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Mile and Point conferences--which is best and why?

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Old Apr 15, 2014, 6:40 am

Mile and Point conferences--which is best and why?

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Old Apr 22, 2014, 1:50 pm
  #31  
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Originally Posted by SkiAdcock
Interesting that 2 of the FTU Advanced Dos are in ORD, including one 2 weeks before the Chicago ORD Seminar Event. I would have thought FTU would pick dif locations - ie, west, midwest, east.

Cheers.
Kinda like Delta putting a mini-hub in Denver, innnit?!
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Old Jul 4, 2014, 8:59 am
  #32  
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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.
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Old Jul 4, 2014, 10:05 am
  #33  
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Originally Posted by oliver2002
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.
Nine if you count the Seattle sessions by First2Board.
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Old Jul 4, 2014, 10:32 am
  #34  
 
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Originally Posted by oliver2002
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.
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
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Old Jul 18, 2014, 9:06 am
  #35  
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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
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Old Jul 21, 2014, 1:33 pm
  #36  
 
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Originally Posted by Miesque
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.
+1 on all points. Funny how those "bloggers" are organizing "conventions-DOs"
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?
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Old Jul 21, 2014, 8:15 pm
  #37  
 
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Originally Posted by Big_Foot
+1 on all points. Funny how those "bloggers" are organizing "conventions-DOs"
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?

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"
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Old Jul 22, 2014, 2:12 am
  #38  
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Originally Posted by Miesque
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"
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?
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Old Jul 22, 2014, 7:57 am
  #39  
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Originally Posted by Raffles
.. I wouldn't learn anything new...
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.

Last edited by toomanybooks; Jul 22, 2014 at 8:10 am
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Old Jul 22, 2014, 8:33 am
  #40  
 
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Originally Posted by toomanybooks
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.
I was at the Ann Arbor DO (free by the way) and I say +1 to all of the above!

Gosh, I am going to miss the TPG pens in Chicago
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Old Jul 22, 2014, 8:50 am
  #41  
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Originally Posted by gpapadop
Gosh, I am going to miss the TPG pens in Chicago
Me too!
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Old Jul 22, 2014, 9:00 am
  #42  
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Sounds very different to the 2008 and 2011 AA DOs that I attended . Probably because I only came for the dinners
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Old Jul 22, 2014, 11:08 am
  #43  
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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....
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Old Jul 22, 2014, 11:20 am
  #44  
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Originally Posted by techgirl
Is it worth attending these if you don't do mileage runs or manufactured spend? That's what's kept me away....
IMO, yes, definitely.

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
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Old Jul 22, 2014, 12:08 pm
  #45  
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Originally Posted by toomanybooks
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.
Have these seminars replaced the fun "JUST hang out and maybe get drunk" DOs that we used to have? I liked those... no paying for a conference room or listening to speakers all day - and we still made plenty of friends who knew virtually everything.

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.
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