As someone who’s traveling full time I’m necessarily interested in travel content online. As someone living in hotels and either earning or redeeming points daily, a thorough understanding of loyalty programs is crucial. Blogs (and to a lesser extent podcasts and YouTube) can be quite helpful in pointing out loopholes and sweet spots or just understanding the business of loyalty programs from the corporate side.
But they can also really get on your nerves! Perhaps the most annoying thing in this space are the near-ubiquitous twin assumptions that everyone should chase maximum value and that the best way to get value is from aspirational redemptions.
Everyone travels differently. For myself, an earn-and-burn strategy and receiving the maximum number of nights and flights for free is much more beneficial than chasing the overwater villas and the Etihad Apartments.
The Points and Miles Credit Card Pushers
Most points and miles sites earn the bulk of their income from credit card affiliate links. Banks are willing to spend a ludicrous amount on customer acquisition. In addition to handing out a welcome bonus to the consumer it’s nothing for them to pay a site owner a few hundred dollars for each approved referral.
When a points and miles blog is your full time job, you end up crafting whole pages of content centered around the links. This might take the form of an overview of a card’s benefits, or a comparison of two similar cards. You also end up rushing to be the first to post about a bank’s new card or increased offer. Many of these sites are functionally nothing more than PR engines for the various banks, airlines and hotels they cover. While this can alert you to great deals, over the long run the reader is poorly served. Reading the site regularly brings diminishing returns on your time and interest.
As a traveler, you should take it upon yourself to be familiar with the benefits of each card you hold. Know the landscape of loyalty programs generally. But once you’ve mastered the basics it’s fine to go on autopilot and just occasionally scroll headlines on Boarding Area. There’s only four large banks, three domestic airlines and about half a dozen hotel chains you need to be aware of. It’s not brain surgery.
The Extreme Couponers
When sites go into aspects of the points and miles hobby beyond welcome bonuses they get into the weeds quickly. I came to your blog because I’m interested in travel. I don’t want to squeeze an extra 2% out of comparing a product in six different shopping portals. I’m not going to get the Ink Business just to buy gift cards at Staples. And stop telling me to pay my rent with the damn Bilt card. It ain’t gonna happen.
You should sign up for the loyalty program every time you fly or stay. Brands offer valuable promotions to their loyalty members. But belonging to a program shouldn’t be a main consideration when you’re going to book. Let’s say you earn 1000 points for a hotel night. The points are worth $8 but the competing property nearby is available for $30 less on Expedia. It doesn’t take a genius to see where the value is.
Points and Miles Aviation Geeks
If you ever see a blogger refer to an airline’s “product” close the window and don’t look back. You’re about to be bored to death. Points bloggers all share an obsession with business class. Many of them are booking longer flights just to stay on the plane longer. They want you to know every detail of the experience down to which airline has the fluffiest pajamas.
To me, and to most of the traveling public, a flight is something to be endured. Granted it’s a whole lot easier to endure in the Q Suites than a middle seat in the back. But most of us travel to get to where we’re going, not because we want to enjoy a plane ride. The inside baseball of the aviation industry is of little interest to the general traveler.
Similarly with hotels, points and miles sites write thorough and detailed reviews. The problem is if you’re thinking about staying at the Park Hyatt New York, you don’t need a review to tell you it’s nice. The traveler looking to book a room is much better served by a review of the $100 hotel they’re on the fence about. It’s bonkers that some bloggers are flying around the world to write reviews and not spending any time in the city they’re visiting.
Then there’s the airport lounge reviews. Bro, it is a waiting room. Yes there’s a bar and a buffet but you’re reviewing a damn waiting room. Showing off your access just comes off as smug.
They’re All Just Giant Dorks
If I don’t want to hang out with someone in real life, why would I follow their blog online? People in the points and miles world are generally pleasant and friendly. But they’re also a large collection of coupon clippers, Disney adults, and soccer moms. For readers, points and status represent a brief respite from ordinary suburban life. If your job only gives you two weeks vacation it’s not hard to save enough points to fill that time.
Initially I thought if I was going to do the traveling, I might as well do the blogging as well. But it didn’t take too long to realize I don’t want to be a travel blogger. I want to have a personal blog about living in hotels. That’s what this site is.
