The Points Guy: We never accept free flights [merged TPG discussions]
Nov 23, 2015, 7:52 pm
#228
Join Date: May 2012
Location: Fort Lauderdale, Florida
Programs: IAMAW Local 368/HAL 2 Star Mariner
Posts: 740
Doesn't he have to pay for a seat / suite / apartment / some other cabin ticket etc etc etc for the video producer? Lucky [no pun intended] dude.
Regarding cabin photography...Interesting. I always found certain subjects to be easier to capture than others. For example, taking pictures of an entire suite is usually a PITA for me -- I'll have to stand up and raise the camera above my head to encompass the whole suite in my photo which is easier said than done! I can't imagine the apartment is that much easier for Kelly, considering the closed design.
One thing I suggest to Brian and others is to literally take dozens of pictures of the same thing from different angles (take, NOT post.). People ask me why I have thousands of pictures on my Flickr of the same object, wing, engine, etc., well it is because even the best photographer will have 95% garbage photos, 3% good photos, and 2% that are the best of the best. Statistically, the more pictures I take, the more chance I have of increasing the 2% of usable images. Dunno if Kelly does this, but maybe it could work for him.
-LPDAL
Regarding cabin photography...Interesting. I always found certain subjects to be easier to capture than others. For example, taking pictures of an entire suite is usually a PITA for me -- I'll have to stand up and raise the camera above my head to encompass the whole suite in my photo which is easier said than done! I can't imagine the apartment is that much easier for Kelly, considering the closed design.
One thing I suggest to Brian and others is to literally take dozens of pictures of the same thing from different angles (take, NOT post.). People ask me why I have thousands of pictures on my Flickr of the same object, wing, engine, etc., well it is because even the best photographer will have 95% garbage photos, 3% good photos, and 2% that are the best of the best. Statistically, the more pictures I take, the more chance I have of increasing the 2% of usable images. Dunno if Kelly does this, but maybe it could work for him.
-LPDAL
Nov 23, 2015, 9:09 pm
#229
Join Date: Dec 2004
Programs: UA-1K, MM, Hilton-Diamond, Marriott-Titanium
Posts: 4,432
Props to TPG for ponying up for it (whether he did or employer did, doesn't matter as much to me), even if he can write it off as a business expense, rather than trying to get the community to crowdfund it. I still will never get why OMAAT didn't simply find someone to split the $20k with for the initial Residence, I'm sure someone would have been glad to pay $10k for it if he came up with the other $10k.
Nov 23, 2015, 10:17 pm
#232
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: Charlotte, NC, USA | CLT, formerly LHR & AMS (with just a bit of PSP)
Programs: BAEC Gold, Hilton Diamond, BonVoy Titanium, (soon former) Caesars7*, (former) Wynn Black, HR "Icon"
Posts: 8,172
Kelly is getting the red-carpet treatment because he booked Etihad's first-ever Residence flight out of America, which will depart JFK for Abu Dhabi on December 1, for $33,000—though he will get at least $6,000 back through points and status matches. "I paid cash," he says. "But it's a business expense—the most incredible experience in the sky."
Nov 24, 2015, 7:03 am
#234
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: London
Programs: BA, VS, HH, IHG, MB, MR
Posts: 26,871
..... Seems not. If Brian had EY status they would probably have loaded his hand baggage instead of insisting he give it to a flunky to carry and the flunky then putting it down and forgetting about it :-)
Nov 24, 2015, 7:32 am
#235
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: Charlotte, NC, USA | CLT, formerly LHR & AMS (with just a bit of PSP)
Programs: BAEC Gold, Hilton Diamond, BonVoy Titanium, (soon former) Caesars7*, (former) Wynn Black, HR "Icon"
Posts: 8,172
At one property that I frequent, they handle my packages. Place things in the suite. Take care of all kinds of things without receipts or documentation.
I mean, when you pay "big bucks" things are just supposed to be done properly. I don't make assumptions that people or employees are "flunkies." Obviously, I do not have such expectations at a Hampton Inn.
Nov 24, 2015, 7:36 am
#236
Join Date: Jan 2014
Posts: 68
Seriously though, what a screw-up on Etihad's side. This is the first Residence trip report that will (should) have lots of details and pictures, and they can't even make sure the guy's luggage makes it onto the plane? It takes a little bit of the shine off the whole "uber-luxury, personal service" marketing scheme they've got going with this product.
