Boarding Area's Fall
Sep 13, 2014, 6:36 am
#286
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: Berlin
Programs: BA Gold; Accor Plat; IHG Diamond-Amb; Meliá & HH & Marriott Gold
Posts: 5,450
Not funny -- and not correct. If someone says that an assertion "could not be further from the truth" then most of us would read that as meaning it is diametrically opposed to the truth.
I think you're confusing me with Astrophsx, who raised that possibility as a plausible explanation of an observed increase in output by some BA bloggers.
No. That's a straw man sbm12 has been scrapping with.
People here (and in other threads) have commented negatively on several different things that have reduced the value of BA -- and in particular the BA "front page" -- to people interested in air travel, the airline industry, hotels and loyalty programmes.
One factor is the sheer number of new BA blogs -- the majority of which don't offer a new perspective, point of view or 'angle'. A second arises out of attempts to broaden the BA audience: I've got nothing against 'niche' blogs, but adding them to BA means that fluff about cocktails and dresses takes front page space from stories about planes, routes and fares. (There are good reasons why Popular Mechanics and Nursing Times don't carry articles on investing in derivatives.) Thirdly, of course, we have the rise of the affiliate link -- meaning that many of those starting blogs in the past couple of years have done so for reasons of business rather than passion.
A few years ago more than 80% of the content on BA was reasonably likely to interest and inform its audience. Gary Leff was the expert on FFPs and redemptions. Ric Garrido was (and still is) the best single source for hotel programme news and analysis. Ben Schlappig oozed enthusiasm and showed us premium cabins and posh hotels. Today, 80% of the content on BA is weak and/or repetitive. It's aimed at a far wider audience -- but misses more often than before.
People here (and in other threads) have commented negatively on several different things that have reduced the value of BA -- and in particular the BA "front page" -- to people interested in air travel, the airline industry, hotels and loyalty programmes.
One factor is the sheer number of new BA blogs -- the majority of which don't offer a new perspective, point of view or 'angle'. A second arises out of attempts to broaden the BA audience: I've got nothing against 'niche' blogs, but adding them to BA means that fluff about cocktails and dresses takes front page space from stories about planes, routes and fares. (There are good reasons why Popular Mechanics and Nursing Times don't carry articles on investing in derivatives.) Thirdly, of course, we have the rise of the affiliate link -- meaning that many of those starting blogs in the past couple of years have done so for reasons of business rather than passion.
A few years ago more than 80% of the content on BA was reasonably likely to interest and inform its audience. Gary Leff was the expert on FFPs and redemptions. Ric Garrido was (and still is) the best single source for hotel programme news and analysis. Ben Schlappig oozed enthusiasm and showed us premium cabins and posh hotels. Today, 80% of the content on BA is weak and/or repetitive. It's aimed at a far wider audience -- but misses more often than before.
Last edited by IMH; Sep 13, 2014 at 7:06 am Reason: added an "s"
Sep 13, 2014, 7:04 am
#287
Suspended
Join Date: Jan 2013
Location: Barcelona
Posts: 3,317
IMH, +1 to your above statement.
That said, personally, I've just stopped reading BA, just like I've stopped reading TPG and FTG.
It gets to the point where FT is all you need, and if something 'big' is going down, it's happening here first anyway.
That said, personally, I've just stopped reading BA, just like I've stopped reading TPG and FTG.
It gets to the point where FT is all you need, and if something 'big' is going down, it's happening here first anyway.
Sep 13, 2014, 8:52 am
#288
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: PSM
Posts: 69,232
You seem to believe that the only target audience is "people interested in air travel, the airline industry, hotels and loyalty programmes." That is a reasonably broad collection and many people interested in those things are also interested in other topics as well. There are different writing styles - some I like and many I do not, but I'm guessing many feel the same about my content - and different perspectives. I know that my views are different from others on the site. And they don't all agree with each other, either.
I think there is plenty which could be done better on the front page of the site vis a vis categories and better filtering to dedupe. But to say that the content no longer appeals to anyone when some of it simply no longer appeals to you is a strange sort of reality to be living in.
If no one liked any of it then the readership numbers would be lower than before, wouldn't they? Except that's not at all the case. Even ignoring the new blogs being added everything I've seen about same-site readership suggests it is higher YoY. I know mine is.
If FT provides everything you need then that's great. But Boarding Area - or Milepoint or upgrd.com or FTG or TPG or F2B or P2B - is not meant to be a 1:1 replacement of FT. It never was. If that's where the foundation of the comparison starts then it is completely understandable that expectations are not being met.
Sep 13, 2014, 8:56 am
#289
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: PSM
Posts: 69,232
There is probably some sort of discussion of how they need to increase each blog to four posts daily.
