Mommy Points - Chase Affiliate Links Ending
Dec 11, 2015, 4:20 pm
#31
Formerly known as iahsumr
Join Date: Jan 2011
Posts: 520
Dec 11, 2015, 5:24 pm
#32
Original Poster
Join Date: May 2009
Location: South Park, CO
Programs: Tegridy Elite
Posts: 5,678
Thought I would briefly weigh in...
The miles and points blogging world is so different than it was when I started five years ago and even so different than roughly two years ago. The various ways to monetize your site beyond a hobby blog are also so different than they were. It is still a very evolving and maturing medium.
The volume of traffic required to do business with various entities today is different than it was at any point in the past, and likely it will be even more different going forward. I'm sure the type of traffic you have will be even more relevant in the future as data and metrics are even easier to capture and measure.
In terms of content on my site, it was always first and foremost about things everyday families can do to travel more for less. It always was, and it presumably always will be. Mainly, that's just where my interests happen to be. A handful of fancy miles and points redemptions taken while we had a pretty self-sufficient four year old at home (and grandparents nearby) knowing we were planning to very soon head back into the infant years didn't change that. In fact, I strongly encourage families to take those sort of trips when you have the chance between little kids since the infant years are really not the time to do it!
I can see how to those who didn't know our long term plan it looked at the time like a shift, but it was never a shift, it was a planned blip. Either way, I can assure you that writing about fancy redemptions increases, not decreases, traffic, but that was never going to make-up the majority of my content since it does not make up the majority of my travels.
I'm lucky to have been able to pay the bills writing about stuff that I love for over four years, and I hope to be so lucky as to find a way to keep doing it for many more. Only time will tell. For those of you who do read the site, even if only on occasion, thank you.
The miles and points blogging world is so different than it was when I started five years ago and even so different than roughly two years ago. The various ways to monetize your site beyond a hobby blog are also so different than they were. It is still a very evolving and maturing medium.
The volume of traffic required to do business with various entities today is different than it was at any point in the past, and likely it will be even more different going forward. I'm sure the type of traffic you have will be even more relevant in the future as data and metrics are even easier to capture and measure.
In terms of content on my site, it was always first and foremost about things everyday families can do to travel more for less. It always was, and it presumably always will be. Mainly, that's just where my interests happen to be. A handful of fancy miles and points redemptions taken while we had a pretty self-sufficient four year old at home (and grandparents nearby) knowing we were planning to very soon head back into the infant years didn't change that. In fact, I strongly encourage families to take those sort of trips when you have the chance between little kids since the infant years are really not the time to do it!
I can see how to those who didn't know our long term plan it looked at the time like a shift, but it was never a shift, it was a planned blip. Either way, I can assure you that writing about fancy redemptions increases, not decreases, traffic, but that was never going to make-up the majority of my content since it does not make up the majority of my travels.
I'm lucky to have been able to pay the bills writing about stuff that I love for over four years, and I hope to be so lucky as to find a way to keep doing it for many more. Only time will tell. For those of you who do read the site, even if only on occasion, thank you.
There's nothing wrong with traveling in style affordably or taking parents' getaways when you can! I'm sure the Chase changes aren't the end of the world and you'll keep rollin' on.
Dec 12, 2015, 8:23 am
#33
Join Date: Feb 2001
Location: Ann Arbor, Michigan
Programs: Airline Free Agent, Fairmont Lifetime Platinum, Hyatt Globalist, Hilton Honors Diamond
Posts: 3,041
There has been a long trending downwards slip of advertising revenue across the industry and especially Boarding Area. So, when you combine it with a mega hit revenue driver like Chase credit card apps I just don't see these blogs continue making a living out of it. So I predicted that 2016 will be the year that many smaller blogs will die or go back to an occasional post here and there, you know, like a true hobby 
All the best to Mommy Points in the future. I haven't read your blog in a very long time other than this bye bye Chase post that a reader alerted me to, nothing personal.
I bet there will be many less posts about Chase credit cards going forward!
So who has direct Chase links left other than TPG, MMS, FTG, VFTW and OMAAT?
Now excuse moi while I go back to crying for losing my lifetime Fairmont Platinums status in the next year #sosad
All the best to Mommy Points in the future. I haven't read your blog in a very long time other than this bye bye Chase post that a reader alerted me to, nothing personal.
I bet there will be many less posts about Chase credit cards going forward!
So who has direct Chase links left other than TPG, MMS, FTG, VFTW and OMAAT?
Now excuse moi while I go back to crying for losing my lifetime Fairmont Platinums status in the next year #sosad
Dec 12, 2015, 11:30 am
#34
Join Date: Feb 1999
Location: Denver CO
Posts: 3,682
I first posted this observation on the best blog of all:
http://travelbloggerbuzz.com
Everyone should go over there and take a look and buy something.
Back to Mommy Points: She has run her blog in a far more reader-friendly manner than many of her fellow fellows. Some would call that being more ethical, but who am I to judge?
