Last edit by: The Deal Mommy
Future Scheduled Events
Past Events
- F2B CHS sessions September 6, 2013
- FTU SEA - April 25-27, 2014
- #milemadness Seminars
- FTU Advanced CHI - July 18-20, 2014
- Ann Arbor Art Fair DO 10 (DTW) - July 19-20, 2014
- Family Travel for Real Life - 23 August 2014
- Frugal Travel Guy Rookie Bootcamp - Sept 20th - Savannah, GA
- FTU Advanced CHI - September 26-28, 2014
- Chicago Seminars 2014 - October 17-19, 2014
- #westcoastDO Milemadness Phoenix November 8, 2014
- FTU AMS - November 20-22, 2014
- FTU/FTU Advanced WAS - December 5-7, 2014
Mile and Point conferences--which is best and why?
#91
Join Date: May 2004
Location: LAX
Posts: 1,849
Loyalty is dead.
Credit card bonuses are dead.
Hard to keep pretending you and other bloggers are flying on
"million miles" they are easily making every year (and you can do it too!!!) LOL
Even guys like "the self-called points guy" or "one mile at a time" are silent
about using miles. They still push their credit card links as always
without ever using phrases like 5/24 rule.
Or they push "Buy miles cheaply!" which is what they probably do.
Or they are simply stinking rich and put their big expenses on their cards
- making miles this way. End of story.
Credit card bonuses are dead.
Hard to keep pretending you and other bloggers are flying on
"million miles" they are easily making every year (and you can do it too!!!) LOL
Even guys like "the self-called points guy" or "one mile at a time" are silent
about using miles. They still push their credit card links as always
without ever using phrases like 5/24 rule.
Or they push "Buy miles cheaply!" which is what they probably do.
Or they are simply stinking rich and put their big expenses on their cards
- making miles this way. End of story.
#92
Join Date: May 2004
Location: LAX
Posts: 1,849
Yeah, I would make the argument these things are some of the only way to extract true value from miles and points anymore. Having gone to a couple of in person things in the past, and also what has turned up in my PMs box here the "tricks" are not published here on FT for all to see.
an obscure chain of gift cards just to earn a few thousand miles?
When it was BB - Vanilla reloads it was easy and the payoff was big
for little time spent. When you could get tons of 100,000 mile bonuses
one after another (Citi Exec) - it made sense. Now it's all gone
and trying to extract some small leftovers out of this simply doesn't make sense.
#93
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: Indianapolis
Programs: Hilton-Diamond Lifetime Platinum AA UA, WN-CP, SPG Gold.
Posts: 7,377
I quit when the dumpster diving for Wendy cups ended, and the mint, the Serve Card, the 5/24 is so bad, I can almost make a million miles a year..
I am going to quit, one of these days,
' SMGC, ...
This is not worth it anymore..
Right...
I am going to quit, one of these days,
' SMGC, ...
This is not worth it anymore..
Right...
#94
Moderator, Amtrak & Spirit Airlines
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: EWR :rolleyes:
Programs: AC 50K, AS MVP, AA Plat Pro, DL Plat, UA Silver, IHG Spire, Marriott Titanium, Hertz PC
Posts: 9,622
Agree, but do you really want to spend tons of your free time just to follow
an obscure chain of gift cards just to earn a few thousand miles?
When it was BB - Vanilla reloads it was easy and the payoff was big
for little time spent. When you could get tons of 100,000 mile bonuses
one after another (Citi Exec) - it made sense. Now it's all gone
and trying to extract some small leftovers out of this simply doesn't make sense.
an obscure chain of gift cards just to earn a few thousand miles?
When it was BB - Vanilla reloads it was easy and the payoff was big
for little time spent. When you could get tons of 100,000 mile bonuses
one after another (Citi Exec) - it made sense. Now it's all gone
and trying to extract some small leftovers out of this simply doesn't make sense.
Plus for the amount of time I spend here on FT I feel like there are worse uses for my free time.
#95
Join Date: May 2004
Location: LAX
Posts: 1,849
I call all the posts like this one a complete 100% BS. Sorry.
You can brag as long as you want. What looks like a duck is simply a duck.
#96
Join Date: May 2004
Location: LAX
Posts: 1,849
There you go. Pay for your hotels to earn points. What's left to learn?
#97
Moderator, Amtrak & Spirit Airlines
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: EWR :rolleyes:
Programs: AC 50K, AS MVP, AA Plat Pro, DL Plat, UA Silver, IHG Spire, Marriott Titanium, Hertz PC
Posts: 9,622
#98
Join Date: May 2004
Location: LAX
Posts: 1,849
I'm not bitter. It was great while it lasted. Today the best opportunities
are cheap tickets, flying J to Europe for less than $1000 pretty much makes
any effort to collect miles stupid.
I just don't like any liars advertising the non-existing systems just
to attract a crowd of newbies and make money from their innocence
are cheap tickets, flying J to Europe for less than $1000 pretty much makes
any effort to collect miles stupid.
I just don't like any liars advertising the non-existing systems just
to attract a crowd of newbies and make money from their innocence
#99
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: SAV
Programs: ??????????
