One of the slowest days I can remember in the blogosphere. Very short post today. I thought about holding it & adding it to today’s action which means…skip a daily post. But I didn’t!
TRAVEL
Humans Are Awesome. Incredible video designed to inspire. Sit back and enjoy…it gets better as it rolls! Found at the Adventure Blog.
MILES/POINTS
Huge news from Aeroplan. Rewards Canada broke the story and I am sure we will see many more posts about this. Here are the highlights:
– 7 Year expiration policy being canceled
– One way flight awards will only cost 50% of round trip
– Distinction – a new tiered recognition program, that recognizes members based on how many miles they accumulate (separate from Air Canada Altitude)
– New Market Fare Flight Rewards to replace ClassicPlus flight rewards, reduced by up to 20% — these are the any seat any time flight rewards that fluctuate in mileage requirements based upon how full a flight is, so these flight rewards will typically cost more than ClassicFlight rewards but not as much now.
– The only bad is news is that some long haul international flights will be increasing
– TD Bank to be new Aeroplan Credit Card Issuer
After reading the analysis of the changes by both View from the Wing and One Mile at a Time I think this is another net negative development. The path to revenue based awards is clearly on, brace yourselves folks!
New IHG Pointbreaks List is out!
Loyalty Lobby broke the news first about the new IHG Pointbreaks list. Look at all those InterContinentals on the list, wow! Just 5,000 IHG points per night, best hotel deal value in the blogosphere!
USA Today interviews Delta’s CEO Anderson. Not a single word on pathetic Skymiles! And the rest is so much full of BS!
BLOG BUZZ
Milevalue continues to skin the cat, err, the Barclays Lufthansa credit card I mean.
I am so sick of these Daily Getaways. Do not let this happen to you!
Ariana at Frugal Travel Guy continues writing for the site, now as “Managing Editor” (congrats). Sadly, we expect more credit card posts and links!
The more I read The Points Guy the more I feel like the name of the blog should be “The Credit Cards Guy”!
Looks like Uber is giving out referral links to bloggers again. Am I the only who has not signed up? I could sign up and pass my own referral link but I am too lazy and I would rather spend my time in more productive ways. Living in Ann Arbor and flying out of Detroit does not make me Uber friendly:-)
ON MY MIND
I miss action in the comments. I miss you, you know who you are. Hope you are well. Feel free to come back anytime:-)
I made a car rental reservation finally for the Canada trip next month. SUV at Hertz for $820 for 8 days. I know, it is ridiculous! So…I now have a ceiling price to beat ahead of me. I added the res number to Autoslash so I now sit back to see what they can do for me.
I also will likely need a few more hotel nights…everything up in the air and it will depend if I get a few more Fairmont certs in time. #Developing It appears the road to Banff Springs from Calgary has opened again after the heaviest floods in that region!
I saw the Wikileaks:We steal secrets documentary. Excellent and thought provoking. I have mixed emotions.
ODDZ & ENDZ
What marriage equality means to me. Travel blogger Landlopers explains it all eloquently. Well said Matt!
25 cemeteries that will scare you out of your skin. By memolition.
The Unseen Lives of Miniature Cement People. By Twisted Sifter. Marvel at artist Isaac Cordal. Wow!
Jeff and Scott… There’s a new Sheriff in town. Go to sleep boys.
Doh.
Dude means bidness
I always said competition is good. Capitalism at its finest;-)
I know you like controversy but I hope this comment does not produce any. Thanks for the link to Matt’s column; I had missed it. I have been happy to see that the bloggers all seem to hail the recent ruling on marriage equality. Good for them.
I like controversy? I wonder why you would say something like that? 🙂
There is no science in what I do, I share links I find they are good reads and if they could either educate or inspire or entertain and some readers agree…I am happy. I think Matt pretty much laid it all out as it is and it was quite beautiful. Not only is the humane thing to do…it saves people in the financial services field to jump through ridiculous hoops to help LGBT clients!
Yeah, not sure how people, even if they were for DOMA, aren’t moved by the clear joy in the hearts of those who’ve been looked down upon for so long. I think Matt expressed it well, and it’s almost hard to understand what he, and others in his position must be feeling right now after all they have been and still go through in a patriarchal, straight-privileged state.
When we lose the ability to sympathize with those who are clearly suffering, I’m not sure what’s left of us as humans.
