TBB Mission: To Entertain, Educate and Inspire. Aim to at least do one well!
This blog has been a labor of love so far. If you like what you see here, please let others know by passing them a link to my blog, thank you!
TRAVEL
25 places that look abnormal but are real. By Seriously For Real?
Three biker friends go on a trip across the United States. Fantastic pictures! By Seriously For Real?
The Tallest Waterfall in the World is Angel Falls in Canaima National Park Venezuela. Height is 979 m (3,212 ft). By Twisted Sifter
The Brilliant Moment. Well, you know Inspiring is part of the TBB mission so here is a super inspiring video for your pleasure! Found at The Adventure Blog.
The Brilliant Moment from Mountain Hardwear on Vimeo.
19 Cheapest overwater bungalows resorts in the world in 2013. By Price of Travel
MILES/POINTS
Loyalty Traveler makes the case for Choice hotel points to spend a week in Paris or Venice. Makes great sense if you want to save a lot of cash and/or points! Certainly not aspirational but…great value!
SPG added Virgin Australia as an airline partner (HT to Loyalty Lobby)
Good read by Saverocity “Why are we suckers for Status?” I had the ESS disease for almost 10 years. I quit cold turkey. It can be done. You can do it. Stop being a sucker if you are not really traveling much for work! What is ESS you ask? Elite Slut Syndrome.
Point Me To The Plane sat next to a Senior VP of Credit Approval & Risk during a flight and got some very interesting tidbits on the industry and our hobby. Part Two was a pretty good read I thought. Note to PMTTP: my comment never posted.
Loyalty Lobby (again) breaks the news about the Lufthansa latest enhancements of its Miles and Less & Less loyalty program. Always read LL’s conclusion at the bottom if you are pressed for time.
ON MY MIND
Nada. And everything! TBBon!!!
ODDZ & ENDZ
Photogenic cats. If you are into cats, this is it!
“Oh dear God, another southwest card link!”
North Korean Camps and Horrifying Stories. I want to see this regime end in my lifetime. Leave the Syrians alone to kill each other, let’s save these people! Oh wait, they have nukes.
33 Amazing Ideas That Will Make Your House Awesome. By Bored Panda. Some of these are so so Awesome! Balcony pool anyone?
How to stop a shave cut from bleeding. Yep, you do it, admit it!
- Deodorant
- Lip Balm
- Ice Cubes
- Mouthwash
- Eye Drops
Startling Documentary Will Tell The Story Of The Boy Born Inside A North Korean Prison Camp. You bet I will watch this!
Japanese Manhole Covers. They just look cool.
BLOG BUZZ
Note: This section is intended for long time readers and miles/points addicts who follow the blogs in this space. Readers not familiar with this crazy hobby could skip this section! Do not take anything personal. TBB reviews blogs and tries to entertain above all. Call me Siskel.
Warning: From the Affiliate headquarters. Card to push NOW: Southwest Airlines. GO!!! Sad to see bloggers come out of hibernation only when promos like this occurs. And so many do not have an original thought or spend any time on actual content but, when the word goes out, they jump all over it and suddenly remember all these programs! Not angry, just pissed off…a little 🙂
To all Boarding Area bloggers: It appears when I leave a comment in your blog it goes straight to Spam. I know one of your bloggers is laughing right now (you are welcome). It would be nice if you un spam me so I can contribute to your blog. Don’t worry, I leave the rants mostly for the TBB Blog Buzz section lol.
Noob Traveler has someone writing posts for the sake of dishing out more credit card links…
Johnny Jet has gotten credit card religion in full mode now! Title “How to Earn 40,000 Bonus Miles” and starts the two paragraph (tough work) post with: “I recently had breakfast with Brian Kelly, who runs the great website ThePointsGuy.com. He talked me into applying for the Barclaycard Arrival World MasterCar”. No kidding!
