Jun 8, 2015, 9:24 am
#305
Join Date: Sep 2008
Location: BWI
Posts: 1,782
Ingy,
I would be very hard pressed to go to Hawaii and not go to the Four Seasons Hualalai. You can keep your free nights at Hyatt. I wouldn't send a dog to the hilton waikoloa village. That being said, we have done many trips to places like Italy, France, London, China, etc. and used our points.
In my mind, the point of a travel agent is to get their insight. I don't think many bloggers have much insight beyond the points hotels. In some cases that is sufficient, in some places it is not.
I would be very hard pressed to go to Hawaii and not go to the Four Seasons Hualalai. You can keep your free nights at Hyatt. I wouldn't send a dog to the hilton waikoloa village. That being said, we have done many trips to places like Italy, France, London, China, etc. and used our points.
In my mind, the point of a travel agent is to get their insight. I don't think many bloggers have much insight beyond the points hotels. In some cases that is sufficient, in some places it is not.
Jun 8, 2015, 9:49 am
#306
Join Date: Feb 2009
Posts: 3,738
You know, Big_Foot, nasty, repetitive, personal and baseless charges don't really advance the ball much here or help the rest of us gain any insight. Even an attempt at a little value added here on your part would be really helpful.
Shouldn't it occur to you that perhaps he's more sophisticated than you think and better at what he does than you think? His writing, for one example, while by no means perfect at all, is actually much better than the writing in a lot of the posts here.
.
.
.
I don't think you've even touched on what I think of as the blog's biggest shortcoming: It's all written from the perspective of a 20-something who has no children and no "regular hours" job. Nearly infinite flexibility is great, obviously, but doesn't reflect the calendar-constrained circumstances that many of us mere mortals have to deal with in our everyday lives.
Of course, for many of us our own calendar limitations reflect some of the happiest circumstances of all.
Shouldn't it occur to you that perhaps he's more sophisticated than you think and better at what he does than you think? His writing, for one example, while by no means perfect at all, is actually much better than the writing in a lot of the posts here.
.
.
.
I don't think you've even touched on what I think of as the blog's biggest shortcoming: It's all written from the perspective of a 20-something who has no children and no "regular hours" job. Nearly infinite flexibility is great, obviously, but doesn't reflect the calendar-constrained circumstances that many of us mere mortals have to deal with in our everyday lives.
Of course, for many of us our own calendar limitations reflect some of the happiest circumstances of all.
It is also not fair to compare his writing style on his blog to posts on a message board. If you go back to Lucky's posts on FT you will see his writing style is not exactly the same as what he produces on his blog. A majority of people quickly write a response on FT, while a blogger will likely have to review his writing before posting it to a larger audience.
I think you (like may other fanboys, not saying you are one) hold Lucky up to some high standard. I don't think his age and lifestyle are his biggest shortcoming. Personally I enjoy reading opinions of people like Big_Foot. I can guarantee you that Lucky reads this thread, though if his credit card referral numbers and traffic aren't dropping there is no reason to give any merit to the negative views or opinions of his blog and/or writing style.
Jun 8, 2015, 10:39 am
#307
Join Date: Jun 2014
Location: DFW
Programs: AA Lifetime Gold, Admirals Club, Global Entry
Posts: 1,141
As a preliminary point, yes, you're right: I'm not really a "fanboy" at all though there are parts of the blog I still really admire . . . and many I don't read anymore.
On the "sophistication" front, I didn't mean anything especially complicated. Here's how I look at it. (And I'll point out parenthetically that one of the things I have to do full time for a living, for money, is extract meaning from other people's writing.) I frequently notice in Lucky's blog writing that reflects layers of meaning, little jokes, and real self-awareness and reflection. Contrariwise, I notice more than a few posts here that simply miss what I see, even while accusing (!) Lucky of being not self-aware. There's often more than just a slight bit of irony floating around somewhere in there.
I hasten to admit that this isn't true of all the posts here, obviously!
