TBB Mission: To Entertain, Educate and Inspire. Aim to at least do one well!
The ridiculous race is on to get readers to click on the SPG Amex 30k affiliate links! Make fun of them and enter to win two AA Admirals Club passes! GREAT odds!
If you like what you see here, please let others know by passing them a link to my blog, thank you!
See you Monday, have a great weekend!
TRAVEL
OMG, You MUST watch this, one of the most incredible things I have seen. It is by National Geographic so I am sticking it under Travel by default. Lions of Serengeti. You have NEVER seen lions up so close (filmed by a robot!)
15 Really Strange Beaches. From The World Geography. Great stuff, must click!
This is cool! The Top 10 Longest Domestic Flights in the World. By the Weekend Blitz. The winner in the longest non-stop domestic flight is: St. Denis, Reunion-RUN to Paris-CDG operated by Air Austral covering 5,809 miles in 11h 10mins on a B777.
One of the most inspirational videos ever. This is Backcountry. It makes me want to go out and buy their gear! Found at the Adventure Blog.
MILES/POINTS
A Case Study in Using Frequent Flyer Miles. By Portland Travel Tips. A very detailed account of what we go through to book “free” flights. Nobody tells you that, all the big bloggers (and small) have no problem presenting you with all the ways to earn the miles! The hurt comes in the back end. Oh wait, no wonder so many award booking services have appeared! Scott, thanks for the kind words about TBB and the link.
Google Wallet is shutting down support for all gift and loyalty features. Boo!
You can win a seat on the next Star MegaDo. All you do is post like crazy in this Milepoint thread to get Milepoint’s web hits way up so they can pay for that seat many times over. In previous contests like this I entered a play by play of my life traveling with my giraffe but won’t play this time. I predict…many many hits:-)
Frequent Miler on Reload Updates! It is weird having CVS swipe my drivers license. Maybe NSA is on us? There is something in the air…
Mileage Update alerted me to this article by Forbes “Is the Abuse of Points Credit Cards Bad for the Economy?“. It gets some things wrong but, in a bigger picture, has some good questions to ponder. But the last paragraph nails it, this is what we do:-) Here it is: “In the end, the real winners in the mileage churning game seem to be those that carefully monitor the incentives, keep close track of their credit score and make all of their payments on time. It’s a time consuming and articulate process, and those who fail at the game risk the high price of late fees and extra interest. But for those who succeed, the sky is the limit.”
ON MY MIND
SPG Amex showed up in my door and 30k SPG points should be in the bag…soon, very soon.
Yep, I am still going through my vacation pictures.
ODDZ & ENDZ
As you know, I always enjoyed reading Terry Maxons “3 Idle Thoughts for Friday” over at the Dallas New Airline Biz Blog because, you know, they are so out there and quirky:-) And they are:
1. When I say I buy only a few lottery tickets a year, I’m really defending myself as only a little bit stupid.
2. I’m guessing that opponents of Tom Horton’s $19,875,000 exit package won’t be satisfied with the explanation that it’s in line with what other CEOs got.
3. I’m uneasy about eating discounted fish
Watch a dolphin give birth Wow, just wow!
Father and son emerge from Vietnam jungle 40 years after fleeing US bombs. Wow, what a story! War is really traumatic, this is proof!
Grafifiti in Hotel Rooms. Hilarious!
BLOG BUZZ
Online Travel Review wrote “The Chase Reconsideration Line Phone Numbers; Or Yes, Banks Do Influence Some Travel Blogs (Including This One…But Not Anymore)“. I have been watching this blog for a while now. It has earned some respect over the years. But I have seen a gradual change towards credit cards lately. And the blog has expressed such anti bank sentiment in earlier times (when kicked out of affiliate programs). Well, here we go again. It’s quite an outrage that “they were just trying to control the content on the site.” Oh my God, really, they can do that?? And then this “And the decision I’ve made is that I will be upfront about what is being asked of me by banks. I’m regretful that I wasn’t clearer about the Amex SPG situation earlier this week, and I’m really pissed at myself for taking the content down. It won’t happen again.” Aha, sure. And then he sticks it to the man by posting, sit down please, the Reconsideration line numbers! People commenting go nuts, you go dude, you are da Man! And then I look at the page and I see the same credit cards at the right hand side (most offered by creditcards.com). It looks like this provider is one all can get and probably does not pay as much as the others I take it? Oh, the murkiness…One commenter finally lays out with “I don’t get it. He took down his links when the credit card company told him to. They kicked him out of the program anyway.And now that he no longer has an issuer relationship with American Express or with Chase he is going to speak his mind. He is being congratulated why?I don’t get it.” Well said Johnny commenter!
