We go on and on making crap up like the Etihad mistake fare I slept through, getting an update on the Shangri-La Hotels points, getting some FREE money from Amex & Red Bull, visit Norway and Zion National Park, check out some beach hotels and then offering you the best personal finance articles we find!
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MILES/POINTS
Apparently there was an Etihad Airlines mistake fare that I again slept through. Story of my life!
You remember the free Shangri-La points we got from playing a game recently? Well, it looks like Shangri-La blocking Golden Circle accounts from last years promo per Head for Points. I have emailed them and hopefully I can access my account again so I can have a dinner in Hong Kong for FREE 🙂
I received a $200 check from Amex telling me “We are sorry we were not able to award you Starpoints in time”. Whatever. And THANKS!
Since we are on the free money bandwagon, if you bought a Red Bull Energy drink sometime in the last 12 years you can file an easy claim online and get $10. FREE money is the best kind! You know FREE sells 😉
TRAVEL
If you want to see some incredible skill on a mountain bike, watch this video – Matador Network   Absolutely ridiculous skills. OMG! Stop. Right. Now. Sit. Back. Grab your favorite drink and prepare to enter a different dimension!
A Timelapse Adventure Through Norway – The Adventure Blog   Wow. Just sit back and take the beauty in! After you watch this you will be using my Amazon link every time you and your family buy something online, guaranteed 🙂
Travel guide to Zion National Park, Utah – Matador Network   Definitely on the to visit list. Dumped this page in my Evernote to consult it later!
36 epic beach hotels to visit before you die – Matador Network   There is a page 2 at the bottom of the page! Just realizes it is a Matador Network link fest today. Imagine if they were all Ink Plus and Lufthansa credit card links huh!
PERSONAL FINANCE
Enduring Lessons From the Financial Crisis – A Wealth of Common Sense   Great piece, it’s like he read my mind 🙂
25 Things To Know About Investing By Age 25 – Business Insider   This is another must read article, especially for the younger crowd (looking at you Grant and Tahsir!). I am starting to feel like the curator BS deflector of miles/points and personal finance, my two passions. Only when I am not terrorizing the opposing goalie in soccer. Hehe!
3 fast ways to gauge your financial health – MarketWatch   Fantastic must read article. If you are interested in the topic that is. And who isn’t! Listen to me. I know what I am talking about. Some think I am a true expert in this stuff, not just miles/points stuff lol. You ‘re welcome!
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TBB
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FIRST!!
the comments have been bugging out lately
I also got a check for $250 from Amex for not being able to get an HH bonus. No idea what that means and I don’t care!
Went camping in Zion. It was nice. Worth the trip if you like camping and hiking.
Red Bull gives you free fourth wings?
Hi from Bali! Why don’t more people that call themselves “travel bloggers” actually write about, you know, travel?!
Seems like using miles to get to a place that’s cheap is a double win, why just write the part about miles and nothing about the actual places (other than the hotels that keep you separated from the place/people you’re visiting)?
Ah forget it, back to some free snorkeling NOT underwritten by Amex!
I have never called myself a travel blogger! There are 1,000 times more travel bloggers out there than miles and points bloggers.
It is also a totally different skill set. Taking apart an airline reward table is not exactly the same as photographing cathedrals or reviewing restaurants.
Aww, sorry if I hurt you feelings! 🙂
There are miles/points bloggers. Some are card shills, some aren’t. But there’s soooo much repeated (or lifted/copied) info in many, if not most, of these blogs.
And there are travel bloggers. They take pics, relate experiences, but many, if not most, don’t have “cost saving” as an attribute.
So, why aren’t more miles/points bloggers also writing interesting and informative entries on other ways to save costs? I think it would distinguish them, and if you’re not gonna ride the Bank Horse, then you need another way to get hits (unless it’s a labor of love, and that’s okay!).
So, why not more stories about Central/South America, Southeast Asia, etc.–places where, if you can get there with miles cheap, then you can have a trip for much less than in the US/Europe.
Just sayin’…
Ummm, it takes a lot of miles to get to the Maldives and to keep experiencing the “F product” (whenever I read about a seat “product” I cringe…again). So, you need lots of miles—–>voila, you need to get all these cards. BANG, BANG, BANG. Easy peasy amigo. Enter thousands of expert bloggers doing the same thing. Nauseating!
Well, some are, others aren’t. There are all kinds of bloggers, as well as all kinds of travelers. I always write my trip reports, but most bloggers feel they need to specialize in some specific areas to target and bring in the right kind of crowd.
Based on what my eyes are seeing the past few days…we should add a category of bloggers: “Chase Bank Bloggers”
Outside of BA, that would be a very short category. Just like Hilton Cat.10. 🙂
Exactly what I always thought too & one reason why I started my blog in the first place. Although my focus is US travel (because it’s my personal goal at this point in time), I like to write about the places I go. The miles/points are great, but as a means to an end. I like to read about how others have used theirs too, especially for families & when it is realistic travel. Not that aspirational travel can’t be great as well, but reading about the same exact places over and over is boring.