I am really proud that no reader has gone off on a religious Bible anti gay rant! We don’t need that crap. People are people everywhere and love is love. Equal rights for people everywhere!
Hey George, looking forward to harassing you in-person at the Ann Arbor DO in a few weeks!! 🙂 Do you think that Michigan has a change to beat Ohio State this year…much less compete for a National Championship? I say NO, but the B1G has a way of messing with those of us in the South….
Not much into college football…but I will always support UofM, especially when it involves Ohio State!
Looking forward to the Ann Arbor DO, it is coming up so so fast!
Lucky just “discovered” the Club Carlson card again.
He’s now given it more coverage in a week than he has the past 6 months combined
yeah, getting bored writing about this stuff. And then GL did his usual top 10 bonus post already?
Yawn:-)
so George did ya miss me? Looks like comments fall way off when we aren’t discussing life and world events huh?
But you’ve learned so much in the last couple days I’m so proud of you. You figured out that Ariana is the boss of FTG, it takes 25-50 successful “conversions”( we call them) per month to get affiliate links. And that your Alexa ranking is really meaningless. Just imagine if you had started all this learning curve stuff back when you first thought about doing a blog three years ago? That’s gotta fry your cheese being a procrastinator huh? I won’t use the word lazy. Some of the angries may call that a racist comment 🙂
A lot has happened buddy and it should clear things up for you a bit. Now for some math.
If it takes 25 successful apps per month that means your twelve readers will need to each be approved for 2 applications per month to keep your links. HaHa just kidding. I know you have a couple more than that, but it does seem that that one guy named anonymous sure posts a lot in your comments.
Here are you tasks now to getting your links.
1. Keep me engaged by being nice George cause when I show up you get way more comments. I’ll take a $50 Marriot card for everyday I show up 😉
2. You gotta figure out what the average conversion rate is so you see how long it will take you to get to the magic number of 25. I haven’t figured out how you are going to clear up all the angry and demeaning comments you and your readers have made about your fellow bloggers, your friends at BentOffers as you call them may not be to supportive of your past work, nor may the banks but we can work on that later.
3. Lastly, have you ever thought about disclosing to your clients at your firm about your blog? Maybe they would get credit cards from you and read your blog? Or maybe, and here is a biggie, disclose to that other publication that you write for about your blog and that would surely put you over the top.? Or maybe not? Let me know what ya think I can probably get the name of Brian’s PR firm for you. They are the best. Just a couple quick Google references to your full name, business name and the publication’s name all in the same piece from a site with some traffic should get the job done.
Keep up the learning curve buddy. You will make it someday to the promised land and can then show us all, how it should be done.
Keep it Angry
>>>>>>>>>so George did ya miss me?
Yes I must admit I did. It is so entertaining for me and my readers to see your comments!
>>>>>>>>>Looks like comments fall way off when we aren’t discussing life and world events huh?
Yes! Isn’t it so odd that my tiny blog gets more comments in a day or two than the FTG blog gets in a month? I find that so…amusing!
>>>>>>>>>>You figured out that Ariana is the boss of FTG, it takes 25-50 successful “conversions”( we call them) per month to get affiliate links.
You must be so proud! Ariana has become FTGized! Thanks for FTGizing one of the most talented bloggers. Wish you even more conversions! We all know they are for charity:-)
>>>>>>>>>That’s gotta fry your cheese being a procrastinator huh?
Lol. Fry my cheese, thanks for the laugh!! I like frying cheese, opa!
>>>>>>>>>12 readers
I actually don’t know how many I have. I haven’t even installed Google Analytics yet!
>>>>>>>>> I’ll take a $50 Marriot card for everyday I show up 😉
You owe me so many and now you are trying to get gc’s from ME, wow!
>>>>>>>>>>You gotta figure out what the average conversion rate is so you see how long it will take you to get to the magic number of 25
I don’t lose sleep over this. And I obviously do not waste any time on “conversion rates”. I am doing just fine hitting my magic numbers in life, thank you very much for your concern.
>>>>>>>>>>Lastly, have you ever thought about disclosing to your clients at your firm about your blog?
Wow.
>>>>>>>>>>Maybe they would get credit cards from you and read your blog?
Actually a few I got into the hobby have been asking me about it and love my blog!
