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It is Saturday night at the Hampton Inn Alameda by Oakland airport. It is the last night of our Spring Break Vacation 2014. As always, sadly, it went too fast! Many great memories were made once again. I will try to get to the trip report…this year 🙂
Just a few things that are in my mind:
Obviously, I had no time to keep up with all the blog posts and make my Buzz review posts. I have kept up with the blogs in my Feedly list and have marked the ones for review and I am getting to them little by little. What I mean to say is that I intend to eventually catch up, please be patient.
It may take some time as the usual avalanche that awaits us after vacations awaits me at home. And I need to knock off the last tax returns by late Monday night as all the missing information is now in!
Yes, I have kept up with all the AA changes. I just have not been able to blog about them. Nothing shocking here. Expect more of the same as the Parkerization will continue. What are you going to do you hurt AAdvantage member? Go to Delta or United? LOL.
It appears that many prominent Manufactured Spending opportunities are also being plugged surely and steadily. Blogging about them sure does not help! The game, as I have noted in my blog several times, is getting harder.
My latest trip I am finishing now sure had amazing value for me still. I need to do a blog post about it but I can not reveal all as I am sure some hotel reps are reading what I blog about. Maybe I can elaborate in a newsletter. Which brings me to…
Can you recommend an EASY to use newsletter for me? I want people to subscribe to it in an easy non aggressive manner (like huge popups that appear in your face), an email goes out every time I publish a blog post AND I can also send an email out to subscribers with easy to add pictures. That’s it. Emphasis on EASY to use is paramount. I don’t have too much time to learn new programs!
The one blogger who has taken it to the next level lately is Lucky at One Mile at a Time, wow! I am very impressed with the quality of his content lately, especially with the AA/US changes. For some reason, Gary at View from the Wing has been kind of soft and very biased towards AA, apparently he still trusts AA. I did not trust them before and I certainly do not trust them now!
Huge change in the blogosphere this week has been that Amex has decided to drop many bloggers as affiliates. This is GREAT news for all of us (except the bloggers selling Amex cards #sadface) as I expect much less ridiculous pump posts praising the all mighty Amex Platinum card (or whatever card was on sale). As I have always stated, I absolutely despise being sold to on every post. SAY NO to blogs who pump non stop!
Note to Howie at Frugal Travel Guy (the blog). You are promoting the Chicago Seminars and credit card affiliate links in the same post! I don’t think I have seen FTU and MileMadness blogs do that, come on!
My trip reports: Yes, they are very detailed with lots of pictures. The audience was primarily (please don’t laugh, it’s true!) family (in Greece/Singapore/Malaysia/NYC/NJ) and friends (all over). I only posted them here to fill in some content while on vacation and to justify my existence as a travel blogger. It acts as a diary for me and a place for my kids to one day look back and rekindle memories. If one reader benefits from them I am happy. Feel free to ask any questions about the destinations. Or please feel free to skip or tell me they suck, my feelings will not get hurt. And I won’t be trolling you if you think they or I suck lol. I am sorry I just can not do 35 part trip reports starting and ending with “You can do this too!’ sections pumping credit cards, just not my cup of tea. It’s one and done baby!
Looking back at this vacation in Maui what I would remember the most? I think driving our Jeep all across Northwest Maui was an experience I will not forget for a very long time. I had no idea it would be so scary! At one time I had to back up when a local power company truck blocked my way on the tiny road…I think the workers enjoyed seeing the clueless tourist sweating it out while backing up with the edge of the cliff right next to me. OMG! Made the road to Hana a piece of cake (yes we did it all the way around!). I found Charles Lindbergh’s grave outside this beautiful church built in 1864 under a beautiful tree facing the ocean, one of the most serene settings I have experienced. Needless to say it was a very moving moment for me.
Managed to catch up on some reading on the planes finally. Read up more on the “psychic income” concept. In other words, the satisfaction you get with certain experiences not measured in terms of money or material goods. To me, this blog has been a source for lots of psychic income. And you dear reader are primarily responsible for this. So, thank you from the bottom of my heart for coming along for the ride!
