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, only 23 valid entries! Update: Say anything you want now to enter, the Milepoint people do!
If you like what you see here, please let others know by passing them a link to my blog, thank you!
TRAVEL
Twilight over Larg’s Bay, Adelaide
The trip reports we see around the blogosphere are usually boring. How about a brave blogger who will do one with Flamingo Air? Flamingo what? It is an airline at Cincinnati that specializes in offering the Mile High Club. Mileage run anyone? Double elite miles? Lol
MILES/POINTS
Doug Parker’s internal memo to US Air employees after the Department of Justice move. Found at Point me to the Plane.
So…it appears American Airlines will honor the ridiculously generous elite qualifying promo? One Mile at a Time says so…but something just does not feel right with me on this one…
ON MY MIND
Major crisis at home. Bad parents took away computer cord from son so he will stop playing games for hours on his computer. Kids these days are totally out of control. Some League of Legends multi player game. But “my friends are playing it too”. Well, get new friends buddy, enough!
Did two things today about the blog: assigned son to research adsense to help me and bookmarked a site about a provider’s affiliate network (NOT Bent Offers, puuuhlease!). The sad thing is there are tons of bookmarks along with it lol (mostly for my real job!)
And on it goes…
ODDZ & ENDZ
Do you want to study “Communist Sciences” for free? Vietnam offers them for free! Apparently “Communist Sciences” is just not a hot major any longer!
The vibrant colors of India: 25 photos that will take your breath away
Giant Baby panda reunites with Mom. Way.Too.Cute!
BLOG BUZZ
Milevalue continues his meteoric rise to the bottom with a heavy pump job on the (what else?) SPG Amex card. Most ridiculous statement I have seen so far is this: “Tell each of your parents to get the Starwood Preferred Guest® Credit Card from American Express.” Why stop there dude, get them to get their friends and other family members to get the card with your link. Unbelievable!
Meanwhile, on the Delta Points blog, we have more Amex cards pumping and reader Bob calls the blogger a girl:-)
Million Mile Secrets puts out all the stops and does a comprehensive selling job on the (what else?) SPG Amex. Please do not buy Hartmann travel bags or switch to Energy Plus for crying out loud!
If every post on Frugal Travel Guy (the blog) was written by Drew I guarantee you this blog will not appear in this section so much! Hey Drew, The Points Guy pays better (my accurate guess lol). And thank you for letting your audience know about the closing of the Priority Club shopping portal, the TBB readers already knew that…just saying:-)
Deals We Like is on part two of an ELEVEN part series on (what else?) the SPG program and yes of course the Amex links are provided in every post. Why do you think the series was done in the first place huh? Today’s lesson on SPG’s Cash & Points. Wow, this is content you never saw anywhere else before, hallelujah!
Sometime in the next 45 days I’ll be competing with you, George. 🙂 Actually I was supposed to start some 16 months ago before life got in the way. But my vitriol can no longer be constrained to 140 character tweets.
Excellent AZTravelGuy. George needs a buddy 🙂
I definitely want to see the trip report on Flamingo Air – anyone?
I’ve seriously considered it before. Not sure the girlfriend would be amenable to photos. Maybe if I provide giant red arrows? Hmm.
Oh I can go on and on about this and make some really funny jokes, maybe tomorrow. I am going to sleep, I am beat!
Now this is a comped trip I may take lol
So long as it’s a travel expense I can use Capital One Venture Miles! Woohoo!
Sounds great, competition is good! (not in airlines so they can promo us to death lol).
I know you know a lot. Finally a true expert, getting tired beating up on the pseudo experts who are just financial product salesepeople:-)
Maybe I can off load some of my lawsuit and death treats to you, great!
Best!
So usually I call all the credit card companies to say I’ll be traveling, which I will come next week. It can be a real pain depending on how long it takes to talk to a human. Have any of you FFers had success doing it through PMs on the banks’ websites? If so, does that end up being faster and does the info get to the right place? I sure don’t want a stop put on any of my credit or debit cards when I try to buy that rug in Turkey….
Capital One and Chase have the option to set a travel alert on their websites. Not sure about other issuers.
Citi has it online too
I frequently travel abroad. I used to call Chase until they sent me a letter stating that I do not need to notify them anymore. On a related note, I always bring at least 2 CC’s (Visa and MC) and at least one debit card (with PINs).
I always bring my SPG Amex [insert imaginary affiliate link here} too…sorry I could not resist lol
I use Secure Messaging on their site. Can do it on my own time, and they email me back that they’re annotating my account. Have only done it twice (not traveling much right now, alas), but it worked great.
