We learn the rules of upgrades on United, ride on luxury trains, travel to Patagonia, freak out at The Chickening and lots more for your entertainment!
TBB Blog Mission: To Entertain. Educate. Inspire. In That Order!
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I saved the best for last…read all the way, you won’t be disappointed!
The Ultimate Guide to United Airlines Upgrade Rules. Travel Codex is on a major roll…while all the other blogs appear to be running out of gas!
6 Luxury Train Journeys. I almost did the Vancouver – Banff one a few years ago. One day I will do the Oriental Express.
This one made it to a few other blogs. But since the action is so…low, I am inserting it here because it is so weird. Supernatural Dolls Welcome Aboard Thai Planes with Child Ticket. What the hell??? Oh, with all the virus action lately, MERS is back in Thailand, you can google it!
25 bucket list items in Phoenix. Ok, I am going there for a conference in late May. And I could use some help. It looks like conference hotel (Sheraton Grand Phoenix) has no rooms with SPG points. Any great deals on nearby properties, preferably within walking distance/Uber $? Open to suggestions!
Amazing wingsuit flight, filmed with a Go Pro. WOW!!!
Riding out the Volatility. Written back in August at the last downturn which did not last long. Nobody knows how long this one will last.
Incredible photographs of Patagonia. Must click!
Tax dollars at work. Circular bridge with a view. Actually, not in Alaska but in, please sit down, Uruguay! Enjoy the view…I guess.
And now the freakiest short film you will ever see. The Chickening. Parody of The Shining. This is just FAR OUT film making! You will be left…speechless…and then take it out on my links for bringing something to you no other blogger will ever dare publish. #respect
And I leave you with this…
If there is one reader comment that just sums up nicely the travel hacking hobby is this one by “Raj“:
This is the state of the game now. All good information is shared privately so what does someone like FM do? There are no blogs with interesting info anymore because airlines and banks have gotten hip to the legions of people coming in trying to milk them for free stuff. I liked it more when I and only a few others milked them for free stuff 
So I went to have a chat with the friendly private banking folks looking to find out some information if it is worth the hassle of moving my checking accounts over so I can have special considerations to keep getting some Ultimate Rewards cards. Nope, not worth the hassle. I almost fell off my chair when the words “card churners” came out of her mouth #wow. I miss the good old days! I am slowly transforming this blog to appeal to a more general audience, more travel, more personal finance, more eclectic stuff.
I don’t give a crap about any livery of any airline!
Check your IHG credit cards for fraudulent charges!
HOLD IT!!! When I schedule a post I usually do not go back and edit it unless, well, I find it is something really important. So, to make my point, which Raj so eloquently made just above, you all stop and read this post by Personal Finance Digest: “I am become Death, the destroyer of Deals“. Which pretty much confirms that the 5 Alaska Airlines credit card deal was ruined by the infamous post (so many) at Million Mile Secrets. I am sure he and Emily are nice folks but you won’t see THIS blogger going to Namibia with him in your lifetime. Hell NO! Back then I almost did that Friday interview myself…If I had done it, how could I look myself in the mirror ever again? STAND for something! Some bloggers have made a stand and it is ALL money. We scrape by here for a few clicks and we are all so darn proud of every single one we get so thank you for helping us out and the intern who moonlights digging tunnels lol. And PFD gets something else right…this darn reselling thing is a job! And I have…two already bwahahaha!
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TBB
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Up and at ’em, folks.
Gold!
Yep, blogging is indeed a job, albeit a fun one, which is another reason I’m not really into reselling.
2nd.
My job is less fun than this blogging job these days but…it is the price we all pay for better times when the market comes back 🙂
It’s more fun when I get trolls to go off and let me know about my plunging Alexa ranking numbers lol.
Is the drunkard back? Whats his handle this time?
Who are you referring to? 🙂
Gifting my gold and silver status for today. What are the benefits of bronze status, George?
Bronze gets no bennies, it has been devalued. Silver is the new Bronze….Hilton style, stay tuned…this is what happens when your dog can get Diamond Elite Status for free 🙂
If you have TBB Bronze, Hilton will status-match you to Blue.
Yep, pretty much 🙂
The Chickening is some of the best filmmaking I seen in years! Thank you for posting this hilarious video.
Reselling seems like work to me, I already got a full time gig. VGCs to MOs seems a bit more ‘civilized’.
Cheers,
PedroNY
Yeah, The Chickening is just mind blowing indeed! And Shining is one of my favorite movies…and it is the reason I clicked on it in the first place!
There is a blogger who pretty much blogs about their MS weekly activities and…I am shaking my head.
While FM follows up the Necker posts with…the United Prosper (NOT) deal…which should not even be brought up so a lazy newbie who does not read the whole post does not go for it thinking it is recommended.
We are all scrambling for content…I post The Chickening.
This is how I roll 🙂
Looking at the content from these “travel” blogs off late, I get a feeling that at least 1 Titan will fold up this year taking at least a dozen small blogs with him. TBB will last for some more years 🙂
P.S. If all the “travel” bloggers can come up with yearly predictions, why can’t I as a reader, huh 😉
By the way George, we need to get together to prepare that proposal to acquire the Titan when it is up for sale, and share it with our boss once we dig his way out.