There was no epiphany (again) in this trip what to do with my blog and where to take it and stuff like that. I will try to do my best to add value by reviewing blogs and bringing to your attention some amazing content I find across the blogs I follow and pointing out some blogs and certain blogging practices I do not particularly agree with. In other words, I will continue to express myself here and enjoy the ride.
Ok, I better shut up. What is on your mind? Anything goes. Of course please keep it respectable and constructive. And keep it on the blogs. And ignore trolls with too much time on their hands. Or give me some feedback about my blog. I always welcome ALL feedback! I read all email and comments and certainly try to answer them all. Where do you think the game is going? Which blogger you think is going to stop blogging now that no more dough can be earned targeting newbies? How was your breakfast? As I said, the floor is open!
“Don’t be a Tool” – TBB
Mahalo
P.S. I sinned the last night of my vacation. I went on an In-n-Out burger run. I even finished my kids’ french fries. I am scared to get on the scale again….I need to hit the gym every day this coming week! Eating healthy at vacation is SO hard, maybe my next year’s resolution lol.
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George
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Aloha!
Wanted to confirm “first” before actually commenting!
I was pretty pissed about the AA devaluation. was waiting for march 2015 awards to load in the calendar to book LAX-HNL-SYD. LAX-HNL leg in October and SYD-HNL in march next year. Now that it’s gone, I have to spend extra miles for the LAX-HNL leg and also missed out on adding an extra oneway after the SYD-HNL leg…
On a more positive note I really enjoy all of your posts and next time when you come to Hawaii, make sure to spend some time at “the gathering place” and maybe we can have a little meetup!
Welcome back! You’ve been missed!
Have a safe flight home. Keep posting more trip reports. I love the pics! I’ll send you my pics from Hamburg and Copenhagen and you can do my trip report 🙂 I’ll enter your Amazon affiliate account in the post too. Win-win 🙂
Grant have you ever visited http://www.dhgate.com/ for your EBAY buying/selling business? It gives you access to hundreds of China manufactures and many, many thousands of items, wholesale and retail with free shipping (slow boat). Very cool site for bargain hunters.
nice place…
The bloggers as a group really disappointed me with the AAdvantage negative changes. They seemed to focus primarily on the lack of notice, which, while terrible, was not the only or maybe not even the worst part of it.
The announcement came out midway in the week when the “Share Your Miles” promo was held. This was a thinly-veiled program to sell AA miles at prices from about one cent each and higher. Someone who bought miles on Monday, woke up on Tuesday finding that the options to use the miles just purchased had been reduced, in some cases blowing up the trip the miles were bought for.
When I saw this, I thought back to the 3 card monte games I have sometimes seen in big cities. A crowd stands around a guy who is tossing three cards on a small table. One card is an ace. Pick where the ace is and you win 2x your bet. Easy, huh? YouTube “3 Card Monte” to see how the scam works.
Another part of the AA devaluation was that they eliminated stopovers. This means AA is the only major airline with no stopovers, and which charges a separate full priced ticket to stop along the way of an award trip. AA also eliminated Explorer awards.
Finally, there was the incredible email sent to AAdvantage members by program head Suzanne Rubin. One really has to read a recap of the changes and then re-read the email to fully appreciate what a weak job of corporate smile face this is. Never mind the man behind the curtain or the new T&Cs, we’re making AA “the greatest airline in the world”. Ignoring almost all the negative changes (other than via a link) left me wondering if they were dumb enough to think the email really told the story in an open way, or rather they thought their customers were dumb enough to read the email and think AA’s actions were a step toward greatness. I do not think AA management is dumb.
You might think the blog world would have really come down on AA on all this. However, the main reaction was to lack of notice (which was bad) but not much was said about the substantive changes. Stopovers got little mention, and the Explorer awards were typically poo-pawed as a feature little used by AA customers. A. Am sure a lot more people used stopovers than Explorer awards, so if lack of use of Explorer awards means eliminating them doesn’t really matter, then knocking out stopovers should by the same logic be important. By the way, there are data points already that changing pre-announcement AA award bookings results in AA making those bookings now subject to the new no stopover rule. Find the ace.
