only 3? sounded like more. :D im slightly curious about their riverboats too.

Possibly 4! Each was 10 days though IIRC so I have probably spent more nights at the ARosa Travemuende than any other hotel!

you havent done more than ~30-40 at madinat?

http://i59.tinypic.com/345o5fo.png

"BoardingArea.... Required reading for Frequent Flyers"

Technically no, since we did 30 nights at Emirates Towers but went down to Madinat to use the beach, plus about 25 nights at Madinat itself!

:cool:
#1 - 30>40
#2 - 30 - cant believe i forgot about emirates towers
#3 - 25

if you ever increase your travel to dubai you might check out burj membership
(or if extended stays - cant remember, they may have short term memberships)

Well it seems this thread has taken a sharp turn OT

discussion of destination/travel blogging

I'm kinda creeped out by the face staring me down...

Last page or so has been FTers swapping travel recs/stories (which is great!) but not exactly pertinent to the conversation I was trying to have

To the OP: yes, I agree that the BA content is now sadly lacking and the blogs all sound more or less the same...they rip each other and FT off, and recycle almost every item. There are occasional nuggets but the signal/noise ratio is very high and without doubt, the proliferation of newbie blogs is an example of a modern tragedy of the commons... the gatekeepers of LH F redemption are insulted by the numerous closeups of the churners at work and are reacting as we'd expect e.g. via the doubling of UA MP requirements for redemption, instigation of booking moratoria prior to D-14, etc.

In fact, the whole situation might now be termed.....well, you regulars all know very well what it is. Muahaha!

So then...perhaps what's needed is a blog with a different perspective. Hmm, I can see it now:

@:-) reDtaiLSharK's FFrenzy @:-)

There would be no censorship. DL employees and apologists and mods would be welcome to post...but they would not be sheltered from the avalanche of criticism that would follow :D

No affiliate links. No pimping of CC. Find it yourself. But the content would be irreplaceable....e.g.

Megabus irop @ BWI

Surviving UA E- to NRT via HNL/TKK/GUM.

Taxi ripoff @ CLO.

CCS-LIS MR with eight month layover.

8 hour MS frenzy @ EWR during layover.

Secret ichiban yakitori within range of NRT.

Finding el dolar azul @ EZE

etc.

And no censorship.

It wouldn't take long to amass a large readership base. The problem is, I'd get sucked into it and it wouldn't be long before I was unable to actually find and fly the deals and otherwise do the business. So I'll leave it to you guys to improve on what's out there :p

Ok, the signal/noise ratio isn't great especially if, like me, your interest in credit cards is casual at best. Sometimes, though, the "signal" that comes through can help make it all worth while: today Hack My Trip posted a truly interesting essay entitled "Frequent Flyer Programs, Transferable Points and Competitive Pressure." I guarantee that it will restore your faith in Boarding Area -- for five minutes anyway.

Is it bad that my immediate thought was "Who did they stea####re-cycle the content from?"

I guess he thinks that his looks are his best marketing tool.

Can't say I blame him. He has a HUGE leg up on everyone else in that department (cough MMS...) and I'm talking males and females. It just seems that BA attracts the unattractive