Mommy Points decides to give us all her first hand experience using BA Avios points for American Flights. What a coincidence? 🙂
Running with miles wrote “3 Reasons for the Runner to Apply for the SPG Card”. Have to admit, creative. On the other hand, Points, Miles and Martinis blogs about the SPG Flights and Nights redemptions. Wow, talk about original content here folks! And Deals We Like reposted the SPG links because they did not work the first (amateurs). How conveeeenient!
Million Mile Secrets had another Friday interview with a new blogger, Miles for Family. Ok, I am not an ahole as some bloggers strongly believe (you know who you are). But do we really need another blog in this space? And focusing on family travel? How about a blog focusing on a niche that has not been covered yet? I have a cat named Fluffy. Maybe I can start a blog focusing on miles for pets & call it “Fluffy Miles”. Then The Points Guy can start one with his dog and call it “Miles for Miles” (get it?). How about one for Traveling Mormons and their preaching travels? Or one focusing on swingers and their travels? (I bet doing a trip report at Hedonism resorts will get lots and lots of views, imagine all the newbies ready to apply for the cards from your site, lol). The possibilities are endless and yet, we get another blog about miles for an average family. Yawn. Someone emails me when the affiliate links show up:-) When you see TBB interviewed at MMS you will know some type of monetization scheme is ready to go because he got so fed up going in the red lol. For the record, one has NOT been scheduled! Plus I need some challenging questions than the boring ones such as “Why did you start your blog? What’s so special about it?” and on and on, yawn! An idea just hit me (they come…eventually!): Any questions you want me to answer when my turn eventually comes in the next year (or two, or three or…ever)? Oh, here is Fluffy, it’s a boy, he is a fighter:-)
Delta Points pumped three cards. At least this blog never goes for the jugular with the 10+ or 20+ or 30+ cc links. The record is 39 by the way! No need to deal with ARS for Club Carlson. Just keep calling and insist for a manual review due to your stellar credit record. Some reps do not budge. Call next day. Persistence will win. You are welcome.
The more blogs I look at, the more I see the same. And on and on it goes…and the blogs keep coming and coming. Where does it all end?
Miles for Family had the following digs for the bloggers and compared them to:
- Million Mile Secrets – Target
- View from the Wing – Nordstorm
- Mommypoints – Macy’s
- One mile at a time – Victoria’s Secret (Mega lol)
A reader dared to compare TBB to Dollar General. Phuckyou! Another one compared TBB to Banana Republic. Thank you! 🙂
Cash is king.
Yes
No no no! On behalf of birds everywhere, we do NOT want cats flying!
If we are making a mall for bloggers, I think I’d be the Rainforest Cafe! http://www.rainforestcafe.com/
Perfect fit!
Buzz – forgot the dollar store or the banana store. You would be Spencer’s, a place you wouldn’t want your 8 year old to stop by.
Spencer’s? Sounds like a Walmartish strip joint or something:-)
Thanks for the list of several interesting articles. Regarding to TBB, I would borrow the phrase of “to boldly go where no ‘blog’ has gone before…” Thanks.
I like the spin of that. Thanks!
We need to decide which of several bloggers is Value Village. Quite a few of ’em post info that is not new. We can also use Goodwill, Salvation Army, and the Union Gospel Mission – they all sell used merchandise.
And then there are the one who resemble pawn shops…. those who take info deposited at Flyertalk, shine it up a bit, and resell it to unwitting shoppers. The shoppers are thrilled with the good deal but the folks who left it at the shop can get awfully miffed when they come back to get it, VR I mean pawn ticket still clutched in their hand, only to find it flew out the door and is gone already!
I agree…The blogosphere is starting to resemble a giant flea market:-)
Hmmmm, Patagonia? Icebreaker? Lululemon? REI? I wouldn’t mind my blog being home to any of those stores!
I think you got it, you are right on!
How about Lucy for you?
Even MMS got stuck with Home Improvement gift cards, so there’s a reader giveaway… hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha
I found that quite funny too:-)
F4D is Target.
MMS is Target. No double dipping!
TBB,
When I think of this blog, I think Nordstrom.
dh
Really, I am honored! I went inside it once…for a shortcut to get to the parking lot. I am afraid of shopping malls, mallphobia!
Oh dear, clearly you’ve never been in a Nordstrom, dhammer!
Poison/Antidote FTW!
