Blogs that post real tricks ?
 

Any suggestions for blogs that are not scared to post about tricks that people here try to keep "underground" ? Even if they are not in English, that is fine (thanks Google Translate)

I know that one of them is Secret Flying, and I know there are several non-english (ie: german) blogs that post more useful tricks than TPG, VFW, OMAAT..

I am also willing to consider pay/subscription blogs if they provide good value and save time.


thanks

For what “real tricks” are you searching?

There is no business model in this. The airlines and hotel companies will not advertise nor will they let you join their affiliate schemes (or will kick you off if you are in them).

It would also be pointless to share genuine tricks knowing they will be dead within a few hours of being posted.

If you want to learn interesting stuff you should look at the Community board and meet FTers in person, where secrets are often shared.

So, what are those German blogs you're finding useful?

I don't really know how to answer as I'm not quite sure what you mean by "real tricks". Anything that still works is "real" to my mind. If you mean not widely known, well something that is a new and unique technique to one person may be old hat to the next.

Pay for info sites exist/existed; and at least one on the dark web had some kind of payment collection effort for tips.

Aren't there still some people paying even for YQ-dump info?

But a scalable business model that is as potentially lucrative as a good, public blog? Not so easy to pull off.

I know at least one or two "real tricks" and kept "underground"...it's clear to me that it's not common knowledge based on the frequent/numerous posting about how/when to book.

It's widely considered that too much exposure kills deals, especially the sensitive ones. This is not breaking news.

Our "hobby" has seen unprecedented growth in the last 2 years, and lots of the easy pickin's have died off. This is across the board... the loopholes in booking, the ease of earning qualifying miles, the bonanza of miles earnings, the credit card sign up opportunities, the rewards that status would get you... it's a long list of pared down opportunities.

I saw that CNN news clip about the blogger sitting in First Class for "free" twice in one day recently. It doesn't paint a pretty picture.

I've heard repeatedly that bank and airline personnel are keeping up with the latest hacks by being here on FT, reading the blogs, and attending the FTU's, so, they are on to our tricks.

If there are any "hidden" tricks they probably have a lot more risk now-a-days vs the hidden tricks from back in 2010. When I say risk... I'm referring to risking the deal getting shut down, I mean risking losing your accounts or worse.

A blogger has learned to filter what they put out to readers. They have to evaluate their own self gain. If a reader shares a great deal they have to decide how much money it will make them if they release the info. Even if they get deals shut down, they will be the "go to" spot for new hidden deals. This drives traffic and increases their income. There are other deals that are so risky that they don't want to be held liable if things go wrong for their readers or risk hurting their relationship with advertisers and banks. There are other deals where they want to actually use them and not have them killed... or maybe aren't very ethical.

I've seen some posts from Dan's Deals, Frequent Miler, and Doctor of Credit where they were aware of certain deals, tips, and tricks and decide that it wasn't in the readers best interest to release the info. I've always had respect for them. There are other bloggers like Ben at OMAAT who didn't release info on certain deals and tricks because they relied on them in order to maintain their lifestyle and livelihood. In his first years he was milking the United scheme that got him "banned" for several years. How many miles/flights and status did that deal earn him? I bet you it helped him financially early on with his blog.

Your best bet is to get into the private/secret Facebook and Reddit groups. Even then, don't expect anything Earth shattering when it comes to deals. You may just have a leg up on other people and get in on stuff earlier.

OMAAT just let the cat out of the bag with the AA Italian browser glitch.

Oh yeah, that what I'm looking for :)

Well it all sounds great until you book the ticket via the, now public, workaround then you show up at the airport and your rez is cancelled because the purchase violated the T&C. You're then faced with the option of not taking the trip or buying a $$$ last minute Y fare.

So about these German blogs...

Secret Flying??? Seriously?

Indeed...I asked up thread as well. OP comes in wanting others to share good sources for his benefit, says he's aware of useful tricks on some German language blogs but then refuses to share them himself.:td:

Yeah and have you heard about this awesome, new gourmet restaurant that's not well known yet - it's called "McDonald's"...PM me for details!