Call me old fashioned but I like to call Chase (has most no foreign transaction fee cards) and my bank (for the ATM card).
Thanks, all, I may try the PM route. But first I will call Chase, as all but one card we are taking is theirs – maybe I can get it all done in one call and CSP actually gives you a person right away!
Yes, we always travel with debit cards for two debit accounts, and at least two no transaction fee credit cards. Bob will carry CSP and Priority Club; I’ll carry CSP and United Plus Explorer. Plus we’ll toss in the ClubCarlson since we have an award stay in TLV and may use it for incidentals.
OK.
As for the contest, might as well up my chances by commenting on Mommy Points’ post today. Tiring for those of us who peruse all the blogs, for sure, but I expect many out there do not read every blog every day – well, not necessarily read but at least see the topic before hitting delete – the way points junkies do. Gotta give her credit for good newbie explanations and handling the comments honestly.
Sounds like you got the cc thingie down pretty good!
I doubt such piece would have been posted if it was not for the SPG Amex promo. And absolutely no new info added. And this is why blogs “focus” on new readers…more fresh bait for the cc’s! Expect more…lots more!
Of course it is timed with the SPG promo as it is a good time for those new to SPG to hop in. The card is in the affiliate network (thus far) on a consistent basis so that hasn’t changed, but it is a better time than the other 11 months of the year for someone new to get the card. 😉
I understand all that but if some people aren’t familiar with SPG, whats wrong with just telling them to read one of the numerooooous prior posts about the subject, whether on your blog or another? Of course its reasonable to post the details of the current limited time offer and provide a link to apply, but maybe just link to a few of those old posts at the same time and be done with it? I get that your target demo is primarily new people, but there is really no new information in the post, so why re-type it all? And for people who have spent more than 30 minutes looking at any random points blog, the same content over and over again gets really tiring, especially when the only reason the content is there is because of an affiliate link.
MP: You know where I am coming from;-)
Mike: By sending them to another site you…lose the chance to…”convert” them—->apps go down—->affiliate may take the links away from you. Therefore, you are reduced to coming up with yet so clever ways to…increase the apps to stay in the game to make more money. More veteran miles/points junkies know the game by now. All these bloggers must ensure they keep getting newbies in the fold to keep…applying…to —–>It’s like a vicious cycle. Only a few bloggers do it well AND get enough turnover to stay in the game.
So…when you get the same situation with so many bloggers out there…it becomes beyond ridiculous and I see this crap DAILY.
Then again I had an awful time trying to add adsense to my site today which put me behind about 1,000 count in my Feedly. There goes my Friday night…again.
I am an idiot!
I know, I know, I could check FT. But I like you guys so much better.
And this is the prime reason blogs are exploding;-)
“And this is the prime reason blogs are exploding;-)” Hmm, maybe.
I think they are exploding because people think they have things to say that the world wants to hear and because they figure they can perhaps make a buck doing so. It is only the successful ones that develop a coterie of commenters and devotees. And as you well know, success in the blogosphere does not always translate into bucks.
Of course FT can be cryptic and finding answers there can take some time. So that too!
Note to Ramsey – Sorry you missed the rainbow. Today feels like Fall here in Multnomah Village. Tualatin too? Now while I could not stand Soupy, I loved the Dobie Gillis show, esp. Maynard!
If it was not for the dough rained down by the banks to the distribution chain (which includes bloggers) I bet my AW balances that up to 90% of the current bloggers will close up shop and go back to their day jobs! Guaranteed!
Never head of Dobie either!
I’ve being checking the blogs but so far nobody can tell me how to convert my new spg points to Flamingo Air. Maybe I need to get my mistress to apply for the card…
What? Is there a promo for a free companion “ticket” going on that I missed? lol
What’s going on with Gary? Last week he ran a couple of posts on San Diego, there were no credit card links to be found. Today The Points Guy talks San Diego (well, he paid someone else to write the post, but still). 14 credit card links. It seems like there’s some learning to do out there, folks, gotta keep up with The Points Guy (the person, and the blog)!
In fact this morning I see VFTW has a post on 40% off at the W Hotels Store. He mentions you get double points there with the Starwood Amex. But no link (ka-ching)1 Seriously, I’m confused.
Maybe he felt bad because I took him to task in the past few days?
I doubt it but if true…I feel proud. Moral victory #236
i doubt it.