Example: Last spring, Chase came out with a UA credit card with a 50,000 UA miles sign-up bonus, and gave its network of blogger affilitiates (don't call them salesmen) a link. which I think paid a commission to the blogger. So far, so fair.
Then someone discovered that there was a legit, backdoor way to get the same 50k points, PLUS a $50 statement credit, but with that link and offer, I don't think the blogger was paid by Chase. On one prominent blog, this was noted and the blogger said he would research the matter, Does anyone know where to find the follow-up, and whether the story with the commissioned link was edited?
Another prominent blog also had comments pointing out the better deal. One comment suggested the blogger just leave a tip jar so readers could toss him $50 on the way out. I did not see a correction there either, though I would love someone to show me that there was.
Mommy Points wrote up the 50k bonus, but also mentioned the better deal and, as i recall, how to get it. To be clear, that's where the reader, you and me, would get an additional $50 but she would likely not get paid. And now Chase pulls the plug, perhaps thinking she didn't get enough sign-ups.
Well, Clinton used to say "If you want a friend in Washington, get a dog". I'm not sure where you turn if you want a fair shake from these bloggers. But while MP is no Mother Teresa, you might start with her.
http://travelbloggerbuzz.com
Everyone should go over there and take a look and buy something.
Back to Mommy Points: She has run her blog in a far more reader-friendly manner than many of her fellow fellows. Some would call that being more ethical, but who am I to judge?
Example: Last spring, Chase came out with a UA credit card with a 50,000 UA miles sign-up bonus, and gave its network of blogger affilitiates (don't call them salesmen) a link. which I think paid a commission to the blogger. So far, so fair.
Then someone discovered that there was a legit, backdoor way to get the same 50k points, PLUS a $50 statement credit, but with that link and offer, I don't think the blogger was paid by Chase. On one prominent blog, this was noted and the blogger said he would research the matter, Does anyone know where to find the follow-up, and whether the story with the commissioned link was edited?
Another prominent blog also had comments pointing out the better deal. One comment suggested the blogger just leave a tip jar so readers could toss him $50 on the way out. I did not see a correction there either, though I would love someone to show me that there was.
Mommy Points wrote up the 50k bonus, but also mentioned the better deal and, as i recall, how to get it. To be clear, that's where the reader, you and me, would get an additional $50 but she would likely not get paid. And now Chase pulls the plug, perhaps thinking she didn't get enough sign-ups.
Well, Clinton used to say "If you want a friend in Washington, get a dog". I'm not sure where you turn if you want a fair shake from these bloggers. But while MP is no Mother Teresa, you might start with her.
Dec 12, 2015, 12:22 pm
#35
Join Date: May 2012
Location: Fort Lauderdale, Florida
Programs: IAMAW Local 368/HAL 2 Star Mariner
Posts: 740
Four year olds can be self sufficient?
EDIT: just read the post again and saw that the four year old was left home alone. So....The four year old was running the house? I just want to make sure I'm reading this correctly....
-LPDAL
EDIT: just read the post again and saw that the four year old was left home alone. So....The four year old was running the house? I just want to make sure I'm reading this correctly....
-LPDAL
Last edited by LPDAL; Dec 12, 2015 at 12:28 pm
Dec 12, 2015, 1:16 pm
#36
Original Poster
Join Date: May 2009
Location: South Park, CO
Programs: Tegridy Elite
Posts: 5,678
Dec 12, 2015, 1:23 pm
#37
Formerly known as iahsumr
Join Date: Jan 2011
Posts: 520
Self sufficient in kid speak = can wipe own bottom, play happily for a while, eat normal food, communicate needs without crying. In other words, not a huge burden to care for in our absence.
Grandparents nearby = daughter can therefore keep similar routine, go to school, etc while staying with them.
And now I will crawl back out of the flyertalk cave since this all went so well.
Dec 13, 2015, 5:24 am
#39
Suspended
Join Date: Jul 2001
Location: Watchlisted by the prejudiced, en route to purgatory
Programs: Just Say No to Fleecing and Blacklisting
Posts: 102,095
Do I have to wonder if there are a bunch of jealous people that complain about FT-spin-off bloggers because they sort of made this hobby into a tool to manufacture some money and have "15 minutes of fame"?
Laptops tend to be more expensive than desktops when wanting the same kind of computing power.
But the fact of the matter is that not all bloggers have the kind of ability and opportunity to scale up to be large enough to be valuable enough to some of the bigger banks.
Even with a more expensive laptop than a comparably powerful desktop, a mother with two young kids probably has different challenges than the single/dual-income no kid types.
Mommypoints.boardingarea.com didn't seem as bad a seller of credit card deals as some of the other sites out there, and it's been one of the blogs that has had some of the more interesting items that I've found useful and not just a knock-off or knocked-off content provider.