View from the Wing had a quick card carpet bombing run. Cards for most spend. Thank God it comes only once in six months or so. 22 links. All the time to drop them, edit them, make sure they work and all that jazz…
More rubber ducks at Lufthansa First Class Terminal in Frankfurt. Are you taunting me One Mile at a Time?
The Travel Challenge feature in the Frugal Travel Guy (the blog) blog is downright ________.
Delta Points: There are Four different Southwest cards!
Deals We like: Southwest cards rock. Companion pass too! More written about this than was written the whole past week!
So.Much.Southwest.Guess.Next.Card.Sale?
On to Thursday now…I am going to go through my partial Feedly list to show you all what I am dealing with every day when these promos come up. My comments in [brackets]
The Points Guy starts out a post about 50,000+ offers with “With the reappearance of the 50,000-point sign-up bonus for the Southwest Rapid Rewards Premier Visa announced yesterday, I know many of you might be thinking about applying for it or some of the other credit cards out there offering limited-time high bonuses, so I thought I’d compile a list of some of the other 50,000+ miles and points sign-up bonuses out there. Here they are by the type of points and miles they offer.” Go ahead, be angry, we understand!
One Mile at a Time – Southwest 50,000 point offer is back for a limited time – [Really, just imagine if it was really limited how absurd the headline will be!]
Million Mile Secrets – Southwest 50,000 Point Card is Back! And (Targeted) 50,000 Mile Delta Card! – [It is back already?]
One Mile at a Time – The credit cards with the best annual threshold bonuses – [yeah, you know you want it]
Deals we Like – “Interested in the Southwest Airlines Companion Pass? When to Apply.” – [ If the day before was not enough, here we go again with the Companion Pass. Who has time to post a few other crappy deals?]
We Travel Cheap – “My Favorite Miles Card | Southwest 50,000 Miles Card!” – [We don’t care!]
Frugal Travel Guy – “Southwest Airlines 50,000 Point Offer is Back!” – [You all knew this one was coming!]
Point Me To The Plane – “5% Chase Freedom Visa Has Never Been Easier” – [ Or pretend to have some content while you push more Chase cards post]
Running With Miles – “Southwest 50k Rapid Rewards Are Back” – [What everyone else said, gotta run – Links are not affiliate links—->Important!…At this point I had developed a tick every time I saw the word Southwest lol]
Absolutely none of these are allowed around here!
email: travelbloggerbuzz at gmail dot com
Twitter: @FlyerTalkerinA2
Google+:TravelBloggerBuzz
Flyertalk & Milepoint: gpapadop
i want to fly air france LA PREMIERE
I am sure you can do it!
i think you should group by who has an affiliate link and who doesn’t. not fair that way.
Hey, George, did you notice that I said I don’t get anything from the southwest cards? I write about them as a labor of love. 🙂 Seriously, they are great cards, which I would think that someone turned off by elite status would enjoy. Running with miles (cute tag, btw).
Every once in a while…I throw something out there on purpose to see who is paying attention 😉
You obviously are. I edited the post, fyi.
Is anyone seriously buying that this guy is booking his endless Lufthansa first tickets exclusively using miles? It’s very clear he buys tickets, earns as many miles as possible and “sometimes” books award travels using those miles. There is no way, unless he runs a semi-legal MS business on the side to earn millions of United miles consistently and be able to book very hard to find first class Lufthansa tickets all the time. What’s funny he makes money selling fables to his readers and most of them are buying that…
If you’re talking about One Mile at a Time, he has responded to this sort of allegation before, and readily admits that he buys miles quite frequently (US Air/LifeMiles), in addition to earning many more by mileage running, which he doesn’t write about on his blog.
While his lifestyle looks very empty to me, it does seem justifiable in that he has managed to turn it into that into a successful business/career, doing what he loves.