They are something like this: http://www.stopflyingeconomy.com/category/tutorial/

Looks like that site didn't even survive 2 months :-)

Ok, here are the ones I know :
https://travel-dealz.de
https://www.upgradeguru.de
https://www.urlaubspiraten.de

Thanks!!:-:

I also found that some Chinese forums (aka "bbs") have some juicy content (tricks, promo codes, etc...) that people here are less willing to post. Among these Chinese forums is the one called flyertea.com

Just use Google Translator and Google search in chinese ;)

oh boy, this is going to be fun.

"Citi enjoy gift card promotions and calculus are very kind. First of all, in 5 times the food class points blessing, the exchange of air mileage ratio can reach 7.2: 1, cost-effective high, and Citi points can also be donated to relatives and friends, no air travel just for the people, the addition of a integral not waste A good place."

I get quite a bit of traffic from flyertea, the problem being that I can't understand the articles that are generating it :-)

You haven't seen games until you've seen the Olympic level games played in China when it comes to this travel stuff. :D

They exist. My impression, is the price you would need charge to make giving away anything (extremely) useful is way too high.

This was also common conversation in casino AP circles. (though, haven't seen too much general talk lately, or perhaps I pay less attention...) Why would I let you know about a $200/$300/$500+ per hour play, that if too many people "jump on" is going to be shut down. What's in it for me?

The amazing thing is, that often everything you need to know is right in front of you.

IMHO, the lack of being able to monetise many of the travel/airline tips/tricks bores me. My desire to spend the entire year continuously flying is nonexistent.

The FTU and other events garner quite a bit of cash selling such 'secrets' though... Alexander König sells a newsletter which has a weekly/monthly digest of the buzz with step by step instructions for 100€/yr. It includes an email that highlights any breaking news. Selling such info does have its problems though: when he told folks about a fuel dump you could book without taking the first leg (booked on an obscure airline) he had 20-30 people stranded in Paris trying to board an AF flight... ��

I want to mention youhavebeenupgraded blog

80-90% he copies from FT and VFT forums but from time to time he shares very openly some good tricks. For my personal choice too openly e.g. recent Lifemiles topics.

Ooopsie!!

A similar sounding concept to this "Travel Hacking Cartel" that I remember came up a few times here on FT - I think the owner was on here promoting it: travelhacking.org (I'm dumb when it comes to the web but how does a for-profit venture get a ".org" domain name??)

Currently it appears they have a 14 day trial membership for $1. Regular membership has three levels and is anywhere from $150 to $468 depending on the level and whether one pays month-by-month or annually.

(Note - mentioning this in the context of the discussion about monetization of tips/tricks - I have no idea if "travelhacking.org" has any "real tricks" or indeed whether it has any value at all!)

Same way it gets a .com or a .net or any of most other TLDs: pay cash. Most TLDs are not restricted to specific groups or industries; it is just recommended. Some (.edu, .travel, etc) have rules but even within those the level of enforcement can vary.
No and no. It is mostly about CC sign-ups. So you pay to receive emails with CC links in them.

Thanks, I didn't realize that about the TLDs!

Paying to get CC links sent to you - well, I guess there is a sucker born every minute! Only wish I'd thought of it:D

Well, there is a Vegas-Internet-Mafia, which is far more interesting than most of the "Travel Hacking" that is see. But, I love Vegas scoop.

Problem? Only for "silly" people. Buyer beware. Hence, the overall problem when "hacking" goes mainstream. You get some people who have no idea about the potential risks.

If a deal is too good to be true, and you don't understand the risks; you set yourself up for "good times."

Do you mean the VIMF Vegas Tripping website? I am always keen to know of people's recommendations for Vegas sites and tell it like it is and are not trying to sell me something too overtly.

Yes!

I like commentary and honest point of views by VegasTripping, and also the day to day coverage from VitalVegas.

Exactly what I was saying, you guys should have listened to me. :)

bbs.3798.com is full of tricks and promo codes if you can navigate/translate the chinese :D:rolleyes::D

Travel Is Free is useful in that it posts real technical tricks, such as how to maximize award routing rules, and doesn't have much advertising

Peter Greenberg's old videos on travel, contained a lot of tricks.

Granted some of them are are obsolete (circa 2008) some of them are still relevant (i.e. how to maximize the chance of fire safety and good water pressure in hotels).

His videos can still be found on youtube.