We bring you the Fairmont Card end date, visit US natural wonders, go to World Pizza Games and ghost towns, catch up with that weird Bang CEO who tried to buy Starwood, visit European libraries and catch up with them bloggers and much more for you!
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I am noticing a huge onslaught of click bait tabloid crap and a renewed barrage of credit card sale posts. I think the current state of miles and points blogs has reached a truly disgusting plateau. Last night I felt sick to my stomach and just did not have it in me to do yet another post. But since I posted my freebie Support TBB post and promised you I will get back to what I do, here it is…
The end is near for my beloved Fairmont Presidents Club and my Lifetime Platinum status. And here goes the free night every year from the Visa card #crying So Long Chase Fairmont Card, Chase Force Converting to Chase Sapphire Preferred. I was dreading this as I use the card exclusively for my main business (I know it is NOT the best earning card out there, relax!) and now have to change all the automatic payment setups, one of pet peeves in life! Actually, I have not decided what I am going to do yet, I may keep the CSP #developing.
Many were inspired by my hacking triumph using Fairmont hotels in the amazingly beautiful Banff and Jasper National Park areas near Calgary, Alberta in Canada. Here is a way to save on rental cars when you go there, it may require some walking but the savings can be huge. Ymmv.
Best IHG Rewards Club redemptions in London. Great post just in time for your summer vacations using AA miles to London. The AA miles thing was a joke actually lol.
Activate your 5% Quarterly Categories cards: Chase Freedom, Discover, Citi Dividend, US Bank Cash. In terms of blogging, this is a layup 🙂
Remember the weird Chinese Gangbang CEO who tried to buy Starwood recently? Well, guess what. He vanished for “personal reasons” and probably went a bit too far in stealing money, my wild guess. I always said here that this guy was quite a character. He probably got a cut for driving the Starwood buyout price to insane levels the Marriott guys fell over for. Lol.
American Airlines gave an inch back. Maybe. Oh Dougie (Parker) CEO, you are just messing with us now dude!
The most breathtaking natural wonder in every state. Come on, you know you want it. Check your own state I mean hehe. NOT an AFAR list!
I had no idea about this event: World Pizza Games! Talk about acrobatics with…pizza! Check out the video, it will shock you!
This is an excellent short piece for your personal finance fix: All-Time High. It is so short you should read it in its entirety. Now. Never ever think you are smart enough to call the bottom. Or the top in this case. Many have been on waiting mode since 2008 through 2013, sad! 143 new all time highs since 2013. #mindblown
Calling the top is a really, really hard game to play. Imagine being negative on the market in 2013, and seeing 148 new all-time highs over the next four years? What does that do to your psychology? Can you ever recover from that?
I always liked libraries. Perhaps because I spent a lot of time in them when I was in college. Here are some awe inspiring photos of empty European libraries.
The spirit of kids in war torn regions. And you credit card salesman blogger you think you got problems not getting your pre-departure drink quickly, just sit your entitled ass down and be a little, hmm how shall I put this, grateful? The pic is posted here, I had to capture it with my phone, that’s why it sucks, go there! I LOVE this picture!
13 best ghost towns to visit. Okay, many have appeared here before. But there are some new ones. Below, Craco in Italy was abandoned in 1980 after one too many natural disasters.
BLOG BUZZ
This section is for advanced level hobbyists and veteran blog readers & personal rants & stuff
Sometimes this hobby feels like it is target practice by expert shooters (the cardinals in FT lingo), two more were picked and shut in the head. RIP
And no more mortgage payments using VISA with Plastiq (HT: Gang H.)
Daraius over at MMS has gone off the deep end, so much meditating no anger inner peace crap. So sad a whole post and no opportunity to sell some more credit cards.
View From The Wing has gone full mode tabloid BS lately. Wow, how does this guy still think of himself as a Travel thought leader is beyond me. Sorry, I meant to say shocking lol.
Can you guess the next place The Points Guy will go to sell travel rewards credit cards? A long term care senior facility? A hospital? A cemetery during a funeral holding a sign you can fly to the next funeral for freeeee! Here he is at a Pride event. WTF, ruining a nice event promoting credit for the sales commissions, SAD! Thanks to Barack H for sending in the pic!
I could go on with more of the BS I have to fight through everyday in my Feedly account. And I do it all for you, so you are welcome. Just to get an glimpse of what I am swimming in, click the pic below for all the gore of selling credit cards like crack and the tabloid manure now infesting this space. Remember, the posts appear in REVERSE chronological order!
My daughter starts driving lessons. Residents of Ann Arbor, this is a warning!
And I leave you with this…
Check out my updated blog lists: Blogs I Love, Blogs I Like, Blogs To Ignore
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Gold!
Finally!
If the travel bloggers worked on a donation or membership basis they wouldn’t be so tempted to push the plastic with the highest cut for them.
Perhaps there would be.more library links and less stuff that would embarrass the supermarket tabloids? Nah.
Thank you for letting Peteco win 🙂
Diving into Feedly these days is leaving a very bad taste…The economics of the plastic in this space is just ridiculously one sided which leads to a plastic pump fest…every freaking day. You add all the click bait shocking videos and total non consequential crap only blogged to generate clicks and it is just super sad out there…
I hope I get tomorrow’s post in time so I can go watch these ladies…for free 🙂
http://a2sf.org/events/mariachi-flor-de-toloache/
Donations and memberships isnt gonna come close to what the CC links were paying blogs in the heyday and probably still today.
