One Mile at a Time [OMaaT] discussions [merged]
Jul 27, 2015, 1:25 pm
#721
Join Date: Feb 2009
Posts: 3,738
Maybe if Ben becomes bored with covering first class travel he will grow and expand to destinations. Though, when you are use to a certain lifestyle of getting from A to B in luxury or free Uber ride it may be a bit difficult to get outside of your comfort zone. I definitely think Ben has this ability and would enjoy seeing him do this. Most of us have gone to these major international cities like he has, but to make a local connection and get an insider's view of a city and see his reactions of how the culture really is outside of the 5 star hotel. Even if it is a tiny sliver of what a city/country/culture has to offer.
Also, vlogging is really picking up steam on Youtube. A video diary would be kind of interesting to see as well.. but maybe that takes a certain type of personality.
Jul 27, 2015, 1:48 pm
#722
Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: CLE
Programs: UA GS+LT UC, AA EXP+LT PLT, Fairmont LT PLT, Marriott PLT, Hilton DIA, Hyatt Glob, Avis CHM
Posts: 4,671
The Economist has picked up the story online http://www.economist.com/blogs/gulli...ile-collectors
Jul 27, 2015, 1:51 pm
#723
Join Date: Dec 2004
Programs: UA-1K, MM, Hilton-Diamond, Marriott-Titanium
Posts: 4,433
Jul 27, 2015, 2:02 pm
#724
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
Jul 27, 2015, 2:19 pm
#725
Join Date: May 2006
Location: SAN
Programs: Lots of faux metal
Posts: 6,425
Look at FTG and TPG, they both went on to try and feature destinations and then sold their blogs and continued to be involved... adding this made their sites a bit more well rounded. Maybe that is Ben's next step? Or, he could hire a really talented writer to do this. I feel like Mommy Points provides information on traveling with family and a bit about what one could do at a particular destination. I don't think TPG having guest writers has provided the site with quality content, though it is a resource to know what options are available to fly and stay at a particular destination for beginners.
Maybe if Ben becomes bored with covering first class travel he will grow and expand to destinations. Though, when you are use to a certain lifestyle of getting from A to B in luxury or free Uber ride it may be a bit difficult to get outside of your comfort zone. I definitely think Ben has this ability and would enjoy seeing him do this. Most of us have gone to these major international cities like he has, but to make a local connection and get an insider's view of a city and see his reactions of how the culture really is outside of the 5 star hotel. Even if it is a tiny sliver of what a city/country/culture has to offer.
Also, vlogging is really picking up steam on Youtube. A video diary would be kind of interesting to see as well.. but maybe that takes a certain type of personality.
Maybe if Ben becomes bored with covering first class travel he will grow and expand to destinations. Though, when you are use to a certain lifestyle of getting from A to B in luxury or free Uber ride it may be a bit difficult to get outside of your comfort zone. I definitely think Ben has this ability and would enjoy seeing him do this. Most of us have gone to these major international cities like he has, but to make a local connection and get an insider's view of a city and see his reactions of how the culture really is outside of the 5 star hotel. Even if it is a tiny sliver of what a city/country/culture has to offer.
Also, vlogging is really picking up steam on Youtube. A video diary would be kind of interesting to see as well.. but maybe that takes a certain type of personality.
Jul 27, 2015, 3:14 pm
#726
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: Austin, TX
Programs: AA LT Plat, UA 1k/1mm+, National EE, IC Plat, Bonvoy Gold
Posts: 2,605
When she took 17 trips in one year with her kid and husband and the emphasis was increasingly on status and how important J/F was (some of which was done by RPU/GPU she did not earn herself), I tuned that blog out, too.
I have two kids and I've traveled the world with them and my wife. Some in J, much of it in Y, some paid, some awards and I honestly NEVER remember the flying portion in particular of any trip. The experiences on the ground however, I always remember.
Who earns enough miles for 3 vacations per year (doable) in F to faraway places at today's redemption rates? And who can find that availability during peak periods (cause that's when you fly when you have school age children)? Btw, here in TX, it is a crime to have your kids miss 10 days or more of school in any school year and trips are not excused absences. So unless one is lying to the school or home schooling, going on 17 trips during the school year will land one in court here in TX.
I think she has recently dialed back a little with #2 on the way (now amongst us) and #1 on the path to regular school, maybe the realization has set in that flying F everywhere 17 times annually is not an option.
But this story will repeat itself a many more times. I appreciate guys like Gary and Seth who have not really changed the content they blog about, have not brought on contributors and have not gone completely overboard with the elitist attitude and occasionally still spend some time discussing the destinations in a useful manner.
Jul 27, 2015, 3:20 pm
#727
Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: CLE
Programs: UA GS+LT UC, AA EXP+LT PLT, Fairmont LT PLT, Marriott PLT, Hilton DIA, Hyatt Glob, Avis CHM
Posts: 4,671
But this story will repeat itself a many more times. I appreciate guys like Gary and Seth who have not really changed the content they blog about, have not brought on contributors and have not gone completely overboard with the elitist attitude and occasionally still spend some time discussing the destinations in a useful manner.
