freeloader

I saw on another thread how the conversation was veering towards discussing bloggers taking comps. Curious what everyone thought about it?

Personally, i'm not a huge fan of this, especially when the blogger then tries to write an "unbiased" review of the product.

Anyhow, I created a wiki of bloggers that have taken comps, and bloggers who have stated that they will never take a comp.

OMAAT and MP made the list bc of that amexSPG stars program where amex gave them 60k+ spg points (a quarter i believe?) to promote a hotel. OMAAT has taken a few comped flights too (with BA and AA i believe). The Travel Hack made the list based on the other thread.

VTFW has repeatedly stated that they do not and will not take a comp for ethical reasons.

Curious what you all think about the subject though

Raffles

The difference between a 'comp' and a press trip is thin. I don't think this line of debate goes anywhere.

If BA offers to let me try the new route to xxxxxx but I come back the same day and never leave the airport, is that a comp or a press trip? If BA pays for a hotel for me to stay a day or so before returning, is that a comp? If I pay for my own hotel so I do stay over in xxxxxx but BA has given me press flights, is that a comp? If I stay overnight but my wife and family aren't invited along so I'm effectively on my own in a hotel, is that a comp?

Offer me a pair of Wimbledon tickets for me and my wife with no requirement to spend any time with BA staff on the day - that is a clear comp.

Anything else which involves me giving up my time, especially without my family, I would not put into the 'comp' box.

You may also want to ask Gary how he got on the AA inaugural yesterday. Even if AA gave him a ticket, though, flying coast to coast and back is not my idea of a great freebie.

GUWonder

A disclosure may be considered sufficient by some.

The blogs doing so (i.e., making disclosures) -- or not -- doesn't really make much of a difference to me. Certainly, I don't consider "paid" bloggers to be any worse of a "problem" than any of the airline/industry/government apologists/shills or others who are on -- or closely related to those on -- an airline/industry payroll of some sort and post on internet boards whether or not having their own blog or not.

oliver2002

When testing AAs new business product he:

The AA 321 inaugural was:

ScottC

Remember, even when bloggers or other writers say they paid for a trip, this doesn't mean they paid the going rate - properties and airlines will sometimes offer a "media rate" of say $1. I'm not saying anyone here did (or did not), just something to keep in mind. It is a handy trick for larger publications to bypass editorial guidelines.

sbm12

And there's also the part where access to the seats might not otherwise be available without help from the airline. Let's say I want to be on an inaugural long-haul flight in business class. Odds of that upgrade clearing are VERY low without some pull from someone inside. How does that count?

redtailshark

+1.

Yes those kind of opinion-pressurers are more problematic than bloggers on the make as long as the bloggers acknowledge the relationship @:-) I was taken aback by how many DL apologists revealed privately that they were a. employed by DL, b. were in an ongoing commercial relationship with DL or c. spouses of DL employees. This often happened in response to direct questions sometimes posted on the board, sometimes revealed by PM.

I don't believe this behavior is entirely confined to DL, although for some reason, the preponderance is very high there (like BA, they strive in Stalinist ways to control/scrub social media if they can...truly, these two entities are Borgs).

By contrast...

^ to Michael O'Leary...who makes no effort to "spin" the media. At least he rants directly at his own customers via Twitter and the media at large, and his message to them and everyone else is more consistent and honest than any other airline manager.

kokonutz

Many points and miles bloggers have been comped elite statuses.

Others, if you read their trip reports, make it clear that they are 'travel writers' when interacting with or forming relationships with airline and hotel staff in order to grease wheels.

Not a "problem," per se. But when you read a blog report about a product or destination I think it's important to keep in mind that 1) the reviewer may be biased, and 2) non-'travel writers' may or may not receive service similar to that reported by travel writers. @:-)

gpapadop

I think I should add TBB to a new category in the wiki:

Blogs that have not been offered comps and intend to say no when the time comes...unless it is an overwater bungalow in the Maldives or Bora Bora

Markie

Not me, as my bank balance can testify!

Doc Savage

lacuadra

Lucky disclosed those trips in advance. And he took a reader to HElsinki with him. Two days ago he disclosed that he paid a lot for those miles and points, as part of his blogging job.

oliver2002

The reason this gets mentions by OMAAT and VFTW is because there was a major brouhaha about this some time ago. All mainstream bloggers including these two have access to upgrade/award/revenue inventory thru their connections that regular travellers wouldn't have when they propose to 'pay' for the trip. Inaugurals are usually block booked by the airlines PR department, especially in the premium cabins.

Serious journalists also pay reduced rates, but usually ask the right questions and are not hesitant to call a spade a spade.

GUWonder

Most inaugural flights are not blocked IME. A minority of the inaugural flights are difficult to book using regular channels, but that minority just tends to correspond to the more interesting inaugural flights.

There are also "non-bloggers" who get comps from industry suppliers. I would be shocked if none of the FT establishment players who "guide" this place have no history of taking comps from suppliers. Disclosure/non-disclosure issue on that end is simply part of the game.

farbster

I think we as readers have to ask ourselves why we read a particular blog. Are we looking for hotel recommendations for a certain city? Are we looking for insight on how to book an award ticket? Are we trying to keep abreast of the best credit card offer?

If you want to read about a particular flight and feel that the bloggers are not being honest due to getting "comped", then perhaps read up the trip reports. I'm sure you can find reports on many of the airlines, covering various cabins/routes. SFO777 has been on a roll recently with his luxury travel.

Of course I believe most everything that gets posted by bloggers is so they can make some money. God bless them. No quarrels from me, as long as they're kosher and post the best deal. Otherwise, it's pretty crappy. If someone writes up a hotel, they're either doing it because they need to post something, it's part of a total TR, or they have a credit card link. I'm fine with them making money btw.

Not many will do this (and I haven't ready Lucky's recent postings about this and he may have covered it), but it'd be nice to see when they write a report how many points they used, how much they spent in money, etc. Did they get special assistance in booking a flight that the regular people can't get (Pub. Relations dept -- not Platinum whatever). Are the bloggers doing some kind of manufactured spend that we're not aware of? What is their source of getting the points and how much did they spend on flights? I suppose much of their paid travel is a tax write off, but I'm not a CPA, so it's just a guess. This information might be interesting, but it wouldn't make me question a report however.