Posts: 963
I'm not bitter. It was great while it lasted. Today the best opportunities
are cheap tickets, flying J to Europe for less than $1000 pretty much makes
any effort to collect miles stupid.
I just don't like any liars advertising the non-existing systems just
to attract a crowd of newbies and make money from their innocence
are cheap tickets, flying J to Europe for less than $1000 pretty much makes
any effort to collect miles stupid.
I just don't like any liars advertising the non-existing systems just
to attract a crowd of newbies and make money from their innocence
- Liars advertising non-existent systems is the last thing you'll see in Chicago.
- This isn't an event where the organizers/speakers/etc make a penny
- Everyone volunteers their time
- After expenses are covered money goes to charity
- We've been doing this for eight years, and people keep coming back - so something about it works
- We're not trying to attract a crowd of newbies and never have - the event is an ice-breaker for many to break out of their shell and come to see folks that have a similar set of interests. Sure we don't cover some of the more advanced things that you'll see elsewhere, but let us be honest, how many people actually can leverage that stuff.
- If you don't have any feedback/comments/discussion points related to the Chicago Seminars, please move on.
Happy Friday everyone!
#100
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Aug 2002
Programs: UALifetimePremierGold, Marriott LifetimeTitanium
Posts: 71,110
I'm not bitter. It was great while it lasted. Today the best opportunities
are cheap tickets, flying J to Europe for less than $1000 pretty much makes
any effort to collect miles stupid.
I just don't like any liars advertising the non-existing systems just
to attract a crowd of newbies and make money from their innocence
are cheap tickets, flying J to Europe for less than $1000 pretty much makes
any effort to collect miles stupid.
I just don't like any liars advertising the non-existing systems just
to attract a crowd of newbies and make money from their innocence
Cheers.
#101
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: PHX & AGP
Programs: AA Lifetime PLT, Bonvoy Lifetime Titanium, Hilton Gold
Posts: 11,453
Let us all know when you find some cheese to go with that whine of yours.
Happy Friday everyone!
- Liars advertising non-existent systems is the last thing you'll see in Chicago.
- This isn't an event where the organizers/speakers/etc make a penny
- Everyone volunteers their time
- After expenses are covered money goes to charity
- We've been doing this for eight years, and people keep coming back - so something about it works
- We're not trying to attract a crowd of newbies and never have - the event is an ice-breaker for many to break out of their shell and come to see folks that have a similar set of interests. Sure we don't cover some of the more advanced things that you'll see elsewhere, but let us be honest, how many people actually can leverage that stuff.
- If you don't have any feedback/comments/discussion points related to the Chicago Seminars, please move on.
Happy Friday everyone!
#102
Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: ORD
Programs: US Air, UA BA LH AI DELTA MARRIOTT CHOICE SGP
Posts: 9,883
I'm not bitter. It was great while it lasted. Today the best opportunities
are cheap tickets, flying J to Europe for less than $1000 pretty much makes
any effort to collect miles stupid.
I just don't like any liars advertising the non-existing systems just
to attract a crowd of newbies and make money from their innocence
are cheap tickets, flying J to Europe for less than $1000 pretty much makes
any effort to collect miles stupid.
I just don't like any liars advertising the non-existing systems just
to attract a crowd of newbies and make money from their innocence
By definition a newbie is just starting out and often can pick one or two tricks to pay the expenses. Been there six years ago !
Am not sure who are you refering to when you say any liars advertising the non-existing systems just
to attract a crowd of newbies and make money from their innocence
#103
Original Member
Join Date: May 1998
Location: The County, Maine
Posts: 829
I'm not bitter. It was great while it lasted. Today the best opportunities
are cheap tickets, flying J to Europe for less than $1000 pretty much makes
any effort to collect miles stupid.
I just don't like any liars advertising the non-existing systems just
to attract a crowd of newbies and make money from their innocence
are cheap tickets, flying J to Europe for less than $1000 pretty much makes
any effort to collect miles stupid.
I just don't like any liars advertising the non-existing systems just
to attract a crowd of newbies and make money from their innocence
I don't really go to the seminar to learn anymore. I go to catch up with old friends and share my ideas and successes with other attendees (and maybe brag a little bit at the bar. ). I'm happy to share. All you have to do is ask (which is the spirit of most attendees).
Oh, and as Howie has mentioned, all proceeds go to charities after expenses and the speakers do it gratis. Why don't you move on.
Last edited by general45; Sep 3, 2017 at 9:02 pm
#104
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Aug 2002
Programs: UALifetimePremierGold, Marriott LifetimeTitanium
Posts: 71,110
The thread has been split off from the seminar thread (which is why most of the posts have to do w/ the seminar event). But it is an interesting question - is MS, etc, 'dead'? Is flying & sleeping in hotel rooms the only way to rack up points? Discuss/thoughts....
Cheers.
Cheers.
#105
Moderator: Lufthansa Miles & More, India based airlines, India, External Miles & Points Resources
Join Date: Dec 2002
Location: MUC
Programs: LH SEN
Posts: 48,168
FTUs are most certainly 'for profit' events but still well booked, even so that they opened the FTU 'advanced' seminars which cost even more.... there must be a value proposition somewhere