Jul 27, 2015, 3:28 pm
#728
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: Austin, TX
Programs: AA LT Plat, UA 1k/1mm+, National EE, IC Plat, Bonvoy Gold
Posts: 2,605
Jul 27, 2015, 3:49 pm
#729
Join Date: Feb 2009
Posts: 3,738
Really? Because I'm seeing a lot more daily posts where he is just providing links to other travel blog stories. He also never use to post several times a day and use a blog entry to reply to Ben's blog posts.
Most of it is due to him trying to post as often as possible each day, which a lot of travel blogs are doing.
Template:
Find interesting story, come up with a click-worthy title, write 1-2 paragraphs, end entry with a question for readers to respond to in the comments section, sprinkle in a few referral links if possible.
Most of it is due to him trying to post as often as possible each day, which a lot of travel blogs are doing.
Template:
Find interesting story, come up with a click-worthy title, write 1-2 paragraphs, end entry with a question for readers to respond to in the comments section, sprinkle in a few referral links if possible.
Jul 27, 2015, 3:55 pm
#730
Join Date: Jul 2002
Location: Virginia, USA
Posts: 4,511
Really? Because I'm seeing a lot more daily posts where he is just providing links to other travel blog stories. He also never use to post several times a day and use a blog entry to reply to Ben's blog posts.
Most of it is due to him trying to post as often as possible each day, which a lot of travel blogs are doing.
Template:
Find interesting story, come up with a click-worthy title, write 1-2 paragraphs, end entry with a question for readers to respond to in the comments section, sprinkle in a few referral links if possible.
Most of it is due to him trying to post as often as possible each day, which a lot of travel blogs are doing.
Template:
Find interesting story, come up with a click-worthy title, write 1-2 paragraphs, end entry with a question for readers to respond to in the comments section, sprinkle in a few referral links if possible.
Jul 27, 2015, 5:31 pm
#731
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: Upper Sternistan
Posts: 10,047
Each time one of these bloggers drops into the formula (TPG, FTG, VFTW, OMAAT) they drop out of my blog reader. Makes sense - they don't want me either. They just want that new cc signup. I would if I were doing as well as them.
Jul 27, 2015, 7:02 pm
#732
Join Date: Mar 2007
Posts: 4,784
Like almost every blog these days, it started out good. Then with increasing publicity (nightline etc) and likely commercial success, the blog mutated into something that was no longer what original readers were attracted to.
When she took 17 trips in one year with her kid and husband and the emphasis was increasingly on status and how important J/F was (some of which was done by RPU/GPU she did not earn herself), I tuned that blog out, too.
I have two kids and I've traveled the world with them and my wife. Some in J, much of it in Y, some paid, some awards and I honestly NEVER remember the flying portion in particular of any trip. The experiences on the ground however, I always remember.
Who earns enough miles for 3 vacations per year (doable) in F to faraway places at today's redemption rates? And who can find that availability during peak periods (cause that's when you fly when you have school age children)? Btw, here in TX, it is a crime to have your kids miss 10 days or more of school in any school year and trips are not excused absences. So unless one is lying to the school or home schooling, going on 17 trips during the school year will land one in court here in TX.
I think she has recently dialed back a little with #2 on the way (now amongst us) and #1 on the path to regular school, maybe the realization has set in that flying F everywhere 17 times annually is not an option.
But this story will repeat itself a many more times. I appreciate guys like Gary and Seth who have not really changed the content they blog about, have not brought on contributors and have not gone completely overboard with the elitist attitude and occasionally still spend some time discussing the destinations in a useful manner.
When she took 17 trips in one year with her kid and husband and the emphasis was increasingly on status and how important J/F was (some of which was done by RPU/GPU she did not earn herself), I tuned that blog out, too.
I have two kids and I've traveled the world with them and my wife. Some in J, much of it in Y, some paid, some awards and I honestly NEVER remember the flying portion in particular of any trip. The experiences on the ground however, I always remember.
Who earns enough miles for 3 vacations per year (doable) in F to faraway places at today's redemption rates? And who can find that availability during peak periods (cause that's when you fly when you have school age children)? Btw, here in TX, it is a crime to have your kids miss 10 days or more of school in any school year and trips are not excused absences. So unless one is lying to the school or home schooling, going on 17 trips during the school year will land one in court here in TX.
I think she has recently dialed back a little with #2 on the way (now amongst us) and #1 on the path to regular school, maybe the realization has set in that flying F everywhere 17 times annually is not an option.
But this story will repeat itself a many more times. I appreciate guys like Gary and Seth who have not really changed the content they blog about, have not brought on contributors and have not gone completely overboard with the elitist attitude and occasionally still spend some time discussing the destinations in a useful manner.
I'm sure she'll be swamped with girl #2, and at the same time trying to post something to keep pageview alive
Compared to other BA bloggers, she is still more family-oriented so I do relate more to her contents vs. Ben's (also because I don't care much about First class and he only flies First). Life of a millionaire
Jul 27, 2015, 11:37 pm
#733
Join Date: Oct 2014
Programs: All of them
Posts: 1,664
The Economist has picked up the story online http://www.economist.com/blogs/gulli...ile-collectors
Jul 28, 2015, 7:21 am
#734
Join Date: Dec 2004
Programs: UA-1K, MM, Hilton-Diamond, Marriott-Titanium
Posts: 4,433
Jul 28, 2015, 7:23 am
#735
Join Date: Jul 2002
Location: Virginia, USA
Posts: 4,511