I post some thoughts from the 11th Annual Ann Arbor Art Fair DO, sign up for the latest IHG Rewards promotion, learn how to use AA miles to get to Africa flying Qatar Airways, we cry together (not really) about the demise of the First Friday “promo”, go wow watching an insane F-16 video. If you were looking for the post about dildos, it appeared here!
TBB Blog Mission: To Entertain. Educate. Inspire. In That Order!
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A great time was had by all at the 11th Annual Art Fair DO in Ann Arbor. All 3 speakers did splendid and the conversation flowed non stop. We all need to get our fix, we are like junkies always looking for our next hit deal! I always try to warn newbies to be careful entering this insane hobby as it can take over your life if you are not that careful. I mean, take a look at me now lol.
Talking to a few veterans, we all shook our heads how unexciting the state of the game is these days with so many deals killed, with the Deltarevenuebased massacre virus about to spread across the unfriendly skies and the increasing beatings we get trying to burn our miles. I guess we still have the bank marketing departments faking their excitement selling whatever plastic product de jour (Citi Prestige, Chase Sapphire Preferred, Amex Platinum, etc) pays them the highest commissions.
For the new people I met over the weekend, here are a couple of my favorite blog posts:
The “Travel” Miles/Points Blogosphere Has Turned Into a Giant Credit Card Pumpization Scheme! – To start understanding that it is not about The Hobby anymore, it is about Big Business and YOU are the target!
Mother of all Trip Reports: Cross country on Amtrak cabins, Seattle, NYC, LAN flat beds to Santiago Chile & Buenos Aires Argentina – What it is really all about…Traveling to maximize savings and experiences creating lasting memories.
Ok, getting back on track. I am going to try to stick to ten points in each post, giving priority to miles/points blog posts first, travel blog posts second and then if there is still room personal finance and miscellaneous. I like to share what interests me first and foremost and what I find in my 170 blog Feedly feeds that I think will entertain, educate and rarely inspire. So, here we go…
Amol at Travel Codex wrote how you can get to Africa using American Airlines miles flying Qatar Airways. Very interesting.
IHG Rewards Club “Share Forever” promotion is open to everyone earning double points for stays July 15 – August 15. Via Loyalty Lobby.
Looking forward to see what Travel Is Free (or widely known as “Drew”) has in store as he apparently is locking himself in (no surprise) a hotel room for a week to finish a “project”.
What is the crappiest deal that got the most “play” by the commercial blogs over the years? Well, the Chase Sapphire Card First Friday promotion of course. We were pummeled to death repeatedly by numerous posts pumping the “deal” only existing to sell/pump/pimp the CSP cards. I still laugh back in the day when the amazing Frugal Travel Guy businessmen made a blog post on a Thursday announcing it but got the Friday of the month wrong #shakingmyhead.
I learned at the Ann Arbor Art Fair DO that having the creditcards.com link is not considered having affiliate links. You know, I felt better about myself lol.
Ok, I am up to nine items blogged so here is the final one, let’s see how this new thingie goes. If you have been reading TBB for a while you know it is always evolving…I mean, always. It could change…tomorrow. Maybe when I get 10 worthy things to blog about in each post I publish it immediately. In other words, make the posting frequency and timing totally unpredictable so you keep coming back to see if a new blog post is here. #BOOM #Marketinggenius #facepalm?
So, last one is this insane video of an F-16 taking off to 15,000 feet in 20 seconds.
And with all that I just want to say “Up yours First Friday”. Now watch how many more blog posts will appear letting us know that until it eventually goes away.
If you are a new reader, we don’t post TSA tirades, numerous blog posts about airline executive incidents involving nuts, we don’t drink champagne on flat beds in the air, will never post a toilet pic, and certainly do not fake expertise in The Hobby to trick readers to click on our affiliate credit card links we plaster all over each blog post and on top, bottom, left and right of each blog web page.
I miss the old days…
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R.I.P. Moe Greene
Second
the groupie….
Nice meeting you this weekend. Who told you they were not affiliate links?!?
Looks like the accountants beat out the marketing team over at Chase in getting the 3x first Friday on donging stripped from Chase Sapphire. Dumb move-how much could it have cost them? Sure, a few folks bought gift cards for the 3x but it was never that big a draw, and restaurant GCs aren’t that valuable a currency.
What it got Chase was an ongoing monthly free pageview boost for the Sapphire. Every blogger I can think of mentioned it at some point, and even the Buzzer was giving CSP free ink when he goosed the other bloggers who wrote about it. Just about a perfect marketing tool-cheap in cost and providing ongoing advertising exposure.
Turning to what’s left of CSP, I find Leff’s and others’ recent touting of the CSP laughable. The 7% and 3x Fridays are gone. I think the fee is going up. The once-valuable forex and primary rental coverage can be had elsewhere. That leaves not much except 2x UR points on dining. I would have to eat or entertain a lot to cover that new (is it really $120?) fee.
As Frankie Lyman asked-Why do fools fall in love?
Guys, why Mondays are so crazy?
Voices in my head told me that having the credicard dot bomb banner is nowhere near having direct affiliate links from a bank. It’s like being in Pluto lol.
Yeah, all those posts about First Friday. Oh the ridiculousness and pumpiness of it all!
Why do all the groupies go for the speakers? Well, at least I have one. Not sure she approves of my coffee taste though lol.
Have a great week everyone. Dang, half of the summer is gone already! I need another vacation woohoo!
Today the Monday highlights in the Miles/Points blogisphere are about Amex offers. I find this a very sad state of affairs for this hobby. What is coming next, the best of retailmenot.com coupons? Sure once in a while a killer Amex offer appears but in total they are not worth the cost of the ink that has been used writing about them. When I read about Amex offers it makes me yearn for the Good Ole Days.
sadly you seem unaware of the massive profitability of the amex offer deals. This is the best MS deal out there. Just like earning delta miles was until Jul 25 the amex offer is phenomenal until it dies a painful death as well
What would I do with Delta miles?
Amex Offers is like the new First Friday screaming deal posts 🙂
Warning: If you take the time to enter the contest at OneHitAnotherTime to win One Direction concert tickets and you read my blog NEVER admit it to me, I will ban you pronto!
Some are clearing 3-4k per deal. Nothing to sneeze at.
Glen don’t tease us like that. I like a man with 4 first names, very machismo!