He’s also one of the (many) bloggers that will tell you all about the little money saved with miles, but rarely about the big money spent. That Aman experience costs over $1000/day, but no mention of that in the report. 100,000 miles plus $83 in taxes sounds a lot better than $1800 plus $83 in taxes, doesn’t it?
One thing about his MRing – he doesn’t fly United or US Airways and never has milege run mentions on Lufthansa (in fact, given his total grief about Lufthansa business class, I doubt he has flown in Lufthansa economy in a very long tim). So, his miles for *A flights must come mostly from purchasing them.
Slightly OT, why is not allowed to fly United? I heard that he wasn’t but never heard the story.
I can’t believe he has not gotten fat eating all this crap in the air!
I wish ALL bloggers start out a trip report with:
Cost: $x,xxx per RT XXX-YYY
or
Cost: 60,000 UA miles plus $124.59 for fees/taxes
This will go a long way towards helping the readers. Then again, if this was done, maybe readers will not bother at all. Having said that, I don’t bother with OMAAT’s trip reports anymore…they are all the same now, I get yawn attacks! If I consider a trip I go to his trip report and find the flight I am looking at & then read the report.
I am not going there Anon…
I actually state how much I paid for an AIRFARE & hotel costs in the beginning of my trip reports…….
Sorry, not possible. There is a yearly limit on mile purchase, you can’t just buy them…
The guy pays for all of it. Nothing wrong with that as long as he describes it that way.
His blog is about “miles and points” and he’s clearly not using them.
I don’t hide I pay for a portion of my travels and I will always try to point to what
I booked on points and what I paid for (always finding some kind of deal).
I don’t travel nearly as much as this guy and I’m still unable to cover all my tickets with
miles. And I’m quite good at it….
There is only a few cards you can get or even only a certain number of miles you can buy.
Really? If I was single, traveling alone, and all my income came from writing about the trips I take, I think I’d be able to get the miles between manufactured spend and purchasing them. Sure there are limits around purchase amounts but they are very easily circumvented, you guys haven’t heard of multiple accounts? Shit back in the day of US grand slams my two dogs and 5 fish all got US Air accounts! If he’s going last minute so he can get the LH availability I see no reason for him not to use miles. Manufacturing hundreds of thousands of miles per month is not frankly that hard if you have the time.
What I don’t get is why he is so excited about LH first class in the first place. It’s the biggest “meh” in the sky in my opinion.
Makes a huge difference when you are single and have the time. But with so much flying and then doing those trip reports with so many pics I am shocked he finds the time to do any serious manufacturing spend! Anyways, the kid enjoys it so I always said we are all different and people should do what they enjoy…we are not to judge individual preferences.
I still think a disclosure on top of how the tip was “paid” and how much would go a long way to enhance credibility in ALL blogs.
I certainly agree on the last point. Frankly I kind of enjoy that – most trip reports on FT have a preamble about how they used whatever miles. Actually doesn’t lucky do that sometimes? I have often read about how the trip was a great use of the US airways North America to Asia via Europe trick. In fact I think that is ALL his trip reports! lol
There are limits if you follow the rules.
Take US Airways for example. What’s to stop anyone from buying miles in every family members account, or even using throwaway accounts, then redeeming for themselves?
Same for LifeMiles.
He also puts a ton of spend on his cards through his booking business. He charges his card for the ticket, gets paid back by check. Tons of miles there too. Having that kind of business would also open avenues for miles in exchange for services (then it’s off the books, too).
I doubt it’s massive manufactured spend because from what I hear it’s pretty limited in Seattle.
The blog is a definite yawn, but quite useful when you’re researching a specific air route.
If it bugs you, I think you can directly ask him questions on his blog.
Could it have to do with the (tens of?) thousands of dollars of e-certs he has gotten from UA for the hundreds of minor complaints he made over the years? That would be my initial guess, though I have nothing to back up that assumption.