Writing itself can also be a real "tell," whether formal or no. Grammar, diction, the turn of phrase -- they all reveal, almost inevitably, more than the writer realizes.
Another "tell" is a post's own logic . . . or lack thereof. Saying in effect, for example, "I don't understand it; therefore, it must be black magic, fraudulent, or both," isn't anything more or less than an argument from ignorance, i.e., not a real argument at all. I'll go out on a limb here and respectfully suggest that that sort of post may say more about the poster than the supposed target.
We're all judged . . . .
On the "sophistication" front, I didn't mean anything especially complicated. Here's how I look at it. (And I'll point out parenthetically that one of the things I have to do full time for a living, for money, is extract meaning from other people's writing.) I frequently notice in Lucky's blog writing that reflects layers of meaning, little jokes, and real self-awareness and reflection. Contrariwise, I notice more than a few posts here that simply miss what I see, even while accusing (!) Lucky of being not self-aware. There's often more than just a slight bit of irony floating around somewhere in there.
I hasten to admit that this isn't true of all the posts here, obviously!
Writing itself can also be a real "tell," whether formal or no. Grammar, diction, the turn of phrase -- they all reveal, almost inevitably, more than the writer realizes.
Another "tell" is a post's own logic . . . or lack thereof. Saying in effect, for example, "I don't understand it; therefore, it must be black magic, fraudulent, or both," isn't anything more or less than an argument from ignorance, i.e., not a real argument at all. I'll go out on a limb here and respectfully suggest that that sort of post may say more about the poster than the supposed target.
We're all judged . . . .
Last edited by FallenPlat; Jun 8, 2015 at 11:07 am Reason: Added logical thought.
Jun 8, 2015, 11:55 am
#308
Join Date: May 2009
Location: South Park, CO
Programs: Tegridy Elite
Posts: 5,678
http://onemileatatime.boardingarea.c...lass/#comments
That's been always my main issue with him - math just doesn't make sense.
He throws some curveballs every few months "explaining" how he does it,
and it seems to work with most, still numbers make no sense...
And I have to agree, he's just the new "justin ross lee" right now.
But why to blame him, arrogant and narcissistic approach works
for all the "celebrities" on tv, right?
That's been always my main issue with him - math just doesn't make sense.
He throws some curveballs every few months "explaining" how he does it,
and it seems to work with most, still numbers make no sense...
And I have to agree, he's just the new "justin ross lee" right now.
But why to blame him, arrogant and narcissistic approach works
for all the "celebrities" on tv, right?
I don't think Lucky is the new JRL, who I think is (to some extent at least) acting out a character anyway.
I don't think you've even touched on what I think of as the blog's biggest shortcoming: It's all written from the perspective of a 20-something who has no children and no "regular hours" job. Nearly infinite flexibility is great, obviously, but doesn't reflect the calendar-constrained circumstances that many of us mere mortals have to deal with in our everyday lives.
Of course, for many of us our own calendar limitations reflect some of the happiest circumstances of all.
That's where OMAAT often falls short for me, as well, for the past few years or so. I wonder how many people out there have the same lifestyle of nearly infinite flexibility which would come close to his. But clearly OMAAT has plenty of regular followers, who either do have a similar flexibility or for whom it doesn't matter...which is fine, he certainly doesn't have to cater to me.
But I am curious to see if his guest/co-contributor(s) will spice things up a bit with a broader perspective.
Good point that some of our time "constraints" aren't really constraints but important and happy parts of our lives!
I don't understand how the EVA Air Krug thing was worth a blog post. Must have been a sloooow blog news day!
Jun 8, 2015, 12:12 pm
#309
Join Date: Feb 2009
Posts: 3,738
Jun 8, 2015, 12:28 pm
#310
Join Date: May 2004
Location: LAX
Posts: 1,849
He's burning at least half a million miles per month.
No matter how he tries to spin it, it doesn't make sense.