How about TBB buying a Titan blog?
I should have a contest which Titan folds first! Winner gets…FIRST—>Gold here for a whole week! #BIG
I am sensing there will be a lot of blogs that give up this year and next…
I am buying…but as a value investor the price must be really low
Ok, dirt cheap!
I am sending the intern home today, he bitches about his hurting back, what a lazy bum he is…Amazon link has been pretty silent all month long, WTF! Oh wait, Christmas was in December…that month was the best!
Former ~20 year resident of the Valley (Surface) of the Sun dweller. That would be PHX to most of you. Disclaimer: I left for the tropics ~15 years ago but do go back to visit from time-to-time, just NEVER EVER between 01 May and 15 September. Waaaaay too f’ing hot!
Sorry they scheduled your conference between those dates TBB!
In downtown PHX there is a Westin (never stayed there — homey don’t do SPG). The Hyatt takes good care of Diamonds — ask for a mountain view room. Avoid the revolving restaurant on top except for cold adult beverages (no matter what the linked McUSAToday “paper” says).
Also a couple of Marriott properties nearby — probably a Uber ride? Depends on how you handle the heat! Homey also don’t do Marriotts but guess they’re an option.
Lots of restaurants in the downtown area — Durant’s truly is an institution but there are better steakhouses scattered around if you’re looking for carne de res.
PHX now has a light rail and you can actually go from the airport to downtown via public transit. Quite a concept. Pro tip: don’t rent a car at the airport — the fees will kill ya as the gubmint decided to stick it to tourists to build the various sports facilities. If you want to get out and about, rent downtown or off-airport.
One can also take the light rail into Tempe — Mill Avenue is worth a visit if only for the “vibe” (read: co-eds! 😉 ) of Arizona State University (ASU). Lots of restaurant options there.
Thank you so much for the feedback, took some notes!
Hey Buzz,
If you had done that Friday interview, what would your advice have been on the most surprising way you’d earned miles? Would it have been… credit card sign ups?
I think that sections is overwritten with “credit card sign ups” link, link, link and exclamation marks 🙂
best blog i bumped on……keep good work 🙂
Thank you, been at it for over three years…it all started as a joke…and still is 🙂
Buzz did you read today’s MMS post…Jet Set to Jaipur: Part 7 – Shopping in Jaipur and the Hunt for Lacquer Jewelry….BUZZ, It made me cry like a baby (just like the ending of the movie, RUDY).
I am out of tears…I skipped it 🙂
Where did you get that GIF of Megyn Kelly opening a bottle of champagne with a knife? She came close to cutting her finger off! That GIF would of went viral for sure.
If it was Krug some Titans will be licking it all up….
oh…wait…maybe that came off as an inappropriate joke…
remember that crazy gal here a long time ago, accusing me of being the worst misogynistic mfer….think she came close to rapist or something….bet you she votes for Huck-a-bee.
One day I want to take a selfie of me pouring the effing Krug down the sink (maybe toilet?) aboard an F shower flight somewhere over,…say….Qatar lol.
wasn’t that MommyPoints?…………………………….. just kidding, her husband might kick my ass
but I do remember that crazy b.aaatch
For a social scientist, this conclusion is bad causal inference.
For a lawyer, this conclusion is based on inadmissible heresay.
Still my favorite MMS post:
http://millionmilesecrets.com/2012/11/29/how-to-skip-airport-security-lines/
Not for the fuzzy ethics on display, but for the chldish “I got an A in ethics at the Kellogg School!”
Nobody cares about academics or lawyers. Those types of arguments were sufficient to go to war against Iraq. Just ask the Chalabi-connected Iraqi defector “Curveball.” or my favorite orator, Donald Rumsfeld
“We know where they are [Iraq’s weapons of mass destruction]. They’re in the area around Tikrit and Baghdad and east, west, south and north somewhat.”
Oh yeah I remember that MMS post….I was at WalMart and had to call the cleaning lady to clean up Aisle 3 🙂
But waaaaait, I am sure they are really so nice in person. That argument always made me…want to take a shower.
Oh, Donald. What’s up with the Donalds lately? Anyways, this Donald has made a, please sit down, a solitaire game app!!!! Unbelievable. That dude reminded me of the Greek former Finance Minister…complete bufoons who think they are just awesome and they lecture everybody. Amazing….
I have most of tomorro’s post done, phew!
Buzz,
Isn’t the Wounded Warrior Project that Trump is gonna now get some attention for the same charity that Rick Ingersoll supports? NYTimes (you know, that commie rag) says they spend 40% of their on “overhead”.
To tie things together in your post, I believe that gif of the champagne flying was part of the “overhead”.
🙁
“Wounded Warriors”, u know, veterans…it gets clicks!
Don’t get me started 🙂
Thanks for the prime mention in the blog today! I’d be more thankful if it weren’t true.
I would like PFD to give me some of his millions in affiliate income for creating a blog post based on my comment. At the least, he should transfer over some Hawaiian miles.
He can buy my intern for a few Hawaiian miles….He is cheap but worth it 🙂
Almost forgot to say hello here today.
Hello.
😀
Hola 🙂