I also didn’t see very much written by bloggers about implementing these changes in the middle of a sale of a cash for miles promo. The reaction of the blogging community seems to be “What do you expect from a 3 Card Monte game?” There was also hardly any criticism of Rubin for her email.
I think perhaps the bloggers were, like most of us, expecting an increase in the AA award chart, which still is probably on the way. But they did not seem ready for substantive changes to the program’s structure.
After the last 6 months of almost continuous negative changes, it seems to me the blogging community may be like a sales force that now realizes the magic medicine they’ve been selling won’t really cure your rheumatism, even if it does give you a little kick when you drink it.
Welcome back! I’d love to read a newsletter. I have an upcoming trip to Maui and need the scoop on the Andaz and driving the whole road to Hana!
Perhaps Mr Pickles may be able to help you with the newsletter.
devaluations…YOU AIN’T SEEN NUTTIN YET! As far as AA is concerned, anyone who didn’t see this coming is naive. The SkyNazi’s were in Bankruptcy and going through merger approval, of course they were not going to make waves and play nice. Until they could get away with IT. They pulled the same BS/LYING on their takeovers and destruction of TWA and Reno Air . My last 2 years of my career were as an employee of AA, and I cannot tell how miserable and joyless it was to work for them, the opposite of working for TWA…… It is a completely different industry, only 4 main players instead of dozens. Nobody is in bankruptcy giving away tickets just to generate cash flow. And for the first time since deregulation, airlines and NOT needlessly adding capacity to try and gain market share. The airline industry has lost more money than it has made in the last 50 years, those days are over. ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………BUZZ, which hotel did you like better in Maui? Here is the recipe for the MAui Wowi greek salad at Nick’s Fisherman’s Rest. http://www.food.com/recipe/maui-wowie-salad-from-nicks-fishmarket-maui-hawaii-409536
sAAd about the devaluations and wonder what is coming next. Drained United account completely earlier this year and Delta is down to one domestic roundtrip level of points if I find a Saver. Earn and burn is the motto, but now I have an unbalanced portfolio. So, I wish, I really wish I had been able to book an Explorer award before this happened. I knew it would go away, but I honestly never expected there to be no notice whatsoever. Now I know what I am dealing with. Between this and vanilla it has been a tough month. Looking forward to the Charlotte DO next month and hope to see/meet many fellow travelers there. I need a creativity infusion and look forward to sharing ideas with like minded folks.
I also noticed immediately that the disAAdvantage changes came amidst the efforts to sell us miles. And several BA bloggers are writing today about how today is the last day to share US miles at up to 100% bonus. As we discussed here before, the difficulty of booking award travel combined with the devaluations past and future make cash back cards look better and better. I am directing most of my MSing to cash back options. All this should make the Charlotte DO all the more interesting.
Eager to hear more about your stay at the Fairmont since it looks like I may be there for two nights in November. The cousin I visited this summer got the Fairmont CC after she heard about my new hobby and with two workaholic husbands in the mix, we decided to run away to Hawaii and use the free nights without them. I am open to suggestions of where else we might stay for two more nights especially places I could use UR points. I don’t need to be in the lap of luxury.
I like the chronology feature at the bottom of your Love/Like/ignore lists.
Oh, I forgot, you used the word “serene” twice in your post. Can’t understand why 😉 but I just don’t seem to think “serene” when I think TBB. I am really glad you got away after the awful A2 winter. We did a Hawaii trip as one of our last family vacations; the older the kids get, the harder it is to manage to have everyone in the same place at the same time.
Gorgeous Spring day here in the Rose City. The rhododendrons are starting to bloom and they are a sight to behold. Have a safe trip home and I hope that by the time you get there Spring has too.