He has an “ask me a question” feature I think on his site, go ahead 🙂
BTW bragging about flying first all the time is not far from “the miles guy” suffering an economy flight and asking for an advice from the readers (who mostly fly economy) how to survive it…
You certainly make some good points!
LH first can be booked with UA miles pretty easily, just buy them at 2cpm and enjoy ;). AMS-HNL return in F(A) can be had for 3200€, BTW.
I am sure the blogger can afford it 😉
Why do we attack the bloggers? It’s their readers who deserve opprobrium for being so damn stupid and gullible to click on the pimp’s links.
Blogs have become the entry point to the hobby. Blame Google if you want, which ranks blogs above forums like FT. Or blame FT, because it is so jargon driven that posters rarely use the plain English that Google matches to search terms and so ranks it lower.
A newbie does a search re miles, goes to a blog which appears to be a ‘fun project’ run by the author, and does not realise that he is being sold a pup in the name of commission.
Both of you make great points too! And I agree…
Though I enjoy the ribbing on here, I still think that a) it’s ultimately down to the consumer to do their own work. If they just take what they read on a blog they find from google as gospel, that’s their fault not the bloggers, and b) at the end of the day the amount given up is rarely that meaningful. I mean TBB you bang on and on and on and on and on and on and on about the US Airways card by way of example, and for the first 20 times you mentioned it, it was quite funny, but at the end of the day folks miss out on 5k miles. Boo f’ing hoo! If they ever work it out, it can be a good lesson it not being lazy in the future 🙂
Sure…ok, you got a good point too. I guess it is more like a moving target—>the threshold point where if someone does something stupid there is no one else to blame but him/herself.
A turning point in this blog was at FTU at LAX last December. Attended the credit card session and sat near a nice couple, both newbies. After the end of the presentation, I asked them how much they think the bloggers make from their blogs and how? They said something like “they make money on ads we suppose”. Me shocked asked “well, they make money if you click on the credit cards they recommend?” and they were totally shocked by that and when I asked them to guess how much per credit card app…they said $5 to $10. All along they were thinking how nice of the blogger presenters to giving all these tips to “fly for free”…
I need to hammer on that US Air card again to warn new readers and save them lol.
Yeah I hear you … and to think they paid $100 each for the privilege of listening in 🙂 Still people ought to be able to tell when they are being sold.
I gotta say I’ve never been to one of the commercial do’s, it would be funny just to watch all the bloggers tussling with each other to get people to use their links. It sounds like it’s worth the $100 just to see that seedy side of human nature and have a good laugh about it
I also think I will add credit card links to my blog and just pump the crap out of that inferior US card just for fun :))
There are quite lucrative entire organizations, industries, and movements out there that assume that people aren’t able to do so.
Hence this website, and others.
MA: If you pump the inferior US Air card I will insert your blog in my “Hall of Shame” right…NOW lol
harvson3: Thanks. Nice links 😉
Regarding blog buzz, I think it is a little unfair to take a one day snapshot of all blogs the day a new card offer has been given to them, and call them out for all writing about it. Just because blogger X writes about it does not meant that blogger Y will earn revenue from that.
It would be fairer to look at Blogger X posts over a period of time, say 1 week and see how many are talking about the card every day (most of these sites would do that anyway, as they did in the SPG case).
For example, I might promote the same offer that everyone is talking about on a Monday post, but if I spent the rest of the week talking about different things then I’m still offering value (including the Monday post) despite other people talking about it on Monday too..
I agree with Matt on this. But I think a week long snapshot is really too short, since bloggers are people too, and they have jobs/families/vacations/etc. that can impact their blogging.
An interesting analysis would be, say, a three month period when each blogger’s posts were classified as new content, content recycled from another blogger or pure credit card pushing. Perhaps those who have been around the block more than me could do that off the top of their heads and/or suggest a few other categories.
PS to Matt – We are back from our trip which really was terrific. Thanks again for all the help you gave me back in the spring as I did my first complex awards booking.
