Last edit by: The Deal Mommy
Future Scheduled Events
Past Events
- F2B CHS sessions September 6, 2013
- FTU SEA - April 25-27, 2014
- #milemadness Seminars
- FTU Advanced CHI - July 18-20, 2014
- Ann Arbor Art Fair DO 10 (DTW) - July 19-20, 2014
- Family Travel for Real Life - 23 August 2014
- Frugal Travel Guy Rookie Bootcamp - Sept 20th - Savannah, GA
- FTU Advanced CHI - September 26-28, 2014
- Chicago Seminars 2014 - October 17-19, 2014
- #westcoastDO Milemadness Phoenix November 8, 2014
- FTU AMS - November 20-22, 2014
- FTU/FTU Advanced WAS - December 5-7, 2014
Mile and Point conferences--which is best and why?
#31
Original Member, Ambassador: External Miles and Points Resources
Join Date: May 1998
Location: Digital Nomad Wandering the Earth - Currently in LIMA, PERU
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#32
Moderator: Lufthansa Miles & More, India based airlines, India, External Miles & Points Resources
Join Date: Dec 2002
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Saverocity just announced Milemadness2 in Phonix on Nov 8, so 2014 will break all records with a total of 8 events so far. Updated the wiki.
#33
Moderator: Hilton Honors forums
Join Date: Dec 2002
Location: Marietta, Georgia, United States
Posts: 24,997
#34
Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: CLE
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There have been 6 DansDeals seminars in 2014 on credit cards, points, miles, paid tickets, hotels, etc, in 2014 attended by several thousand people including several points bloggers
#35
Moderator: Lufthansa Miles & More, India based airlines, India, External Miles & Points Resources
Join Date: Dec 2002
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Added event #16 this year:[*]Frugal Travel Guy Rookie Bootcamp - Sept 20th - Savannah, GA
Bring them on... we can break the two dozen
Bring them on... we can break the two dozen
#36
Join Date: May 2004
Location: LAX
Posts: 1,849
After reading that Delta Points "article", I feel compelled to make my usual comment that that one of the things that bothers me the most about the internet is how it has led to the rise of self-important bloggers (and many time sanctimonious) who think their opinion is worth more than anyone else. This applies to pretty much every subject matter. What is worse is that many now think of themselves as part of the "press."
Maybe its just the subforums that I participate in, but I think there are a lot of helpful, thoughtful participants and far less "hostile and snarky for the sake of it" posters than the average internet forum.
Maybe its just the subforums that I participate in, but I think there are a lot of helpful, thoughtful participants and far less "hostile and snarky for the sake of it" posters than the average internet forum.
and act like some superstars there
What's even funnier there are people, many experienced people too
who go to those "conventions"... Why? To learn how to apply for a credit card?
#37
Join Date: Feb 2013
Programs: Hilton Diamond
Posts: 4,252
LOL - Now that is hilarious I have come to the conclusion that there is a segment of the population that really does not want to think for themselves or make any decisions. As a result you get such instances of "the Blonde leading the Blind"
#38
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: London
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Posts: 26,871
They are undoubtedly fun. I would go to one if it was in London and cost £50 exc hotel, even though I wouldn't learn anything new. Meet some like-minded people, have a few beers, get a free Points Guy pen (!) .... what's not to like?
#39
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: Chicagoland, IL, USA
Programs: WN CP, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 14,192
Yes, you would. Not much from a presenter at a big meeting maybe, but privately.
There are so many tricky things out there the mind boggles, thousands of tips, and a lot of it will never make its way onto the internet; it's traded friend-to-friend in whispers. I am just back from the Ann Arbor DO and picked up some great new info and I have been following this FF stuff daily for 12 years.
One trick I learned in Ann Arbor made the weekend worth the effort and cost 10x over.
The depth of knowledge some people have on the most arcane miles/points/travel topics is astonishing. Doubtful some of them would ever give the best things to people with a reputation for spreading everything (not of course saying you fall in this category, but there are some bloggers who probably have no idea how much they have been blackballed). But everyone gets some good material.
And after you meet someone expert in an area you are not, you can send a text/email/PM and likely get more info later.
There are so many tricky things out there the mind boggles, thousands of tips, and a lot of it will never make its way onto the internet; it's traded friend-to-friend in whispers. I am just back from the Ann Arbor DO and picked up some great new info and I have been following this FF stuff daily for 12 years.
One trick I learned in Ann Arbor made the weekend worth the effort and cost 10x over.
The depth of knowledge some people have on the most arcane miles/points/travel topics is astonishing. Doubtful some of them would ever give the best things to people with a reputation for spreading everything (not of course saying you fall in this category, but there are some bloggers who probably have no idea how much they have been blackballed). But everyone gets some good material.
And after you meet someone expert in an area you are not, you can send a text/email/PM and likely get more info later.
Last edited by toomanybooks; Jul 22, 2014 at 8:10 am
#40
Join Date: Feb 2001
Location: Ann Arbor, Michigan
Programs: Airline Free Agent, Fairmont Lifetime Platinum, Hyatt Globalist, Hilton Honors Diamond
Posts: 3,041
I am just back from the Ann Arbor DO and picked up some great new info and I have been following this FF stuff daily for 12 years.
The depth of knowledge some people have on the most arcane miles/points/travel topics is astonishing.
... but there are some bloggers who probably have no idea how much they have been blackballed). But everyone gets some good material.
The depth of knowledge some people have on the most arcane miles/points/travel topics is astonishing.
... but there are some bloggers who probably have no idea how much they have been blackballed). But everyone gets some good material.
Gosh, I am going to miss the TPG pens in Chicago
#42
Moderator: Lufthansa Miles & More, India based airlines, India, External Miles & Points Resources
Join Date: Dec 2002
Location: MUC
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Posts: 48,171
Sounds very different to the 2008 and 2011 AA DOs that I attended . Probably because I only came for the dinners
#43
FlyerTalk Evangelist
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Is it worth attending these if you don't do mileage runs or manufactured spend? That's what's kept me away....
#44
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: Chicagoland, IL, USA
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Don't count on getting anything earthshaking from a speaker, unless you get him alone and drunk in the bar later. But you should meet several people who know virtually everything about various topics, and those are the guys to befriend.
And don't make the error of thinking that "famous" people are the ones with the knowledge. They ain't in general; some of them are laughably ignorant. There are quiet folks who are virtually unknown who know just about every trick there is in their area(s) of expertise. And they will share, especially if you reciprocate.
Last edited by toomanybooks; Jul 22, 2014 at 11:25 am
#45
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2001
Location: Fort Worth TX
Programs: Earned status with AA, DL, SPG, HH, Hyatt, Marriott, Seabourn, NCL, National, Hertz...I miss my bed!
Posts: 10,927
It seems like there aren't as many of those anymore. Everything has a speaker or a tour or a mandatory corporate sponsored something or other.