>>>>>>>>>Or maybe, and here is a biggie, disclose to that other publication that you write for about your blog and that would surely put you over the top.? Or maybe not? Let me know what ya think I can probably get the name of Brian’s PR firm for you. They are the best. Just a couple quick Google references to your full name, business name and the publication’s name all in the same piece from a site with some traffic should get the job done.
Maybe I should disclose to them that I love playing soccer? Love movies and going to the gym too? 🙂
To Ariana and everyone at First2Board: THIS is what I am talking about!
To readers: Enjoy! It’s not the first time plain threats like this have been directed at me. Everything has been saved just in case.
>>>>>>>>>>You will make it someday to the promised land and can then show us all, how it should be done.
I like the promised land I am in just fine and loving every minute of it, thank you so much for caring!
Thank you taking the time to read my blog and for taking the time to comment.
Well, If your gonna be so angry, I wont be back for a while. Hmph. You get so many comments because you are personally 50% of the comments and it is a safe place for the angries to vent. That’s all George.
What threat George? You mean you don’t want your real life knowing about this blog?? Man that’s gotta be tough on you. I can’t imagine having to live like that, But as you say Ce le Vie. Don’t worry George. You little secret is safe with me. Has been for 9 months buddy 😉
>>>>>>>Well, If your gonna be so angry, I wont be back for a while.
You can not keep away from the word angry, why? I only get angry when my son eats all the chips and salsa I got for both of for lunch! Sometimes he gets so greedy…have no idea where got that from;-)
>>>>>>>>You get so many comments because you are personally 50% of the comments…
Actually, this is so so true:-)
>>>>>>>>>>What threat George? You mean you don’t want your real life knowing about this blog?? Man that’s gotta be tough on you. I can’t imagine having to live like that, But as you say Ce le Vie. Don’t worry George. You little secret is safe with me. Has been for 9 months buddy 😉
Wow. Your comments remind me of the Mastercard commercial: “Priceless”
Thanks for the info on the conversion rates and stuff like that. I am certain some found it educational.
Yeah, it is tough to imagine me living the dream daily:-)
Does his employer know this is how this is he is behaving? I wonder if in his blog sales agreement, it contracted him to act like a d!ck and smear the Frugal Travel Guy persona.
Ariana, doesn’t this make you feel great about the blog you work for?
Thank you for reading and taking the time to comment. And for the support!
New mission for the Frugal Word Guy, see if you can make a comment without using the word “angry”.
I’m starting to wonder if you’ve used the word so much that you’re becoming what you supposedly dislike.
I am so angry my son ate ALL the chips and salsa I got for both of us today from Chipotle!
Buzz, Is this Ingy 104, actually that chick Rene from Delta Points trying to harass you? I’ll round up a posse with some other readers to go over there for a visit.
Order some ribs to go too!
I assumed that was someone impersonating FTG. I imagine IP addresses are logged in comments. It’s hard to imagine FTG really wrote that. TBB, check to be sure that’s really him?? I guess it could be and that’s sad. But I still hold out a shred of home for the once-decent FTG. 🙁
Yeah, I’m starting to wonder too.
rumor is that ftg got half a million bucks for selling his blog. he clearly doesn’t care anymore. the blog is terrible now.
He got a lot more than half a million.
Why is it so hard to imagine? I actually thought that was pretty mild stuff:-)
For IP addresses: Comments from 2 days ago showed: 64.20.152.161 Today it shows: 64.20.156.173 I have no idea what these mean.
I also find it sad to see FTG (the blog) go from my favorite blog to ________
All of the above are my own opinion ONLY
It means all the comments came from someone on Hilton Head Island using Hargray Communications as their ISP, thus most likely all are from FTG.
Thanks!
My handle is ingy or ingy104. I am not the FTG
http://www.frugaltravelguy.com/start-here/introduction
“Welcome to the Frugal Travel Guy blog and the world of deeply discounted travel. My name is Rick Ingersoll and I am known as the Frugal Travel Guy.
Read more at: Introduction | Frugal Travel Guy”
George, Nice to see you admit I was your favorite. That means a lot to me. We had a good run buddy.
Anon; Don’t believe rumors, they are seldom accurate.
Why?
Is the true number higher?
I don’t know about those two IPs, but putting them into moanmyip made me feel better.