You are probably correct.
But this site does not maximize $$, the opposite it appears. And it’s okay…
#itmaydeveloponedaytosomething
Until then, enjoy the ride 🙂
I was replying more toward Dml and his well meant but off idea that travel bloggers might have more integrity if they adopted a membership/donation approach. Im not sure most realize how much money the bloggers raked in at the peak.
I would imagine that TPG has yet to peak. Someone has to pay that fancy office space.
you are probably correct. He is more of the exception to the group
Fair enough. There is a LOT of money at stake.
Working with membership / donations would offer a signal, a way to separate bloggers. Consumer Reports survives even though it gives up advertising.
I remember puzzling over why no one was pushing an Amazon credit card even though it was offering a 3% rebate. Then the light bulb went on.
No harm meant by my former comments. I was just saying while a great idea in theory, no way those bloggers were gonna give up those 5 and 6 digit checks to take a lesser pmt.
On the Amazon card, good call 🙂
You are both correct I think.
The money from banks for pushing plastic WAS INSANE! Maybe Deep Throat can pop in one day and give us all some figures #hint 🙂
The membership/donattion thingie sure would separate the two camps. BUT is is SO much harder to pull off, it takes MUCH longer and perseverance and, of course, great content to keep people coming back AND get them to give. As we all know, not many will actually do it. Which requires even more readership than you originally thought. The amount of time I spend on promoting here is so minimal is likely not going to happen. But I may give it a go one day…when I get around to it. Translation: not anytime soon!
Poor Iowa, their entry in the states list is just a picture of some clouds!
I really enjoy ghost towns and abandoned sites – some good ones in that list. Next trip to Japan we’re planning to visit Hashima Island.
TPG looks like a real douche there – cheesy af. VFTW though probably is the bigger douche though…jumped the shark long ago and just keeps doubling down.
Did not notice the Iowa entry, lol.
I always enjoyed these sites, so different than views from suites and lounges 🙂
An old has been currently trolling sites he is jealous of once said to me “It’s all about conversions” 🙂
I can’t stand TPG either … but I think he has been soliciting mileage donations (like the 75k in the sign in that pic) to help evacuate gay people from countries where they’re persecuted.
It helps sell more credit cards—–>good for business
Well, Doctor of Credit is at it again with another link to his idol:
>>>>>>>>>>>>Good work by Gary on this.
Shocking…Not!
Interesting chart: income distributions of America’s hobbies
https://raw.githubusercontent.com/halhen/viz-pub/master/pastime-income/pastime.png
Where is churning? MSing? 🙂
Serenity now = Insanity later
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WBMTH-4B2NI
Lol
Insanity always?
Breaking: Some amazing life changing content out there you guys
Live and Let’s Fly – Livid over a stupid airline meal
I think this guy sleeps with Ben’s pic by his bed…
WTF!
Thank you for the link, George. As always, I appreciate it.
I just went through your comprehensive trip report in the Canadian Rockies. We may have to agree to disagree, as I would rank the lakes 1.) Moraine; but just by a hair 2.) Louise and 3.) Maligne a distant third.
Then again, factors such as weather can affect an experience. I had to leave Maligne Lake early due to a thunderstorm.
The first photograph in your trip report was of an elk.
I went on the glacier as well. No, not inexpensive; but a fascinating experience.
I intend to post separate trip reports of my experience. Can anyone say 25-part review?!? Oh, well…
Anyway, thank you for sharing your experiences. I am not a member of Fairmont; so I did not stay at one — but I am okay with that.
You had me at Shalom
Great score on the car rental, not sure how I missed that.
I could have broken mine to three dozen parts but I didn’t. Last one I did I relented and did it in 5 parts. So I am working on it 🙂
Loved all the lakes there actually.
One day I will update it to elk 🙂
Buzz, Why werent you holding up an Elk in that picture. A real Titan would have. You could have told us how you mind was clear and thoughts were pure while dead lifting that 500-700lb elk.
That was one of the stupidest things I ever did. And I got my daughter to do it too…embarrassing moment. Folks, don’t mess with wildlife.
I am no Titan….and can’t dead lift a tiny watermelon anymore these days 🙂
Yes, Darius has gone off the deep end in his posts, but hey…keep the Emily pics a coming. Many View From The Wing readers are not happy about his posts either. Just check out the comments.
Friends don’t let friends read VFTW.
VFTW could not care less about losing more experienced readers 5/24. No limits to the morons coming over from clicking on his click bait tabloid shit…and that’s where the conversions are!
That video of that guy hitting dirt in slow motion #wow
The picture of The Points Guy took me a few seconds to recognize him. I thought I was looking at an old picture from The Village People YMCA music video (below, enjoy).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QINoUyrP0BI
Citi Hilton are finally dead.
Citi has nothing attractive left.
I only have one left…a Presitge…next one to kill next month, looks like more Singapore Airline miles for me…they are piling up.
Maybe I should call for a retention but I am too lazy lately. More like too busy TBBing for you guys 🙂