We bring you the latest hotel promos, try the United Hopper and Polaris seat, learn about the ad business being a villain, meet the MMS credit card models, get you an awesome personal finance piece on the market fireworks lately, fly with an octopus, have a preview of the next world war, look at some amazing pictures of cities at night, learn some practical things at Milenomics and much more!
TBB Blog Mission: To Entertain. Educate. Inspire. In That Order!
Support TBB by applying for CREDIT CARDS, shopping with our AMAZON AFFILIATE LINK & clicking our REFERRAL LINKS
Wyndham has a good promo. Stay twice and earn enough 15,000 points for a free night. Then again, this is a program that tries hard lately to get some respect after dropping the ball one too many times, you have been warned.
Log in with your SPG number to see if there is a “member exclusive” bonus for you. Look at the URL to see if your favorite blogger is passing off affiliate links trying to trick you. Notice my link goes directly to the site, no long urls with tracking shit that is designed to make money off you without your knowledge.
On its surface, the latest category reshuffle by Club Carlson may not scream devaluation. But it sure is and I agree with the Lazy Traveler‘s take on it who suggests some hotels you should consider booking now before award prices go up.
…55 hotels are going up and 69 are going down in award category. Not too bad, right? Wrong! Because the numbers don’t matter. Let’s put it another way: 9 half-decent hotels in somewhat interesting locations are going up and zero are going down. That’s easier to understand, right?
Please, fellow bloggers, this is a devaluation. Stop calling it “category changes,” because it’s anything but. The only “silver lining” about this devaluation is that’s it’s limited in scope. And, oh, yes, it could’ve been worse. There’s always that.
Look, if you want to travel to some less known places in China, India and Turkey, you might like the new scheme, I’ll grant you that. And if Russia or Egypt are on your radar, they throw Moscow and Cairo into the mix, too.
This is one of the rites of passage in this hobby, flying the United Hopper. Just like doing the Maldives I guess. Amol then returns from Tokyo to Newark and reviews the United Polaris Business Class.
The most ridiculous law in every state. In Michigan: A statute on the books since 1931 makes adultery a felony — punishable by a maximum sentence of four years in prison and possibly a $5,000 fine.
With the market bloodbath going on, this is your must read personal finance blog post to read: The Morning After. Written on Tuesday morning after the biggest point drop in the Dow ever.
1. I don’t know. You don’t know. Nobody knows. The market turmoil of the past six trading days feels like a sea change after 2017’s remarkable calm. Our instinct is to try to divine what it means for the months ahead. But the reality is, nobody can forecast the stock market’s short-term direction.
This is a must read: Tackling the Internet’s Central Villain: The Advertising Business. One of my clients is in this industry and told me that it is about time! And she singled out this:
And for all its power, the digital ad business has long been under-regulated and under-policed, both by the companies that run it and by the world’s governments. In the United States, the industry has been almost untouched by oversight.
That Elon Musk guy wow and his rockets, now with a Tesla in one!
What an amazing giant flying octopus kite!
These are some of the best pictures I have ever posted in my blog. They are by Jakob Wagner, a German photographer currently based in Düsseldorf specializing in landscape, aerial, cityscape, industrial and fine art photography. Here is a take on 4 Cities on 4 Continents Around the World at Night. You can be blown away by more of them here.
In the conference I attended recently there was a mention of a technology war coming between China and the US. In our technologies. Lets take a look at the preview of it:
BLOG BUZZ
This section is for advanced level hobbyists and veteran blog readers & personal rants & stuff.
For Best Offers credit cards, click HERE
I am slowly inserting some of the “Best of Web” links I used to feature in separate posts in the posts I now do Monday, Wednesday and Friday. But some of them are really way too awesome to bury among them…so I am struggling and I need to keep the word to my wife to turn this baby into a hobby for real. So, what I am saying is, I may pop in here on a Tuesday or a Thursday once in a while to do a Best of Web links dump. Please don’t turn me in lol.