Glad to hear it worked out! Sounds like a great time and happy to help.
Fair and valid points. This requires a lot more time which is in short supply here at TBB as you well know. Maybe it is time to hire an intern lol. My ad in the local college has not had results; what the hell is wrong with today’s youth huh lol.
The point of the Buzz is supposed to be what is going NOW. It used to be daily but that was killing me. This every other day buzz update I do is a lot more manageable for me. Eventually I want to start a separate tab and start cranking out some content I have been thinking about for a long time and more in line with what you stated here.
This remains a hobby so I am doing my best! Thanks always for reading and taking the time to comment.
I actually thought that one of the bloggers who are into spreadsheets and exact costs of everything, or who do stat stuff like Saverocity or Mileanomics, would pick up this ball, not necessarily you!
BTW I actually like your new every other day schedule too!
You have no idea how much I like this schedule too! I think tonight I am going to a concert!
I don’t want to speak for Mileanomics, but I personally would not want to pick up the ball on this one.
I think people should be able to blog about things however they like, if that means monetized to the max, zero content, repetition, stealing ideas. Well, that’s for them to decide if it is right or wrong not me.
Blogs are a form of expression, we all have different motivating factors, and our own underlying code of ethics (or lack thereof) I don’t think it is my place to judge others based on how they do or do not fit into my own moral code.
I actually skip over the negative blog buzz here in TBB, I only check in to see positive posts,which there are enough of, and where (thus far) my own posts have been mentioned. If George is the example of an educated reader, I do like to check in to see what type of posts catch his eye in a good way, and then from the comments what others agree. That can help steer my posting style to get a further feedback source.
I’d go so far as to say I agree with the ‘grumpies’ that the bad side of the blog buzz isn’t necessarily a good thing to be focused on,as its negativity can bring things down overall, but at the same time I do think that calling out certain bloggers for pushing inferior links and actively deleting comments that might help the naive reader is a good manner to help the policing of certain poor tactics.
I’ve mentioned before though, the primary problem here is the Affiliate companies, not the bloggers. If the Affiliates ensured the Bloggers had only the best offers (heck they should even have exclusive offers) then 90% of the transgressions would go away, and the only thing to complain about would be how many links in one post, which is hardly noteworthy, or if they were advocating churning or manufactured spending practices that could have the user shut down or credit harmed.
So, no thanks from me – and hope to see shift into more positive territory in terms of buzzz, perhaps there could be a “wall of shame” that is updated once a week or something, and the every(other)day posts are more focused on the interesting and good stuff. There really isn’t anything noteworthy in hearing that TPG had a post with 20 something links in it again..
Good points all, Matt. Well said. Especially this: “If the Affiliates ensured the Bloggers had only the best offers (heck they should even have exclusive offers) then 90% of the transgressions would go away…”
As has been addressed in other comments above, the blog reader needs to take some responsibility too. But I think the banks bank on people not being so proactive, in that many will go for a lesser offer, which is why they offer so many simultaneous offers that are very unequal.
When we buy a new car – every 10-12 years or so, LOL – we go to many dealers, test drive cars and look online at prices. When we get new carpet, I do serious comparative shopping looking at quality of the carpet and service from the installer. Admittedly I do not work so have the time, but that is pretty much the household rule for purchases, whether large or small, and it was true when we both worked and our kids were small. Impulse buying rarely happens unless I know the product/service well enough already to know it is a product I want, at a good price.
Applying for a new credit card should be no different; indeed given the amount of trouble (read debt) one can get from applying for credit, it is probably more important than when making a one time purchase.
As in anything else, some people do their research and some don’t. But it still depends on honesty and transparency among sellers, whatever they sell. Bloggers in this marketplace who fudge on that should be called out. And newbies need to understand, as TTB’s comment about FTU makes clear, that it is indeed a marketplace.
Thank you Matt and TWA44 about the very insightful comments and I agree pretty much in most of them.