Sep 13, 2014, 9:38 am
#290
Original Poster
Join Date: Feb 2011
Location: Somewhere above the Mason-Dixon
Programs: DL Ham Samich
Posts: 1,660
People here (and in other threads) have commented negatively on several different things that have reduced the value of BA -- and in particular the BA "front page" -- to people interested in air travel, the airline industry, hotels and loyalty programmes.
One factor is the sheer number of new BA blogs -- the majority of which don't offer a new perspective, point of view or 'angle'. A second arises out of attempts to broaden the BA audience: I've got nothing against 'niche' blogs, but adding them to BA means that fluff about cocktails and dresses takes front page space from stories about planes, routes and fares. (There are good reasons why Popular Mechanics and Nursing Times don't carry articles on investing in derivatives.) Thirdly, of course, we have the rise of the affiliate link -- meaning that many of those starting blogs in the past couple of years have done so for reasons of business rather than passion.
A few years ago more than 80% of the content on BA was reasonably likely to interest and inform its audience. Gary Leff was the expert on FFPs and redemptions. Ric Garrido was (and still is) the best single source for hotel programme news and analysis. Ben Schlappig oozed enthusiasm and showed us premium cabins and posh hotels. Today, 80% of the content on BA is weak and/or repetitive. It's aimed at a far wider audience -- but misses more often than before.
One factor is the sheer number of new BA blogs -- the majority of which don't offer a new perspective, point of view or 'angle'. A second arises out of attempts to broaden the BA audience: I've got nothing against 'niche' blogs, but adding them to BA means that fluff about cocktails and dresses takes front page space from stories about planes, routes and fares. (There are good reasons why Popular Mechanics and Nursing Times don't carry articles on investing in derivatives.) Thirdly, of course, we have the rise of the affiliate link -- meaning that many of those starting blogs in the past couple of years have done so for reasons of business rather than passion.
A few years ago more than 80% of the content on BA was reasonably likely to interest and inform its audience. Gary Leff was the expert on FFPs and redemptions. Ric Garrido was (and still is) the best single source for hotel programme news and analysis. Ben Schlappig oozed enthusiasm and showed us premium cabins and posh hotels. Today, 80% of the content on BA is weak and/or repetitive. It's aimed at a far wider audience -- but misses more often than before.
Sep 13, 2014, 11:40 am
#291
Join Date: Jun 2014
Location: DFW
Programs: AA Lifetime Gold, Admirals Club, Global Entry
Posts: 1,141
I'm a simple sort of guy who just wants to be entertained and, maybe, doesn't mind learning a thing or two about travel and points as well. Beyond a few of the blogs that I and others have mentioned in previous posts, Boarding Area simply fails to deliver. The quality of some blogs is affirmatively disgraceful to the point of being comical. Blogs with little or nothing new to say keep getting added anyway. And, yes, I would also agree that there are "good reasons why Popular Mechanics and Nursing Times don't carry articles on investing in derivatives." (I'm still laughing over that comment, by the way.)
So let's take the gloves off, shall we? When a site tolerates blogs like Delta Points (which isn't even written in standard English) and Points and Pixie Dust (where not going to the Louvre is the advice offered), it reflects poorly on the whole enterprise.
Nonetheless, Boarding Area makes money. Good for them. In the meantime, I'll pick and choose my way through to the stuff that's worth reading and ignore the rest . . . except for Delta Points, which is truly too "good" to miss.
So let's take the gloves off, shall we? When a site tolerates blogs like Delta Points (which isn't even written in standard English) and Points and Pixie Dust (where not going to the Louvre is the advice offered), it reflects poorly on the whole enterprise.
Nonetheless, Boarding Area makes money. Good for them. In the meantime, I'll pick and choose my way through to the stuff that's worth reading and ignore the rest . . . except for Delta Points, which is truly too "good" to miss.
Sep 13, 2014, 11:43 am
#292
Suspended
Join Date: Jan 2013
Location: Barcelona
Posts: 3,317
I'm a simple sort of guy who just wants to be entertained and, maybe, doesn't mind learning a thing or two about travel and points as well. Beyond a few of the blogs that I and others have mentioned in previous posts, Boarding Area simply fails to deliver. The quality of some blogs is affirmatively disgraceful to the point of being comical. Blogs with little or nothing new to say keep getting added anyway. And, yes, I would also agree that there are "good reasons why Popular Mechanics and Nursing Times don't carry articles on investing in derivatives." (I'm still laughing over that comment, by the way.)
So let's take the gloves off, shall we? When a site tolerates blogs like Delta Points (which isn't even written in standard English) and Points and Pixie Dust (where not going to the Louvre is the advice offered), it reflects poorly on the whole enterprise.
Nonetheless, Boarding Area makes money. Good for them. In the meantime, I'll pick and choose my way through to the stuff that's worth reading and ignore the rest . . . except for Delta Points, which is truly too "good" to miss.