Or maybe just make my M/W/F posts longer and more solid than the crap you read every day… #developing
RIP the old Amex Blue Cash card app link, a staple for long time travel hackers, sad!(HT: Emily H.)
Loving this series at Milenomics answering readers’ questions! Brandon Asks: A luxury 6 night Honeymoon with decent flights out of Cincinnati? And I ask: Who is Brandon again?
MMS is becoming so annoying it may take over take TPG. At least you don’t see this and this over at TPG…I think. It’s not like I hang out at those places. If you write for them, you are doing it for the money. I wish you didn’t but….it’s a free country I guess.
To the reader who sent me a link to Emily’s home birth story…you are now banned for life here! Come on man, what did I do to you? The father’s name is Alfy which is unique like Stephanopoulos 😉
And I leave you with this…
TBB
travelbloggerbuzz@gmail.com
Follow TBB on Twitter @FlyerTalkerinA2
You can subscribe to TBB below, winners only!
Opinions expressed here are author’s alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, hotel, airline, or other entity. This content has not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of the entities included within the post.
First!
George, can you change your twitter avatar to a picture of you saying “Shhhh!” a la MMS?
That may happen way before I post one of me holding plastic. And smiling.
Maybe do a parody pic…you or better yet your wife, holding up a Kroger Plus card or something goofy like that…poorly photoshopped beside a Maldives overwater bungalow with a bottle of Krug in the other hand. Throw in a few random arrows and circles. Comedy gold, I tell ya!
The Starbucks card lol.
Perfect! 🙂
Sad First…
Me no like this 3 day a week posting. My Alexa rankings may collapse. Oh wait, per Ingy, they collapsed years ago.
But I must keep my word to my wife, Y’all hurry up and give me 9 more apps this month all right? Lol.
Anyway, I am still traumatized by Emily’s home birth story. I preferred seeing her holding beautiful cards like the gorgeous CSP.
Better get to work to earn my fees….had been so ridiculously easy seeing them portfolio values keep going up. Not supposed to be easy!
I am shocked not many bloggers have quit. And now both Milenomics and Lazy Traveler back at it. Those who sold early missed SO MANY CONVERSIONS, sad!
I need to find time today to look at where we stand with credit cards.
Son getting to Marrakech tomorrow, he promised me a trip report. We shall see. He better as I got him mega tax refunds by not claiming him as a dependent in our tax return and letting hi claim some tax credits along with his exemption and standard deduction.
Phuck, another snow day today in Ann Arbor. I am telling you the new school administrators are sooooo soft!
Gotta run. I miss you all.
Keep checking every day, think of my Alexa numbers. Woohoo!
Cant even get a first in my own blog!
Welcome back!
Just read an AWESOME post about an addict…I need to sneak around to make a post on a Tuesday or Thursday 🙂
You should a TBB Blogg AssKissers List
and place Doctor of Credit on the very top
Why is this blog still on the Like list?
Yeah, DoC links to blog that posts crap like this:
Comedian Tells Conan About Finding Poop in Her Blanket on Delta Airlines
He’s the worst at that. Such a shame.
And in between selling some plastic, DoC’s idol View From The Wing posts:
Seattle Flight Turns Around Because of Naked Passenger
Hey, helping readers not miss “required reading” for frequent travelers lol.
TBB included the clickbait biggest dow (point) drop ever!! You even went with calling it a bloodbath?! Come on man you are better than that it didn’t even crack the top 100 percentage drops.
I’m not even a fan but Jim Cramer said it best; something along the lines of when you see the news trucks lined up to cover the market open you know its time to buy.
I sort of like the Mileconomics reader ask segments, but Brandon Ask is a weird ass title.
What? Dude…I did not put that on the headline…THAT is clickbait, not a great article very relevant to what is going on. That was written after Monday night 🙂
Cramer = Buy Lehman…Why is anyone still interested on what this pschotic entertainer has to say is beyond me. He RUINED many people!