One more thing before I log off and see if I can actually get all the stuff I plan to take for 4 weeks away into my carryon – Today’s MMS interview was actually a good one. Fab photos (including one of our very own Oregon Coast!) and some good advice on slowing down and actually seeing the places one goes too. Nice reminder that getting up real early can reward you with amazing views in the dawning light and far fewer crowds to contend with. I saw a blog recently that commented that 3 days was more than enough for Shanghai – or something to that effect – and I just shook my head. Not the way I travel. I want to see more than just the highlights. We usually do have the luxury of time even if we must do it on a professorial salary, and I would rather really spend time someplace than chalk up one more city.
I have it marked to read of course. And without even looking at it I know there is a “Welcome MMS readers” post and someway, somehow an SPG Amex link will show up:-)
My kids get 1 hour of screen time a day. Very easy to enforce on a Mac, as I have their account on timers and when the time is done, it is done. I’m sure they go over a little, but I’ve never had to hide a cord. Now, the controllers for a PS3……
That’s just great! He has a PC, not sure how to do this. It does feel a bit like an NSA measure…I like it;-) PS3 is so last century. Now they play these multiplayer online games: League of Legends and World of Crapcraft or something like that…
VFTW trip report shows Gary is having a plate full of steak and sausage for room service. Gary, there are other food groups you should be adding. Didn’t Mom tell you to eat your veggies and salad. I’m sure Buzz is a proponent of the Mediterranean Diet.
What, no pancakes?
I just had a Greek salad topped with extra virgin olive oil, vinegar, sprinkled feta & some almonds. Yum!
@Charles. Ramsey, He linked to the restaurant in Jackson Heights where that photo was from
@anonymous…………lets not get picky, room service, restaurant whatever, that’s alot of meat……………..Did you see the side of Kielbasa to go with the steak and sausage, is he on the no carb diet? …… VFTW and Playboy Magazine, I just look at the pictures and don’t read the content…… fyi..were just havin fun………………….. I give him credit for going out in Jackson Heights, my wife had a gun put to her head there during a robbery at 7 AM (they got $3)………………………….good thing ribs are good for you.
TBB is in no carb diet, for the record:-)
According to Randy Petersen, BoardingArea is “a great family of bloggers who respect their readers and the information and advice they publish”. – See more at: http://michaelwtravels.boardingarea.com/2013/08/michael-w-travels-now-taking-off-from-boardingarea/#sthash.gEej4o39.1FDXkoiT.dpuf
I guess TBB begs to differ about what it means for bloggers to show respect to their readers and what constitutes advice!
Randy posts that below a comment by Delta Points! Oh the irony…smh
As always, I have nothing personal about the bloggers. Rene is the nicest guy! Michael is nice too, congrats for your move to BA. Why do you jump so much dude?
OK, guys, I need your help again. I did actually post this on FT but figured I’d ask you all to weigh in – pun intended – too.
Does Air Canada weigh carry-on baggage? Our initial checkin is at the United counter in PDX, flying AC from PDX to IST, and I managed to get a month’s worth of stuff into my carry-on roller bag. It weighs 32 pounds and the official limit is 22 pounds. I have no status and I am flying coach (horrors!) on an award ticket from US Airways.
Can I just roll my suitcase on as carry-on, or will someone be weighing it at any airport in the itinerary? The connections are bad: PDX to Vancouver(BC) to Toronto to IST – so I really do not want to check it.
I have never had carry-on weighed and it does fit the correct measurements. Will I be able to get away with it? Any advice is appreciated! Thanks.
If it fits, you should be fine. If you check in online & provide all the necessary information (passport #, etc) you would probably go ahead straight to security. If not, they will just check your passport. I doubt the agents will weight it if it clearly fits. Just avoid dealing with one who has a really bad day (it happens once in a while). Then again, I only flew AC twice. I did not notice them to be any different than USA carriers; on the contrary, they appeared a bit more relaxed!
Thanks TBB. We apparently cannot check in online – I can’t remember if it was the award tix or the international travel or the fact that United does AC check-in in PDX. (Hmm, I just used check in as a verb and check-in as a noun!)
Anyone with more experience with AC: do chime in.
The only reply I have so far on FT is “you’ll be fine.” Which I expect is right; I am just a worrier.
I recently flew Calgary to Toronto to Detroit on Air Canada. For some reason (due probably to the international leg) we could not check in online. At the Calgary airport, the kiosk worked until got error for my daughter. “See agent”. Got it in a VERY long line. Well, line was moving very slow too…so I went back to the kiosk (I had time!). Went through the whole routine (including scanning passports) and VOILA, out come FOUR boarding passes for BOTH Flights. Grabbed our four carry ons and we were through to the…Amex lounge in less than 5:-)
Susan knows Istanbul:
http://first2board.com/blog/author/susan/
TBB, thanks again. I did see Susan’s posts. And I will try the online check-in thing too. Much appreciated.