Hahaha, love it, now you are talking!
“You can use your Delta SkyMiles to fly to South Asia on Saudi Airlines,” writes Gary Leff.
“Oh, no! I’d never support them! Saudi Arabia is horrible!” say a bunch of people who consume extraordinary amounts of fossil fuels to fly all over the world.
This blog is Pic’n’Save.
Oh yeah, Saudi Arabia! Also, plenty of award seats in the new route from JFK to Buenos Aires but….they show up, you get excited, you spend time clicking through to the final screen…only to be denied. #Skypesosatitsfinest
If the blogs are retail stores, then you are Consumer Reports.
Bulls-eye!
I really like that. How about 60 Minutes?
Bloggers are scared to get interviewed by me lol.
Have you ever asked one?
I agree with Rick – never remember you seeing talking about wanting to interview one. Guessing you are scared of being refused or ignored by them.
Questions have been forwarded to one but he is probably too busy and/or too scared to answer as he clearly does not want the grief:-)
My questions are not softie kind, you know like MMS or Larry King:-) They are hard hitting, so hard in fact that most are in fact scared. Call me Mike Wallace (60 Minutes) of the miles/points blog world lol
So you sent some questions to one blogger but “most are in fact scared.” Sorry, think you are too high on yourself. I would venture that most travel bloggers don’t have a clue who you are and that those who do probably do not even frequent your site.
I have no doubt that most bloggers do not know I exist. But many in this space do know me and do read me. And some brave ones even comment here too:-)
If that blogger ever decides to respond you will see why my questions are not Larry Kingish…For you in fact I will ask this question:
“Why do you use the word whilst? Wtf is whilst anyway? Looks like a typo!”
you see? I am talking really really hard hitting stuff man!
TBB—->Entertainment:-)
Damnit, don’t feel like making jokes today. See my new post. My heart is heavy…
I’m not afraid of your questions George.
Rick: Maybe it will be more educational when you are totally out of FTG;-)
Best analysis on a hotel review by Lucky, ever!
If you say so;-)
Thanks for the shout out on “The Top 10 Longest Domestic Flights in the World”! Glad people are enjoying reading the post!
You are very welcome, it was a very interesting post. This blog has quite a few aviation geek readers!
Take the very well done post by Portland Travel Tips, add the difficulty of booking for 4,5 or 6 people, and yes there is room for a blog focusing on family redemptions. But I don’t see much on that anywhere – maybe I’m the only idiot who wants to drag his kids around the world in coach.
You are supposed to vacation in the Maldives and leave your kids with grandma.
a blog focusing on redemptions would not make it very far as the big dough is on the earning side, you know, pumping credit cards and such. Besides, the one focusing on redemptions is probably better off starting their own award booking service.
I envy couples with grandparents around. Ours are across Atlantic and Pacific oceans!
You are right, it would require a passion for travel that is greater than the desire for profit. I can’t imagine wanting to leave my kids at home on our upcoming trip to Europe – instead they chose our main destination!
Hey! You forgot to post all the affiliate links for Fluffy Miles! Mamma (-cat) needs a new card!!
Think of it! Photos of litter pans in various cargo holds! First, biz, and coach class cat-carrier racks in the holds of the different airlines! Scratching posts at airports! A tour of high-end (cat) carriers! What’s the best litter for travel (weight, clumping, spill-ability, odor control)? Which water dish prevents wet feet in rough weather? Should travel food be different from your normal diet? Should holds play soothing music? Please ask Fluffy to buckle down and get writing!
The Top 10 uses for the Fluffy companion pass
Get your own Furry Bird (similar to Blue Bird) card to manufacture meows
and on and on…I see mega potential here!
Lol
Oh! I forgot!
NON-eco-tourism! “we do NOT want cats flying” — yes, yes: hunting reserves! Feather collecting vacations! ‘Eating-tours’ of foreign lands! “Bird-list” safaris (yes, I actually DO like birds, I just like cats better!)
(Sorry Tara @ Miles To The Wild — I’m on the side of the predators! I even feed the songbirds for the hawks!) (But, yes, for the hawks, I chase kitties away from the feeders..)
I think Tara will call BETA (instead of PETA) on you, you are dangerous!
Meow on!
What is “BETA”? Cats on REPTILE hunting safaris-OK. Birds are far too beautiful and intelligent to be sacrificed. Seriously, feral cats are killing a lot of endangered species because they don’t belong outdoors. House pets are one thing but please keep them indoors.
I always learn something from you Tara. BETA, I see now, does not even make sense!