“Note to Howie at Frugal Travel Guy (the blog). You are promoting the Chicago Seminars and credit card affiliate links in the same post! I don’t think I have seen FTU and MileMadness blogs do that, come on!”
I don’t think I’ve seen the FTU and MileMadness blogs display a severe ignorance to how Avios work either
Are you ever going to tell us Steve why the hatred for FTG.com? YOu call ingy a troll?
OK, I’ll bite 🙂
I love you George. Yes, your trip reports suck big time. Repetitive, endless same looking pictures
in the bad light and badly composed. Make it shorter! Pick less pics. It will still be good for your
family/friends but think about it – can you digest someone’s wedding video? Seriously?
Your reports feel exactly the same way.
As far as an update about the bloggers? Same old, lies and deception.
One famous blogger just changed one previous post simply realizing it was not ideal for the aspiring
trips some of the victims are planning. I’m in the process of booking my huge trip early next year
and I’ve been following his report. He clearly commented how one famous and popular airline
was not as good as it’s often reported – now the same post is “it’s great, amazing” blah blah BS.
It makes me sick how this shit gets through and how some innocent people get sucked into this.
I’m positive the victims are the new to this game, very excited crowd and this guy doesn’t care.
His only agenda is clicks. Disgusting is a nice word to use…
Hope you’re fresh and rested LOL
And please, those bikini shots of yours – too much information!
“One famous blogger just changed one previous post simply realizing it was not ideal for the aspiring trips some of the victims are planning”
Do tell!
Hey George, how do you use the Fairmont points you earn through the CC? Saw on FT that there’s a 1% return for redeemed flights, but that rooms start at 25K points.
Looking to churn through hotel and cash-back cards now that the future prospect of hunting low-level awards on US/AA looks like chasing the ends of rainbows. Calling Citi this weekend to close the AA Amex.
I’m so glad to see spring and warm weather return that all the sound and fury of the
salespeoplebloggers signifies nothing. Baseball season is here and we should be happy, for all the reasons Bart Giamati explains.As usual, I’m thinking about my next trip. Which will be to meet you and quite a few that might read this at milemadness in CLT! I’m thinking that AA’s changes suck, especially since Jetblue and Air Canada are the only other airlines that serve BGI where my wife is from. Glad I already have this Christmas trip there booked. And just thankful that this game still gives us awesome opportunities.
Sadly AA shut down JFK->BGI. CLT to BGI is seasonal. I expect that to be shut down soon. Prices have gone up and it’s cheaper to go to Trinidad. Blame it on DLP (sorry about politics, but nobody gets offended here about bajan politics). As you know tourism to BB has dropped. Partially to blane is the desire to bring the creme de la creme of multimillionaires. I blame COW Williams for that move. As a resutlt, House prices have gone through the roof. Anyways, it’s easier to find a flight from the UK than from the US to BGI.
@ Shaun: I share your feelings about AA deval. Next time in Hawaii will likely be…Kaui! Thanks
@ Thanks for the offer. How about you do my trip reports and I enter your Amazon affiliate link in it, huh? 🙂
@desapri: It is!
@ Sam: Fantastic comment, thanks for taking the time to express what’s on your mind! I share your feelings too! What ticked me off the most was the tone of the email. I swear the person who wrote it must have been hired away by Delta PR. So hideously smooth aiming and expecting that recipients are mindless tools for the company.