Yeah but if someone is impersonating him, that is just Capitalism at work. No need to disclose who it really is.
Kinda like FTG impersonating Internet Brands. Or is it Internet Brands impersonating FTG? I always forget.
No impersonation going on, at least in this case.
My thought: yawn……
Hey Rick, it’d be interesting to learn how the family’s doing. Andrew, Shannon, Carter, and the rest. Would certainly add a human element to the blog that I liked. Though don’t condemn Carter to Skyteam; that was just cruel.
Hey we didn’t mention the MMS Friday Interview, which was again quite refreshing in that, yes, David is a friendly and helpful guy who knows a whole lot about an airline I’ll have to start flying again post-merger.
And the line “I’m a big fan of honesty, so I’d genuinely have to say I don’t think my blog is very unique or special” is not entirely true in that he knows and shares actual knowledge, not bank and travel company PR messages. As a rough analogy, ORDtoAnywhere/DestinationDavid might be to American what sbm12 is to United/Star Alliance in terms of knowing the arcane rules.
I haven’t found any Daily Getaways worth clicking on because, frankly, we just don’t stay at that many chain hotels. And as usual the Points Breaks list was a number of hotels we won’t need. I think we’re far on the left tail in terms of needs for hotels. But I can enthusiastically recommend the airbnb apartment we rented in Buenos Aires; it was great.
Rambling over.
Harvson3. Thanks for asking. The family is great and growing. Carter is 19 months now and calling me Pop Pop. He has not chosen his airline alliance yet but may be leaning towards Star Alliance. He has a little sister named Sophia we call Peanut that is two months old. Andrew took a job with the Australian government and is a dual citizen now. He is helping put their medical records system on computers so when somebody from Sydney gets sick in Melbourne they call pull up his records online. Sounds OK but the information revealed is only voluntary. I wonder about HIV kinda stuff with that system?? And in his third year of law school there.
Aaron is still singing opera now in Glimmerglass NY by Coopperstown for the summer then back to the Virginia Opera. Tony is still in the land of the “George” completing his residency in Oral Surgery at the only U of M.
Shannon, well she is being a mom and a great one at that, but a 19 month old and two month old is a little much. Gammy is up in Columbia helping out quite a bit. And for Katybug, besides being Gammy she is still volunteering at the free clinic on the island and excited about the new condo we closed on today. More room for the grandkids you know.
Thanks for your thoughts and interest. I always enjoy your comments. Have you ever thought about writing?
Rick
Oh, I meant the question as a suggestion for a blog entry, but glad to know everyone is healthy and well.
I do write, but it’s for my job. I don’t need more assignments.
Sophia is just a beautiful name!
Thanks for the family update in MY blog. We are like a big happy family around.
Hug?
Your welcome buddy. Did you want to respond to my emails?
I am too busy frying my cheese:-)
Nothing really to respond, we have been through the same crap many times before. We will never see eye to eye and you know it. You are just trying to engage me because you obviously have way too much time on your hands. I do not appreciate your implied…u know exactly what I mean.
Can’t believe you offered harvson3 to do writing? If he had accepted, shouldn’t I get a commission for, say, finders fee:-)
Happy Trolling!
what a sad old man rick is
Gary discovering the Club Carlson card now too
What happened to not pushing the card because he prefers aspirational travel?
and of course, it wouldn’t be a Gary top-10 if it didn’t contain far more than 10 links
“10) A quartet of free hotel night credit card offers:”
Guess it’s not really a top-10 then, huh?
Gary mentioned it in his last top 10 before there were any affiliate links, he said before his readers convinced him to include it even though he doesn’t like staying at Radisson.
The answer is in the comments above by ingy104.
They need to be hitting 25 apps a month.This explains the mad scrambles in the beginning of the month (to get some knocked out early) and at the end of the month when they are scrambling!
And then there are other blogsites that they do this day in and day out:-)
I got the info from a FT thread. I never had any idea there were quotas
Wow. 25 “conversions” at $80 a pop would be $2000 a month.
just $80? I bet all my affiliate revenue the Chase “conversions” are quite a bit higher!
It’s been reported to vary by card, some are lower and some higher.
I think we can all get a good sense of the different rates per card based on the “noise” of pushing them…I have no doubt that the Chase Ink cards are at the top:-) And Discover cards must be at the bottom…way to the bottom lol.