You know what occurred to me as I was pointing out on MP’s blog about her selling her blogs integrity in the name of affiliate $$$?
Remember how frequently we were bombarded with the Chase Hyatt Visa card? “2 FREE NIGHTS IN A SUITE IF YOU’RE DIAMOND!!! PARK HYATT TOKYO SOMETHING SOMETHING!!!!”
Well when was the last time anyone here saw a post that had that credit card linked in it? Anyone?
Sure enough, I checked on MP’s credit card offers, VFTW’s, OMAT’s etc. etc. and lo and behold – none of them have FlexOffers links for it anymore. It’s mostly (less lucrative) creditcards.com links
But don’t let this huge coincidence fool you – the ginourmos decrease in Chase Hyatt Visa coverage has nothing to do with the lack of a lucrative affiliate link. The Carlson card always got far more coverage than the Hyatt Visa. Just ask MommyPoints, she’ll tell you!
….. or at least I was pointing it out on her blog, before the comment got censored
Yep. This is what has been going on. It’s a vicious circle. See my comments above with MP.
This is what scares the crap out of me…Will I turn into…them if I join the circus? At least I have a model I can aspire to: Frequent Miler and just a few others. Maybe I should do a post who I endorse one of these days!
VFTW wrote about better than the affiliate Hyatt Visa offers several times, and still includes it in his “top 10” credit card posts (which have plenty of affiliate links, natch)
Even better case: the Chase Fairmont card. Just wait for when that gets on the affiliate network. A great card that gets no coverage because it pays nothing to bloggers.
My predictions for when it goes affiliate?
One Mile at a Time will ignore all the actual Fairmonts and focus solely on finding availability at the Plaza/Savoy, DansDeals will somehow get around blackout days (YMMV/HUCA), View From the Wing will tell you how to get the most food out of the free breakfast coupons, MommyPoints will tell you how the all-suite Fairmont Kea Lani is for perfect for families but not bring her whole family, MMS will show you how to not spend any money while on property, DeltaPoints will tell you all about earning a lucrative 250 SkyMiles per stay (or 10 mattress runs for 500 SkyMiles, every stay!), TPG will get his dog “VID” status at the DC Fairmont, MileValue will show you how the Barclays US Airways 30K card will get you to various Fairmonts around the lower 48, Deals We Like will do a 16 part series without stepping foot into a Fairmont, and poor Canadian KMs will have a breakdown that the Canadian hotel chain card is not available to Canadians.
TJ: This comment is AWESOME. You are so right on, you had me laughing all over the floor! do you mind if I feature it?
As I was typing my response to Steve I actually thought about mentioning the Fairmont Card to illustrate the perverse greedy effects of this whole scheme!
I love the card by the way. It was directly responsible for four awesome nights at both Banff Springs and Lake Louise, along with enough certs/gift cards to eat very well! Trip report coming…at some point.
Oh crap, Feedly is up to 1,000….Long night. I may drink again…Blogging may make me an alcoholic too lol
Do whatever you want.
I forgot one, FTG will restart the Top 531 card countdown to place the Fairmont at #1.
I’m now regretting using my 4 Fairmont nights in Maui and not Alberta, after seeing you and Dan report in. So gorgeous, and the wildlife.
How about a nice cocktail instead of all this wine? BTW Another pet peeve of mine is that very few of these bloggers know how to drink. The amount of amazing whiskey/scotch/liquers that Ben passes up for Baileys…..maddening. And RomsDeals pouring Johnnie Walker Blue into a giant glass of crushed ice…..MileValue making Bloody Mary’s.
>>>>>>>FTG will restart the Top 531 card countdown to place the Fairmont at #1.
Oh man, you are killing it tonight…woohoo!
Actually I am out of wine, it is dry. Just orange juice:-)
Love it! How right you are, TJ!
I wrote about the Chase Hyatt card on the 10th. Just fyi- post was examining the price and comparables for all their cat 6 properties to find the best options for the 2 free nights- fabulous post if I do say so myself, not sure when I will get ton the Fairmont as I’m grafting on the Cities Reserve currently.
Believe it or not, I still do NOT have the Hyatt card. Just way too many hotel points to burn you know;-)
I just picked it up since we were burning through United points and I wanted to keep my URs for that as much as possible. But its not a keeper…