So let's take the gloves off, shall we? When a site tolerates blogs like Delta Points (which isn't even written in standard English) and Points and Pixie Dust (where not going to the Louvre is the advice offered), it reflects poorly on the whole enterprise.
Nonetheless, Boarding Area makes money. Good for them. In the meantime, I'll pick and choose my way through to the stuff that's worth reading and ignore the rest . . . except for Delta Points, which is truly too "good" to miss.
Does anyone have a problem with Thread Tripping? A blog entirely dedicated to ripping posts from FT and similarly situated forums?
The content is: look at this thread I found today!
Amazed this is a real blog!!
Sep 13, 2014, 11:56 am
#293
Moderator: Hilton Honors forums
Join Date: Dec 2002
Location: Marietta, Georgia, United States
Posts: 24,997
To me, its purpose is to highlight discussions which you or I might have missed on FlyerTalk and other Internet bulletin board web sites and put a quirky or humorous spin on the topic.
There is always a link back to the original discussion; so it actually potentially drives traffic to FlyerTalk and other similar Internet web sites.
What is wrong with that?
Also of note is that Mikel Bowman was quite instrumental in the development of FlyerTalk and BoardingArea over the years; and he was also editor and writer of the TalkMail newsletter for years as well.
This was the last issue of the TalkMail newsletter written by Mikel.
Sep 13, 2014, 12:19 pm
#294
Original Member, Ambassador: External Miles and Points Resources
Join Date: May 1998
Location: Digital Nomad Wandering the Earth - Currently in LIMA, PERU
Posts: 58,607
If it is a broader audience then how is it missing?
You seem to believe that the only target audience is "people interested in air travel, the airline industry, hotels and loyalty programmes." That is a reasonably broad collection and many people interested in those things are also interested in other topics as well. There are different writing styles - some I like and many I do not, but I'm guessing many feel the same about my content - and different perspectives. I know that my views are different from others on the site. And they don't all agree with each other, either.
I think there is plenty which could be done better on the front page of the site vis a vis categories and better filtering to dedupe. But to say that the content no longer appeals to anyone when some of it simply no longer appeals to you is a strange sort of reality to be living in.
If no one liked any of it then the readership numbers would be lower than before, wouldn't they? Except that's not at all the case. Even ignoring the new blogs being added everything I've seen about same-site readership suggests it is higher YoY. I know mine is.
If FT provides everything you need then that's great. But Boarding Area - or Milepoint or upgrd.com or FTG or TPG or F2B or P2B - is not meant to be a 1:1 replacement of FT. It never was. If that's where the foundation of the comparison starts then it is completely understandable that expectations are not being met.
You seem to believe that the only target audience is "people interested in air travel, the airline industry, hotels and loyalty programmes." That is a reasonably broad collection and many people interested in those things are also interested in other topics as well. There are different writing styles - some I like and many I do not, but I'm guessing many feel the same about my content - and different perspectives. I know that my views are different from others on the site. And they don't all agree with each other, either.
I think there is plenty which could be done better on the front page of the site vis a vis categories and better filtering to dedupe. But to say that the content no longer appeals to anyone when some of it simply no longer appeals to you is a strange sort of reality to be living in.
If no one liked any of it then the readership numbers would be lower than before, wouldn't they? Except that's not at all the case. Even ignoring the new blogs being added everything I've seen about same-site readership suggests it is higher YoY. I know mine is.
If FT provides everything you need then that's great. But Boarding Area - or Milepoint or upgrd.com or FTG or TPG or F2B or P2B - is not meant to be a 1:1 replacement of FT. It never was. If that's where the foundation of the comparison starts then it is completely understandable that expectations are not being met.
To me, the lesson of MilePoint is the content is king.
And the content sauce is getting awfully thin when everyone who has ever posted on FlyerTalk starts their own blog and simply posts on their blog what they used to post on FlyerTalk (ie, their own opinion on P&M issues that are simultaneously being talked about on FT)...and then talking about and responding to other bloggers opinions. All focused around pumping cc affiliates, of course.
If a blogger brings a unique perspective and generates unique content from that perspective, that's great. I don't see it happening much though.
Like many, the glut of P&M blogs has drown me and I've mostly stopped reading them. Now I just check the headlines and mostly move on. When I have a specific need or question in working on my points and miles needs, I start with google. And sometimes occasionally end up on a blog. But 95% of the time end up here on FT.
And it really is not just the glut of blogs but the glut of posts. I don't think it has been mandated by anyone, but clearly bloggers believe that 4-5 posts per day is a best practice. I'm guessing because it pumps up 'readership' numbers and by casting that wider net they are hoping to increase the odds of a cc affiliate conversion.