Remember the TBB mission: To entertain, educate or inspire. EVERYTHING that shows up here makes it after I ask myself if it does one of these three things well.
The “negative” (I prefer “constructive criticism”, certainly never angry) part of TBB has to do with the educating part right along with the entertainment part lol.
I can’t help not criticize a post with 20 plus affiliate links…I think such practices are…ludicrous. And I am expressing myself 🙂
Matt: I love your miles and travel stuff on your blog. You know how I feel about the Finance stuff (which most of it is pretty good still….just do not like the “market calls”).
Interesting idea about the “Wall of Shame” and really spot on point about the affiliate companies being the problem!
I need to work on some big picture material…
MMS’s post of his email interview with Military Money Manual was actually quite enlightening and although I am not military or government-employed it was a fun read with new content at least for me. Much better than most recent Friday interviews.
Up at 4AM again….
MMS schedules Friday interviews to go live at 3AM (CST or EST). No other Friday interview has received as many comments since my Friday interview (July 5).
That’s because he started censoring comments this summer. Friday interviews used to have a ton more.
I took a quick look at it on my phone while at the dentist and really liked what I saw…I will certainly have more to say about it at my next Buzz post!
I am slightly disappointed by this morning’s Belfast piece. Though very useful, not a single mention of Game of Thrones, even when discussing Giant’s Causeway. People need to focus on the important things in life!
You lost me there Professor…I am really slow this morning, started with a visit to the dentist 🙂
Do you not watch Game of Thrones? Also should focus on the important things in life 🙂 Have it on in the background when you blog. It’s just that one the main filming locations of the show is Northern Ireland, specifically GIant’s Causeway near Belfast. I am just commenting I can’t fathom how someone can avoid mentioning Game of Thrones when talking about Belfast… but I am just being facetious and recognize not everyone is obsessed with the show 😉
Oh, I now see the Belfast connection, I caught up. The last time I watched on TV was XFiles. I have not watched a single reality TV show either. I thought Game of Thrones was a video game or something…I am just clueless.
I just skip over the blogger blitzes on new affiliate offers unless it’s a card I’m interested in getting.
I just copy the titles and let TBB get pissed of & rant over here….it makes me feel better and teaching the new reader what it is all about
#changingtheworldoneTBBpostatatime
Have fun with your Marathon. 100? I am in awe!
As far as the 50K Southwest ads, at least TPG and MP suggested readers might want to wait until the end of the year to maximize the CP. At the other end of the spectrum you have bottom feeders like DP suggesting readers cash points out for Walmart GCs. Seriously? Give up almost twice the value in fully refundable / changeable getaway fares? It’s like the blind leading the blind.
LOL. I thought DP was joking. Was that serious? I don’t read the blog any more it’s too nauseating but I saw him post in the comments, maybe it was here. I thought it was sense of humor.
I think he was joking. But never sure actually with him 🙂 Maybe he can confirm, he is a loyal TBB reader 🙂
Excellent point about TPG and MP. credibility is enhanced when the right thing is done!
MP and VFTW made that suggestion for the Southwest visa as well.
Yes!
I still laugh out loud every time I read that. DP.
What happened to PointsEnvy? We need more of that humor
The incredible investigative staff of TBB did an investigation in this matter and saw the “Top Secret” report revealing the identity of Points Envy. I am not sure it is time yet to reveal this…Secret 😉
Maybe MrPickles will let us in on the secret.
I’m not sure how you could interpret it as a joke. Here is what he wrote. Maybe his next fireside chat could be with Stevie Wonder?
“There are many ways to enjoy these points. As a Delta flyer you can use them to position if on a Delta mileage run or some I have been told just redeem them 1:1 cent each for Walmart gift cards that can also be used at Sam’s Club. If you do that, this offer, after spend, is worth $500 in gift cards. That is a nice deal for many.”
