Boarding Area's Fall
Jun 29, 2017, 9:12 am
#1008
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: PSM
Posts: 69,232
Jun 29, 2017, 12:39 pm
#1009
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: ORF
Programs: Amex Plat, AA, BA Silver, Marriott Plat, Choice Gold, HHonors Gold, IHG Diamond
Posts: 3,749
Huh...both Rapid Travel Chai and I have written a decent amount about travel to the Canadian Maritime provinces; he's more partial to PEI than I am. And I know I've stated it as one of the better award trips I ever booked from a points value perspective.
Jun 29, 2017, 12:56 pm
#1010
Join Date: Dec 2004
Programs: UA-1K, MM, Hilton-Diamond, Marriott-Titanium
Posts: 4,424
I didn't say that no blogger has ever visited or written about this area--rather, I doubt that anyone is pushing it as "aspirational" in the sense that the Maldives or the PH Vendome or The Residence are pushed by some of the points-and-miles crew. I'm not even making the argument that it's aspirational, just a place that I want to visit.
Jun 29, 2017, 10:55 pm
#1011
Join Date: Jun 2010
Posts: 102
Even more so, when you're in Little Rock, you've got to do the extra work to get outside the hotel and find the local places (while pitching the CSR at three points for dining with a local restaurant that's on the Rewards Network program for another five) that can offset the pain of business travel with really solid earning opportunities.
But I understand that might take really hard work to uncover those opportunities, and it's a lot easier to just scream, "get the [] hotel card, which will give you two nights anywhere!" Even if it's really two nights where you don't want to go.
But I understand that might take really hard work to uncover those opportunities, and it's a lot easier to just scream, "get the [] hotel card, which will give you two nights anywhere!" Even if it's really two nights where you don't want to go.
I'm going to be in a position to do that throughout the US over the next 5+ years, so I'm curious what people would be most interested in reading / learning about.
Jun 30, 2017, 7:25 pm
#1012
Join Date: Apr 2017
Location: WAS
Programs: Free Agent
Posts: 1,757
If there was a site that had that kind of focus, what would you be most interested in reading about? Hotel reviews, random things to do in the local area, restaurant reviews, maximizing point / mile opportunities locally, or something else?
What I don't see nearly as often is a review of a Courtyard/Sheraton/Hilton Garden Inn, especially outside the biggest cities. Bonus points for how they treat mid-tier elites. It's very similar to car rental places. Most tripadvisor reviews are going to be when something goes horribly, or incredibly well. Very few people record their average experience.
It's one reason I loved DaveNCL's trip reports, while they were going. The mundane can be very interesting.
Jun 30, 2017, 8:20 pm
#1013
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: PSM
Posts: 69,232
Jun 30, 2017, 8:31 pm
#1014
Join Date: Jun 2010
Posts: 102
For me, it would be mid-range hotel and rental car reviews. It seems that there's a hundred posts on what Diamond (or Globalist, now) gets you at the Park Hyatt Maldives, or how the St. Regis New York treats Plats.
What I don't see nearly as often is a review of a Courtyard/Sheraton/Hilton Garden Inn, especially outside the biggest cities. Bonus points for how they treat mid-tier elites. It's very similar to car rental places. Most tripadvisor reviews are going to be when something goes horribly, or incredibly well. Very few people record their average experience.
It's one reason I loved DaveNCL's trip reports, while they were going. The mundane can be very interesting.
What I don't see nearly as often is a review of a Courtyard/Sheraton/Hilton Garden Inn, especially outside the biggest cities. Bonus points for how they treat mid-tier elites. It's very similar to car rental places. Most tripadvisor reviews are going to be when something goes horribly, or incredibly well. Very few people record their average experience.
It's one reason I loved DaveNCL's trip reports, while they were going. The mundane can be very interesting.
The first year we'll likely be IHG Spire Elite, Hilton Gold (although Diamond until end of March 2018), SPG Gold and Marriott Gold. As we'll literally be living in hotels for five years though, we'll probably (and hopefully!) end up with top tier status with all four of those most years. It should still give a good idea of what these hotels outside the big cities are like, even if not from a mid-tier perspective. When it comes to redemptions, we'll be focusing on category 1 & 2 hotels, so we won't be balling it at Andaz, St Regis, etc.
We'll be driving our own car though, so I'm afraid there wouldn't be any info about car rental companies.
Jul 1, 2017, 2:27 pm
#1015
Join Date: Feb 2001
Location: Ann Arbor, Michigan
Programs: Airline Free Agent, Fairmont Lifetime Platinum, Hyatt Globalist, Hilton Honors Diamond
Posts: 3,041
You asked
Jul 1, 2017, 4:52 pm
#1016
Join Date: Jun 2010
Posts: 102
Fair enough! I'm hoping we'll have a bit more of an interesting story to tell though as we'll be doing it on a 5 year, 50 state road trip, so it won't be (or I hope it won't be) just your average travel / points blog.
Jul 3, 2017, 7:29 am
#1018
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2013
Programs: DL PM, MR Titanium/LTP, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 10,130
I truly don't think any of these BA bloggers even know how to Google they really do just copy paste from one another.
Case in point, three of them have articles about Delta being interested in a 24% Jet Airways stake. All have similar hypothesis about why, yet not a single one seems to have done any research or paid attention to that fact that 5 weeks ago a DL SVP was named Jet Airways CEO, a piece of information that provides significant insight into this relationship.
Case in point, three of them have articles about Delta being interested in a 24% Jet Airways stake. All have similar hypothesis about why, yet not a single one seems to have done any research or paid attention to that fact that 5 weeks ago a DL SVP was named Jet Airways CEO, a piece of information that provides significant insight into this relationship.
Jul 3, 2017, 9:30 pm
#1019
Join Date: Feb 2001
Location: Ann Arbor, Michigan
Programs: Airline Free Agent, Fairmont Lifetime Platinum, Hyatt Globalist, Hilton Honors Diamond
Posts: 3,041
>>>>>>>>>>>>yet not a single one seems to have done any research...
Huh? Research? That takes time and time is page views=money
Huh? Research? That takes time and time is page views=money
Jul 4, 2017, 6:20 am
#1020
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: PSM
Posts: 69,232
Jet is a major partner into India and beyond and also a partner with AF/KL. DL can buy in cheap plus continue to grow the partnership. Even if it didn't have an exec as CEO that's not a horrible plan. They've gotta do something with those billions in profits.