Yeah, who the hell is Brandon??? Love the series, such practical info in the thought process that takes place…but they must kill “Brandon Asks:” part of the title!
Ciao Buzz, please pass along the link on Emily Alfy. I am obsessed with all things Emily.
Yeah I’m curious now – must find out! ha
Don’t click it. You were warned!
You were right! Ugh, I just threw up in my mouth a little
Was the midwife paid with a Chase Sapphire Preferred card? 🙂
LOL I didn’t think it was too graphic. The big question is did she name her daughter after GoT???
I just visited the USA recently and your food is not so good. Perhaps Kraft Foods should change it’s name to Crap Foods.
CIAO, Silvio
Sylvio and Donald walk into a room…
Oh, maybe better not to go there 😉
I’ll start writing a day of content each week if you use this “hack” to send me in a week vacation each year…
https://amp.businessinsider.com/cb-insights-pays-for-employee-vacations-american-express-starwood-2018-2
Lol, good one!
Good content again today (says this backyard shed-dweller). Like Amol’s Island Hopper post – that’s still on my to-do list one of these days.
as an Ohioan I’m so glad to know I’ll be able to wipe my ass in a coal mine!
The one from NM on “idiots” not voting…it’s interesting and amusing how language changes.
I’m slowly working on family ancestry and in the old census forms (19th century for example) you had to indicate if the person was “deaf, dumb, blind, insane, idiotic, pauper, or convict”
I’ll remember the MO law in case I run into any bulls and want to castrate them! LMAO!
Loyalty Lobby was first with the SPG category changes…
copied already by One Mile at a Time
expecting View From The Wing to post about it by the time I hit “Post Comment”.
Meanwhile, Emily is on another run of selfies holding plastic…
Points, Miles and Martinis tells us all about a naked passenger…
and the mega pumper north of the border, the canadian kilometer guy, pumps metal credit cards…
meanwhile, mommy points sells plastic by suddenly telling us about some credit card benefits…
TPG posts about the First class singapore airlines award space which means it is gone by now!
Same bullshit in the blogosphere goes on…
I miss you guys.
I am thinking to start a “Sunday Best” post with all the best deeper Best of Web type links…
Thanks to the reader who got the Chase FU card here! 8 to go, lets do this! 🙂
Did you all notice how the pumpers, trying to sell the AA 60k cards, have done numerous posts about telling us about the rumor of them ending, that time is running out, you need to hurry, and now with “Hours remaining” by the One Card at a Time dude….
yikes
And did you see how FTG posted about….Oh, you didn’t? Neither did I! Does anyone care about that sad site anymore? What a legacy huh? Oh, hi Ingy!
I heard Emilys baby came out hold a CC. Pics to follow.
Is the positive global Trump effect on the stock market over?
He is focusing on the long term now lol.
You won’t find this on View from the Wing.
Not until Gary reads it here.
https://www.sfgate.com/travel/article/Hamster-flushed-Spirit-Airlines-student-12562111.php
will show up there any.minute.now Maybe Alan H. gets an HT again 🙂
Actually, it was Miles to Memories that posted about it first…with just one exclamation mark…
how annoying, wow!
I didn’t know the hamster got flushed. If I were a lawyer, I’d help that gal get a couple of their airplanes if her story holds up.
Followed right after that with, who else, Gary Leff and then the ghostwriter at One Mile at a Time lol.
Can’t wait for Doctor of Credit to link to that because, you know, required reading for frequent travelers…smh.
Hey guys….amazingly the Hilton Ascend card is being pumped suddenly in the blogosphere…Which only means the affiliate link became available. Here too, just fyi.
My bucket list checked off Bali, Israel, Venice, Paris, Macchu Pichu, the Great Wall, an Amtrak Roomette and others.
After reading about the island hopper, I now have a taste for it. Sadly, my wife won’t consider it.
Last.