To be clear, I am not b!tching about this. I don't begrudge anyone their blog nor their desire to make a buck. I'm just pointing out what I see as the trends and how they affect me. And it seems to me that current trends are unsustainable: more and more and more blogs with more and more and more posts with the same (limited) amount of information.
It's what makes original content like your data mining so extraordinary: it's so rare in the P&M blogoshpere.
Last edited by kokonutz; Sep 13, 2014 at 12:27 pm
Sep 13, 2014, 1:08 pm
#295
Join Date: Feb 2001
Location: Ann Arbor, Michigan
Programs: Airline Free Agent, Fairmont Lifetime Platinum, Hyatt Globalist, Hilton Honors Diamond
Posts: 3,041
Sep 13, 2014, 2:16 pm
#297
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: London
Programs: BA, VS, HH, IHG, MB, MR
Posts: 26,871
This is what I don't understand ....
I keep reading that, post the mergers, a large proportion of US travellers are basically hub captive. You might hate Delta but where you live may mean you are going to fly them most of the time.
With apologies to Rene, where is the category-killer Delta blog, the category-killer United blog and the category-killer AA blog?
ie someone who does for these airlines effectively what I do with British Airways for a UK audience, complete with lots of reference posts.
Where is the 'one stop shop' site for a captive Delta / AA / United flyer, ie one that covers Delta (but little other airline news) plus the hotel deals?
I keep reading that, post the mergers, a large proportion of US travellers are basically hub captive. You might hate Delta but where you live may mean you are going to fly them most of the time.
With apologies to Rene, where is the category-killer Delta blog, the category-killer United blog and the category-killer AA blog?
ie someone who does for these airlines effectively what I do with British Airways for a UK audience, complete with lots of reference posts.
Where is the 'one stop shop' site for a captive Delta / AA / United flyer, ie one that covers Delta (but little other airline news) plus the hotel deals?
Sep 13, 2014, 2:17 pm
#298
Original Member, Ambassador: External Miles and Points Resources
Join Date: May 1998
Location: Digital Nomad Wandering the Earth - Currently in LIMA, PERU
Posts: 58,607
I just counted. There are nearly 60 bloggers on BA!?!?!
If Everyone is an Expert…then no one really is, right?
If Everyone is an Expert…then no one really is, right?
Last edited by kokonutz; Sep 13, 2014 at 2:27 pm
Sep 13, 2014, 2:41 pm
#299
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: Berlin
Programs: BA Gold; Accor Plat; IHG Diamond-Amb; Meliá & HH & Marriott Gold
Posts: 5,450
I wrote that BA's broader brush approach means aiming at a far wider audience but missing more often than before. In other words, trying to appeal to (say) 20% of the population rather than (say) 5% means that in terms of page views you can come out ahead even if you do a far worse job than before -- reaching 11% of your new target audience is better than reaching 40% of the old one.
In the short term it's fairly easy to increase clicks and conversions. In the long term the drop in quality means you weaken your brand. Forgetting what makes you unique means you soon aren't.
Well yes, it would be. But I don't believe you really think that's what anyone here has said.
Once again you're responding to something that no one has said ("if no one liked any of it").
In the short term it's fairly easy to increase clicks and conversions. In the long term the drop in quality means you weaken your brand. Forgetting what makes you unique means you soon aren't.
Once again you're responding to something that no one has said ("if no one liked any of it").
Sep 13, 2014, 3:13 pm
#300
Original Member, Ambassador: External Miles and Points Resources
Join Date: May 1998
Location: Digital Nomad Wandering the Earth - Currently in LIMA, PERU
Posts: 58,607
This is what I don't understand ....
I keep reading that, post the mergers, a large proportion of US travellers are basically hub captive. You might hate Delta but where you live may mean you are going to fly them most of the time.
With apologies to Rene, where is the category-killer Delta blog, the category-killer United blog and the category-killer AA blog?
ie someone who does for these airlines effectively what I do with British Airways for a UK audience, complete with lots of reference posts.
Where is the 'one stop shop' site for a captive Delta / AA / United flyer, ie one that covers Delta (but little other airline news) plus the hotel deals?
I keep reading that, post the mergers, a large proportion of US travellers are basically hub captive. You might hate Delta but where you live may mean you are going to fly them most of the time.
With apologies to Rene, where is the category-killer Delta blog, the category-killer United blog and the category-killer AA blog?
ie someone who does for these airlines effectively what I do with British Airways for a UK audience, complete with lots of reference posts.
Where is the 'one stop shop' site for a captive Delta / AA / United flyer, ie one that covers Delta (but little other airline news) plus the hotel deals?
In doing so, of course, it means ignoring the cheerleading he does for AA as he tends to oversell AA's positives and undersell its negatives.
It also means reading only four or five of his 40 or so posts per week. @:-)