@ lindy and ABC: I still do not have a suggestion what to use for newsletter. But the way stuff has piled up from my absence I doubt I will be getting to it anytime soon. I even got jury duty summons for a criminal trial in Federal Court!! Why me 🙂
@ Ramsey: I have a feeling AA is working on a whole brand new revenue based program and not even bothering combining US and AA miles. I also think it will get really ugly in the coming year for us miles enthusiasts. I mean, expect continued beatings 🙂
I liked the Fairmont more but that is because we got a real Deluxe Ocean View and not “Upgraded” to a “Full Ocean view” at the Andaz. Services is better at Andaz but WAY too much of it and you can tell staff are trained to overdo it. I dont like my coffee refilled every freaking minute, let me enjoy it damn it! Wife and kids loved the more modern feel to it. I thought the room was tiny and balcony furniture awful. I found the suite in the Fairmont much better and fantastic balcony! Andaz breakfast is indeed awesome, would never pay $45 for the buffet! Pools are better in Andaz, you know, infinity. Beach is better at Fairmont. Free canoe ride was great. Hated the mandatory valet parking at Andaz and having to tip those guys. I liked the self parking at the FKL. Both have $30 daily resort fees which sucks. Nicks Fishmarket at the FKL happy hour specials were indeed awesome, thanks. I have a Platinum benefit for an authentic local food dish for two at the FKL. WE had it at the Ko restaurant and I must say it was the BEST meal we ever had. Steak was better than in Buenos Aires. I am glad I experienced both hotels. Great deal with the credit cards imho. I would never ever pay such high rates! So, thank you Chase Bank lol.
@smittytabb: I had my eyes on the AA Explorer award too. And was in a way looking for a change to come and the notice to get my butt in gear. Ooops…I am pissed about this! I am missing Vanilla Reloads already. I will have more time now though, need to regroup. Hope to learn some more easy scores at the CLT meeting too.
@TWA44: I think burning the two nights at the FKL is a great use of them! Many hotels around. The Marriott down the coast from the FKL looked very fine. Find something decent and use Barclay Arrival points or Priceline it! See some comments on the FKL vs Andaz above in my response to Ramsey.
@ Steve: It will be ironic if the presentation at Chicago would be on “How to best use Avios?” 🙂
@ Anonymous: Hey, he is consistent 🙂 It still is mind boggling that bloggers feel they need to respond in such a manner instead of just ignoring me and my site 🙂
@ Andrew: Come on, name names 🙂 As long as my trip reports do not reach the excitement depths of MMS I think I am a winner as family and friends do love them I am told. So, I am keeping them as is but will take your input into consideration, thanks. Yes my photos do suck big time. But it is all real, no photoshop stuff or whatever you guys do. Mine is just….raw crap 🙂
@StickyWicket: Who do ya think it is? 🙂
@harvson3: I just get Fairmont gift cards. 1% return. It blows but they do come in handy. $12k in VRs was getting us 1 free night (for AF of $95) and the gc’s were paying for the fee and a daily resort fee 🙂 Saving them up for the nights never made any sense, I remember many restrictions on what properties you wanted to use them in. Come to think of it, i do not think i have any pure Airlines cards anymore!
@ KennyB: The game is still worth it but, oh boy, it is getting harder to get the value out of it! Oh shoot I still need to look for better flights to CLT than the ones I have booked with Southwest points. I may even do a 25k RT with DL miles, LOL.
@ ABC: I am not up in BGI politics 🙂 “tourism to BB has dropped” —> I agree, tourism will drop now due to not being able to buy VRs in CVS stores to load BB with Lol
Yeah I actually wonder how pulling CC for Vanilla will impact CVS’s in store traffic. I mean I bought all kinds of things there that I will never buy again in order to avoid the $505.95 charge. I may actually remember where Walgreens is again.
Agreed! i haven’t been back to a CVS since THAT day!
“I even got jury duty summons for a criminal trial in Federal Court!!”
TBB — I’ll tell yah how I got out of it (many decades ago in the Navy… and I actually WANTED to be on a jury cause I’d never done it!). Being the bright young I-drank-all-the-koolaid officer I was (did I mention it was DECADES ago!?), when they asked if I thought they could be any mitigating factors for drug use in the Navy, I chirped: “No!” Did I think drug use should be punished harshly? “Yup!” The defense challenged me off!
Try being a “hang ’em’ high” type and the defense may chuck you…
That’s great, I ‘ll remember than and try to use it! Two other times I did this they ended up letting us go as the cases got settled. If not this time, I will demand the death penalty be administered the day after and no appeals allowed hehe