So, 84fiero, which BA blogs do you think are well written and which non-BA blogs in the points & miles space, or maybe any space, do you think are the best? I'm always looking for good stuff.

I have to say that the only BA blog that I still look at occasionally that seems well written is Running with Miles even though I am, unfortunately, not at all interested in the subject matter since I'm not a runner.

As a small footnote, the most impressive one-man blog or site I've ever personally seen on any subject by anyone is www.uboat.net, which isn't even run by a native speaker of English. But that's getting pretty far, far off topic . . . .

I like the uboat site - pretty cool!

I don't read too many P&M blogs anymore (other than as comic relief [Delta Points] or something being discussed here). On BA, I do still read Wandering Aramean, Loyalty Traveler, and Frequent Miler - each for different reasons. I'm going to give The Gate a try as he seems to have a nice variety of content. Some of the new influx of bloggers on BA might be really good, but I'm so lost in the sea of newcomers I don't have the gumption to spend time reading them to see. I had been reading some of the blogs on First2Board but just haven't visited in awhile.

Anymore I like to browse actual travel blogs. Sometimes I'll seek out ones that are specific to somewhere I might be going, other times I try to find one with something new or a new perspective.

I have quite a list bookmarked, each with their own benefit - a few at random (some of these aren't "blogs" per se):

Gary Arnd's Everything-Everywhere - more of a photo-essay style than lots of prose.

http://emorfes.com/

http://www.aroundtheworldin80jobs.com/

http://www.turkeytravelplanner.com/

Awesome photos of Ireland

http://www.for91days.com/

http://londonunveiled.com/page/2/

Thanks, 84fiero. I never even knew Afghanistan had any water to speak of, and now I'm going to have to pore over London Unveiled especially since I haven't been there in a while.

The quasi-Albanian painted mosque in another of the blogs reminds me of when, as a college kid, I spent a day visiting the painted monasteries of northern Moldavia. Even though Romania was communist then with little hard currency, my driver still wanted 600 cigarettes instead of dollars. (Imported consumer goods were forbidden to Romanians no matter how many dollars they had.) When I said, "Wow, you must smoke a lot," he replied, "No, I actually don't smoke but my dentist and my doctor do, and I'm behind on what I've promised them!" And what followed after that turned out to be even more interesting . . . .

If that's the type of content you're looking for then it is no surprise that you find visits to Boarding Area a disappointing part of your day. That's not the stuff anyone there is trying to produce and never has been.

I didn't mean to imply that it is or was BA's intent. Just pointing out to FallenPlat that I wouldn't be able to provide a lot of BA inputs simply because I don't read it as much now as years ago.

The reason I don't is not because I was searching BA for something they don't have...it's because I have gained enough experience to usually figure out my miles and points needs largely on my own, supplemented by FT and just a few good P & M blogs as needed.

So when I spend time online on travel matters I'm mostly looking for inspiration, ideas, destination tips, stuff like that. And airline and related industry news too sometimes just because it interests me.

Heels First has a continuing series on Spirit Airlines that I find fascinating in a porn sort of way -- you know, "My that's interesting but that's sure not something I'd ever do!" (Before I get myself in trouble here, let me just clarify that that's just a joke.) I guess Spirit is kind of an empty, near-blogless space that almost by definition has lots of room for original content. As you might imagine, there's more than enough weird stuff here to keep a blog going essentially indefinitely . . . if only there were readers interested enough.

They carried more than 11mm passengers in the past 12 months. Seems to me that's not a tiny population to write towards, huh??

http://www.transtats.bts.gov/carrier...%20Air%20Lines

Anyone else get a laugh at the blog name: "Efficient Asian Man" ??

http://efficientasianman.boardingarea.com

I think, sbm12, you might be mistaking Spirit flyers for readers. Boarding Area is a points & miles space, and I would guess that intersection of the two sets -- Spirit flyers and points & miles enthusiasts -- is not great. I'll admit, of course, that that's just a guess and, hey, I'm a reader . . . kind of.

We flew them when we had to re-route ourselves ahead of a snow storm. The flight was fine, but you do get the nickel and dime feeling. But, we got to our destination safely and I'm capable of handling a mediocre flight experience if it gets me to where I want to go. Not every flight has to be a first class flight with a lounge experience. I mean, we don't always eat at French Laundry do we?

Now if I could only figure out all their fees...

They do have a program. It is a craptacular one but it exists. And, quite frankly, I'll take original content over yet another trip report of the same itinerary and same airlines again.

Well, if it's original content you're after -- and who isn't? -- today's View from the Wing has an interesting post on how Loyalty Programs Are All About Conflicts of Interest. Although none of the insights is exactly earth-shattering, the post is still pretty good. I'm honestly a complete sucker for just about any post in the form of an essay.

I was confused about VFTW post "Never Accept a Room That's Unacceptable". Is he saying that if you check into the Mandalay Bay at noon and do not like your room, you should reasonably expect they give you a suite at the Delano or the Four Seasons?

I feel most travelers, even Hyatt Diamonds, who are not well known bloggers would get some push back on that.

I question the wisdom of someone working as an expert witness sharing details - even in relatively vague phrases - about the work they're doing. Seems like a pretty bad idea for me.
FWIW, I was standing there when it happened and trying to check out of my room. I have the utmost confidence that the guy at the counter didn't recognize Gary as a blogger.

Mandalay Bay was PACKED last night and tonight and pushing guests to the other properties is no surprise at all to me. I'm sure the status helped, but the hotel being full is what did it. And I expect that any other comparably statused elite showing up at the counter at that point with the hotel fully booked would have received the same treatment.

I don't know if he has just the Platinum from the Hyatt Diamond match or Noir from the blogger comps given out at the launch party and that might have skewed the situation (i.e. only a Noir would get it) but I don't think the general "being a blogger" had any impact here other than perhaps being smart enough to ask for and suggest viable alternate solutions.

I spent 15 years in private practice and the last 20 as an administrative law judge. And, it's a spectacularly bad idea. Probably the last time he'll be retained as an expert witness. Given the lack of common sense I've seen from VFTW lately, I'm not at all surprised that his internal governors are way off on this, though.