Total labor of love for me.
Where are you snorkeling?
Bali is where I conquered my irrational fear of snorkeling! (Jumulek Bay)
Hi Carrie!, say hi to Drew, who? for me….
We just stayed 4 nights right at Jemeluk, and you guys were the initial pointers to the Amed area for us! Wonderful snorkeling/diving on that coast. Cheap fun/food/lodging, esp in off-season. On our way to Kintimani then Ubud to finish up Bali.
I think TravelIsFree is one of the closest sites to my ideal stated above. But sure wish you’d do trip reports there, too!!
Andy, LazyTraveler is right up there, too, btw.
Those 2, and Buzzy, are blogs *I* love! 🙂
@ Smith: Welcome to the exclusive Club! I cashed the check shortly after I got it. No idea what’s going on at Amex but I sure did not pick up the phone to ask about the reasons for the check!
@ Jamison: I notice the site has issues around midnight. I think it is either all of you trying to be first or….host Go Daddy does some updates or something. No technical support dept to look into this (one of the advantages of being in a network!) Thanks!
@ Jack: Zion is on my must visit list for sure. Thanks. What a site!
@ Spencer F.: You are probably even more snarky than me!
@DiffPaul: When miles/points, err credit card salespersons, bloggers call themselves Travel bloggers I cringe! Enjoy Bali!
@ Raffles: Still no response from Shangri-Las. When I first ventured out to start including more true travel bloggers I was just blown away by their numbers! I think it is probably more than 10 to 1!
Hi, anybody have any questions for me?
Oh, wise HAWEMC,
Everyone who got the Eithad mistake fare should cancel and refund their tickets, as they’re making airfares more expensive for the rest of the passengers, right? Please click my Amazon links. Finally, is there anything you can’t do, oh glorious HAWEMC?
– Chris Elliott, boardingarea.com
@harvson3 Love it! I like Chris but how many lectures does one need about the immorality of manufactured spend!
@TBB, We found and automatically sent alerts for that EY price mistake within a couple hours of it posting to FT. Hopefully we can help you catch the next one.
Buzz, given your fascination with North Korea I found a food cart in Portland that should be a must try for you. https://www.facebook.com/BhapSang
Great find. I think our leader may not make it through the end of the year actually!
Since I know the Chase Marketing Machine is an avid reader and commenter on this blog, can you request of him to come up with better content for Gary. Today’s filler post about the 70K offer was very lackluster
Please address quickly as the next 70K filler post is mere hours away
Love this line from Gary “And my favorite use for the points is transferring to airline frequent flyer programs like United (great availability using Star Alliance partners to Europe and Asia)”
Of course, no mention of the fact that 70k united miles might get you a bag of peanuts with a star alliance award.
INFIDEL! ALL CHASE CONTENT IS GOOD CONTENT. ALL WILL BE CHASE.
I am used to this stuff by now…but the last Chase Ink push is now reaching never seen before levels! Next Blog Buzz may be VERY angry!
FIGHT THE MACHINES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
1. Zion is amazing. You definitely have to go there! To date, it is my favorite National Park in the US… and all the other ones in southern UT are pretty amazing as well.
2. Managed NOT to sleep through the Etihad mistake fare and got on a super cheap trip to Egypt for next March! Maybe next time I should call you and wake you up 😛
Yep, Zion is definitely on the list!
Careful in Egypt! You can call me anytime, love royal phone calls from Queens and Princesses!
Agree about Egypt, not the best place for a woman. They don’t appear as whacky as some parts of the world, but are up there.
I just read the Bacon 2014 thread on Flyertalk that you linked to yesterday via Thread Tripping’s post. I’m guessing that’s where your recent slogan making crap up came from.
I think Seth should climb back up into the overhead bin and take a long nap until he mellows out. FTG and DP should join him.
If this was a Facebook post I would click on the “Like” button 🙂
I’m in love with Zion National Park – favorite one so far! You have to go at some point.
And thanks for the heads up about Red Bull. Personally trying it once was enough for me. I’ll stick to coffee.
I also tried it just once! I thought it was awful!
If you have done a trip report at Zion please let me know.
Here is my Zion post :
http://saverocity.com/theamericantravelproject/2014/04/12/zion-national-park-kids/
George, don’t miss Bryce near Zion. Angel’s Landing hike and up the Virgin River narrows are don’t miss.
For most of the year Zion is shuttle bus or bikes only. We always bike, it’s very chill and biking thru the big walls is amazing. For you mt bikers, Gooseberry Mesa is very close and waaaay fun. And nearish is Grand Staircase / Escalante, the last mapped area of the lower 48.
Other tips by email if u want…
Thanks for the info. Not doing it in the very near future. If I do, and still blogging, I will ask for more feedback!