ROFL Stevie Wonder
That was not the comment I read…
… Though I have to confess I have turned in WN points for Hyatt Check Certs at 1cpm. Personally I find flying on WN on a par with waterboarding
Stevie Wonder and “WN=waterboarding”
you guys are killing me 🙂
Recently found your site and enjoy your refreshing commentary on everything. I got so annoyed when TPG basically made a post during the SPG Pimp-a-thon that said, “Considering applying for this card? Here’s ALL of my affiliate links of cards you could apply for too”. What’s sad is that it could have been a decent article of actual App-o-Rama strategy but he turned it into an excuse to link dump. I also got annoyed with that Hyatt contest he did. All those people made awesome videos and he picked a shitty one with no runner-ups. Anyway, I digress.
I appreciate the effort you put into all of this. I don’t necessarily mind every blogger jumping on the 50k SW bandwagon because they’re trying to inform. Now, if they do this over and over throughout the week, that’s another story.
Thanks for taking the time to comment. TPG has taken the commercial success of this hobby to unprecedented levels. So kudos for him. Love the guy but the blog is way too link dumpy for my taste, that’s all. I agree the bonus is significant and of course you need to say something to your readers. But cheerleading it and then keep hammering on the same exact points about the program like..last time just gets really really old. At least DansDeals, when he link dumps, takes the time and actually provide some good tips on the specific program. Most others rave about…the companion pass over and over and over.
I wonder what else they would pound on when the Companion Pass is taken away!
Yes, there are bloggers who do this over and over throughout the week…unfortunately. Day in, day out
I still have those guys beat on world’s cheapest OWB! http://www.milestothewild.com/waigeo-and-the-worlds-cheapest-overwater-bungalows/ I commented on his blog but it went to moderation.
I was the lucky recipient of a rubber duck during our last trip to Central America. Since I am blogging in chronological order, it won’t come up for a few weeks so be patient!
$70 for one including 3 meals, wow! You should be numero uno on that list 🙂
I think I can take a rubber duck from…South America. Not sure I can take one more from the LH FCT lol.
Just discovered this site via your comment on mine… Great content! LMAO at the boardingarea commentary.
I will feature your post in my next Buzz post. Thinking of Monday now to include Friday/Sat/Sun action…Was doing this daily and it was affecting my health 🙂
I am already thinking of stuff to say abt your post such as “Free land, what a country” 🙂
I do not censor here and a prominent blogger likes to visit my blog…a lot and leave comments. And there have been some legendary exchanges in the TBB comments. I think you’ll get a kick out of them as we all have had the pleasure!
This is my little baby here and I speak my mind.
“Absolutely none of these are allowed around here!”
Are you sure that kitty is not singing or laughing?
I have to tell someone — y’all are picked! I’m doing a happy dance! I just spent 40,000 Skypesos on a 2-hr flight ATL to FLL in December (plus $53 in real money). (Yes, first class….) I’m SO not your normal FF-miles user… and I’m SO happy! (First part is biz-trip (sales trip: so a tax write-off — YAY! Second part is a drive down to Key West to stay with a friend who owns a B&B.)
To make this comment seem like an affiliate ad without any links: I’m renting the “biz” car for the first 4 days using my Ink Bold — it’s primary insurance. I’m trading that car in for a convertible for the second 4 days (drive down the waterway!); a personal trip for which the Ink Bold is secondary. (I just got their card holder brochure, which delineates that difference.) So, I have to figure out if I have a card that offers me ‘primary’ on a personal rental or, failing that, which card gives me the best rental (points etc.) and good secondary insurance.
Happy happy!
I am still going to do that drive to Key West one day!
Being able to burn miles in Delta without pulling your hair out is a big accomplishment. Or burn miles to Mexico City, always plenty of low level availability.
I thought the United card always had primary coverage. Then again, who is to say what is “business” or personal trip.. Look into National Rental car rates and if it makes sense their great promo is great.