I wish her the best of luck in making up the lost revenue from the dropped affiliate relationship. The more ski deals she can find, the better.
But the fact of the matter is that not all bloggers have the kind of ability and opportunity to scale up to be large enough to be valuable enough to some of the bigger banks.
Even with a more expensive laptop than a comparably powerful desktop, a mother with two young kids probably has different challenges than the single/dual-income no kid types.
Mommypoints.boardingarea.com didn't seem as bad a seller of credit card deals as some of the other sites out there, and it's been one of the blogs that has had some of the more interesting items that I've found useful and not just a knock-off or knocked-off content provider.
I wish her the best of luck in making up the lost revenue from the dropped affiliate relationship. The more ski deals she can find, the better.
Dec 13, 2015, 6:19 am
#40
Join Date: Feb 2001
Location: Ann Arbor, Michigan
Programs: Airline Free Agent, Fairmont Lifetime Platinum, Hyatt Globalist, Hilton Honors Diamond
Posts: 3,041
We will all be better off when all banks leave the "I started this blog to show my friends and family how to fly for free, look at me in my First Class lie flat bed seat eating caviar and drinking Krug on my way to the over the water bungalow in the Maldives and you can do it too by clicking on my credit cards, hurry!" "travel" blogger market...
Anyways, something I just noticed as I type this comments. On the bottom of the page (and pretty much ALL OVER Boarding Area) you see the ads selling the Amex Platinum for just a 40k signing bonus when we all (should) know that there are much better ways to get the card! And nobody says anything. The other day OMAAT made a separate post pumping the crap out of it and then it amuses me when people complain about my pumping and then even link to these blog posts!
At the top of this page I see an ad for MileCards. I am not sure who is behind this operation but here is a site that offers original and helpful content that respects its readers.
One of these days I will install an ad blocker
Mountain Trader: Thanks a lot for the kind words.
Recently, I linked to this blog post that I think explains a lot about blogging in general:
http://financialuproar.com/2015/11/3...cial-blogging/
One thing about Mommy Points I admired is the way she interacted with complaining "angry's", always level headed with respect.
At the end of the day, we are down to big three legacy airlines, we are losing SPG, Fairmont and Kimpton, and banks are making it harder for us churners along with continued large devaluations as MS deals are getting restricted left and right. Still value in this game? Yes. But not as much...At this rate...
Anyways, something I just noticed as I type this comments. On the bottom of the page (and pretty much ALL OVER Boarding Area) you see the ads selling the Amex Platinum for just a 40k signing bonus when we all (should) know that there are much better ways to get the card! And nobody says anything. The other day OMAAT made a separate post pumping the crap out of it and then it amuses me when people complain about my pumping and then even link to these blog posts!
At the top of this page I see an ad for MileCards. I am not sure who is behind this operation but here is a site that offers original and helpful content that respects its readers.
One of these days I will install an ad blocker
Mountain Trader: Thanks a lot for the kind words.
Recently, I linked to this blog post that I think explains a lot about blogging in general:
http://financialuproar.com/2015/11/3...cial-blogging/
One thing about Mommy Points I admired is the way she interacted with complaining "angry's", always level headed with respect.
At the end of the day, we are down to big three legacy airlines, we are losing SPG, Fairmont and Kimpton, and banks are making it harder for us churners along with continued large devaluations as MS deals are getting restricted left and right. Still value in this game? Yes. But not as much...At this rate...
Feb 12, 2016, 6:08 am
#41
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: North America
Posts: 2,265
So petty that MommyPoints can't even provide a single link to a CC offer she's blogging about probably because she isn't getting a commission on it any longer. http://mommypoints.boardingarea.com/2016/02/11/30345/
Feb 12, 2016, 6:17 am
#42
Suspended
Join Date: Dec 2014
Posts: 8,460
So petty that MommyPoints can't even provide a single link to a CC offer she's blogging about probably because she isn't getting a commission on it any longer. http://mommypoints.boardingarea.com/2016/02/11/30345/
Feb 12, 2016, 6:28 am
#43
Original Poster
Join Date: May 2009
Location: South Park, CO
Programs: Tegridy Elite
Posts: 5,678
So petty that MommyPoints can't even provide a single link to a CC offer she's blogging about probably because she isn't getting a commission on it any longer. http://mommypoints.boardingarea.com/2016/02/11/30345/
She includes a link to the [Ongoing offers] Now 80K points, free night, AF not waived, Marriott Premier Visa FlyerTalk thread that contains not only application links but also discussions on the card/offers.
Feb 12, 2016, 6:33 am
#44
Suspended
Join Date: Dec 2014
Posts: 8,460
It's different than it use to be. She use to have direct links to CC apps.
Feb 12, 2016, 6:39 am
#45
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: North America
Posts: 2,265
I count at least 3 direct (affiliate) links to creditcards.com CardMatch, encouraging people to click-through to see if they qualify. Completely different tone for commission vs no commission. Petty.