I remember when at some point he "explained" how he has one million miles,
then magically he had "several", etc etc...
Jun 8, 2015, 12:46 pm
#311
Join Date: Feb 2009
Posts: 3,738
I assumed that he was having family members sign up for cards to net the bonus and then was booking award trips on those miles, but he shot down that opinion in the comment section stating that he only books trips for family members and not himself.
You could also speculate that living in a hotel that allows you to accumulate miles that can be transferred to any airline would answer how you could go from one million miles to several. I've also noticed that almost every award trip he goes on has "friends". If he did not have the miles he could be flying on their miles?
Jun 8, 2015, 12:56 pm
#312
Join Date: Jun 2014
Location: DFW
Programs: AA Lifetime Gold, Admirals Club, Global Entry
Posts: 1,141
Ok, since you didn't get the point the first time I posted it, I'll say it again, this time in plainer English. Just because you can't understand something, doesn't mean there's something wrong with it.
It just doesn't. And saying it does, again, doesn't make it so. You have to have an actual logical argument.
If you think otherwise, well, I guess we can all draw our own conclusions accordingly. All the way around. But posting that sort of thing, repeatedly, does your cause (whatever it might or might not be) dead flat no good at all.
I tried the "value added" criticism approach above to give you an idea of how that can be done. Really, you should try it. Enlighten us all. Go ahead. I did it. So can you.
And you remember that we're all judged, right?
It just doesn't. And saying it does, again, doesn't make it so. You have to have an actual logical argument.
If you think otherwise, well, I guess we can all draw our own conclusions accordingly. All the way around. But posting that sort of thing, repeatedly, does your cause (whatever it might or might not be) dead flat no good at all.
I tried the "value added" criticism approach above to give you an idea of how that can be done. Really, you should try it. Enlighten us all. Go ahead. I did it. So can you.
And you remember that we're all judged, right?
Jun 8, 2015, 1:10 pm
#313
Join Date: May 2004
Location: LAX
Posts: 1,849
is not my first language. So sorry you have to suffer through my poor grammar.
How many languages do you speak btw? Wonder how your French/Spanish/Italian/Portuguese/Russian/German grammar is?
Do you care to share? In plainer English please.
Jun 8, 2015, 3:44 pm
#314
Original Member, Ambassador: External Miles and Points Resources
Join Date: May 1998
Location: Digital Nomad Wandering the Earth - Currently in LIMA, PERU
Posts: 58,626
I just assumed he buys miles when they are discounted.
Whatever his method it is clearly not repeatable by anyone not a full time points accumulator so it's pretty irrelevant.
Whatever his method it is clearly not repeatable by anyone not a full time points accumulator so it's pretty irrelevant.
Jun 8, 2015, 3:52 pm
#315
Join Date: May 2008
Location: BOS/SIN
Programs: SQ
Posts: 2,704
I thought he has bought a series of discounted J/F fares, like QR fares from CMB and CAI. I know he paid for the CX one-way from the Maldives since he wrote 8 posts about it.
The funniest thing he's blogged about was when he had to be in HKG for 20 hours and needed to fly 72 hours to do so.
"For reasons I’ll probably explain at another point, I had to be in Hong Kong for a morning. Not the most efficient use of time, but at the same time I don’t mind redeeming miles for Cathay Pacific first class to Asia, given what a great value it is. I’ve gotta spend my weekends somehow, and sipping Krug at 39,000 feet doesn’t suck that much."
Just throwing away 135K AA miles for 'a meeting'......
The funniest thing he's blogged about was when he had to be in HKG for 20 hours and needed to fly 72 hours to do so.
"For reasons I’ll probably explain at another point, I had to be in Hong Kong for a morning. Not the most efficient use of time, but at the same time I don’t mind redeeming miles for Cathay Pacific first class to Asia, given what a great value it is. I’ve gotta spend my weekends somehow, and sipping Krug at 39,000 feet doesn’t suck that much."
Just throwing away 135K AA miles for 'a meeting'......