Nov 24, 2015, 9:34 am
#237
Join Date: Feb 2009
Posts: 3,737
Seriously though, what a screw-up on Etihad's side. This is the first Residence trip report that will (should) have lots of details and pictures, and they can't even make sure the guy's luggage makes it onto the plane? It takes a little bit of the shine off the whole "uber-luxury, personal service" marketing scheme they've got going with this product.
Gino Bertuccio: http://airwaysnews.com/blog/2014/12/...l-trip-report/
Brian Kelly is banking on the chance opportunity that the video he will create and/or write up will go viral. $30k for two people and being able to write it off as a business expense seems like a cheap price if it can drive a huge amount of traffic to his page. He may have even gotten the guy to do the video in exchange for a few free flights. It will be interesting to compare the amount of attention vs Lucky's Rolling Stone feature as he went on a media blitz (I'm assuming he hired someone for PR). The guy that did the "$60,000" Emirates trip around the world had over 15 million views. He didn't have to do much once the story started to spread. He spent 6+ months after that trip preparing things to monetize all the new traffic.
Nov 24, 2015, 10:26 am
#238
Join Date: Jan 2014
Posts: 68
But this isn't the first residence trip report with details and photos.
Gino Bertuccio: http://airwaysnews.com/blog/2014/12/...l-trip-report/
Brian Kelly is banking on the chance opportunity that the video he will create and/or write up will go viral. $30k for two people and being able to write it off as a business expense seems like a cheap price if it can drive a huge amount of traffic to his page. He may have even gotten the guy to do the video in exchange for a few free flights. It will be interesting to compare the amount of attention vs Lucky's Rolling Stone feature as he went on a media blitz (I'm assuming he hired someone for PR). The guy that did the "$60,000" Emirates trip around the world had over 15 million views. He didn't have to do much once the story started to spread. He spent 6+ months after that trip preparing things to monetize all the new traffic.
Gino Bertuccio: http://airwaysnews.com/blog/2014/12/...l-trip-report/
Brian Kelly is banking on the chance opportunity that the video he will create and/or write up will go viral. $30k for two people and being able to write it off as a business expense seems like a cheap price if it can drive a huge amount of traffic to his page. He may have even gotten the guy to do the video in exchange for a few free flights. It will be interesting to compare the amount of attention vs Lucky's Rolling Stone feature as he went on a media blitz (I'm assuming he hired someone for PR). The guy that did the "$60,000" Emirates trip around the world had over 15 million views. He didn't have to do much once the story started to spread. He spent 6+ months after that trip preparing things to monetize all the new traffic.
Nov 24, 2015, 10:30 am
#239
Join Date: Jan 2010
Posts: 677
But this isn't the first residence trip report with details and photos.
Gino Bertuccio: http://airwaysnews.com/blog/2014/12/...l-trip-report/
Brian Kelly is banking on the chance opportunity that the video he will create and/or write up will go viral. $30k for two people and being able to write it off as a business expense seems like a cheap price if it can drive a huge amount of traffic to his page. He may have even gotten the guy to do the video in exchange for a few free flights. It will be interesting to compare the amount of attention vs Lucky's Rolling Stone feature as he went on a media blitz (I'm assuming he hired someone for PR). The guy that did the "$60,000" Emirates trip around the world had over 15 million views. He didn't have to do much once the story started to spread. He spent 6+ months after that trip preparing things to monetize all the new traffic.
Gino Bertuccio: http://airwaysnews.com/blog/2014/12/...l-trip-report/
Brian Kelly is banking on the chance opportunity that the video he will create and/or write up will go viral. $30k for two people and being able to write it off as a business expense seems like a cheap price if it can drive a huge amount of traffic to his page. He may have even gotten the guy to do the video in exchange for a few free flights. It will be interesting to compare the amount of attention vs Lucky's Rolling Stone feature as he went on a media blitz (I'm assuming he hired someone for PR). The guy that did the "$60,000" Emirates trip around the world had over 15 million views. He didn't have to do much once the story started to spread. He spent 6+ months after that trip preparing things to monetize all the new traffic.
Nov 24, 2015, 10:52 am
#240
Join Date: May 2009
Location: South Park, CO
Programs: Tegridy Elite
Posts: 5,678
All good points but those stories took off because people like to see the amazing stuff people can do for "free." This is definitely not that so I would be surprised if it got the same amount of attention. I wonder how much attention the Nicole Kidman ads generated for Etihad?