I just wanted to write up a quick shout out to anyone who voted for me as “Best Travel Hacker of 2013”. This is probably the closest thing to an official award in the frequent flyer community for bloggers and I was honored just to be nominated for this category. So needless to say, I was very pleased to find out the results from Travel-Summary on twitter.
It’s even more incredible to me that I’m even on the same list with Ben, Gary, Daraius and Scott. All great bloggers whom I respect and who have been helpful in my blogging.
Anyways, thanks again to Travel-Summary for nominating me and hosting it.
Thanks to readers for all of you who voted. And a special thanks to all you who read this blog and support us by sharing the content you enjoy. The site has come a long way in 2013 in terms of readership. And we’re very grateful to be able to share our travel experiences while we travel.
I mean… that’s it. Just thanks. I sincerely appreciate all the people who have connected to the blog here and here’s to an even better 2014.
But for a moment let’s look back into 2013.
I made two lists this month that do just that:
- Best posts of 2013 on United Miles
- Best posts of 2013 (not United miles related)
These lists will kind of recap some of the ideas I was able to contribute last year.
And there are two more lists that are more of our personal travels:
- Our Last Two Years of Travel in Pictures
We’re proud of pictures, so check em out. Everything from Temples to Safaris in 74 pictures. - The 12 Best Hotels We Didn’t Pay For in 2013
Okay, so all that to say… I want to keep innovating in 2014 but I want to know your opinions on directions. Please comment below helping me with the following:
- What is your favorite travelisfree.com post?
Like what did you bookmark, or what did you share with others? If you could let me know… that would be awesome. (If you have the link that could help too). - What would you like to see more of?
- Should I continue to write about United tricks?
My feeling was that I should get the United posts out before the devaluation… but how many people are still going to be interested in the tricks after? (Maybe I’m asking how many people don’t care about economy). I figure post devaluation is a good time to branch out into other airlines more, but should I continue the United series or start a new one with post-devaluation prices?
The reason I ask is simply so I can do an even better job this year. I really want to give great content. I’m a quality of quantity kind of person. (Although if people who appreciate quantity, maybe I should view it as a quality (huh?)).
Ya’ll are champs! Thanks again!
Congrats Drew!
I have learned a lot from you as much as the other bloggers. The Latin Hopper & the IHG BRGs post have helped a great deal. Keep up the great work!
The reason that I prefer your blog over the others mentioned (which I do follow) is that you generally have primarily complicated content for experienced frequent travelers. In my RSS reader, I have travel blogs divided into three categories: Hard, Medium, Easy. Your blog definitely falls in the hard category. Also, the fact that you travel continuously and at a much lower budget than the others is interesting to me.
While you may not be a credit card shill like some other blogs, I make an effort to support you by signing up through your links whenever possible as you produce fantastic content.
Thanks Ben for your support and feed back!
Glad to hear that you appreciate the harder content. I get a little selfconscious that I’m “too far in the forest” as they say.
I didn’t know about this, but I would have voted if I had! Congrats to both of you for great BUDGET oriented blogs, and including fun stuff to do, not just pics about whatever luxury business product you’re promoting. I’m more interested in the experiences one you get there, your blog helps one figure out how to do it.
If I had more business class products to promote… I might. :-p But yea, I’m with ya. It’s about the experience in the destination for me.
As always, thanks for reading Dizzy. Hope to meet up someday.
I vote to keep up the posts on United tricks! It’s such a big airline that many of us will still continue using it, and with the wonky award chart that massively devalues premium cabins on partners, we might need help looking for ways to minimize that impact.
Good points, maybe it’s more reason to look for tricks. 😉
Congratulations. I too like the blog, though I also read the others as well, and certainly benefit from them too. You have some useful unique content, which I appreciate. I don’t mind the others’ dozens of posts and pictures on luxury lounges and first class cabins. I just don’t pay any attention to them. Your content generally demands attention.
Thanks Dave. Certainly appreciate the compliment.
You penned a great blog last year, and you deserve it! Carrie’s blog now also complements what you are both trying to do very well. You have the analytics, she has the touch. Thank you for all you have given me!
Awesome, thanks Rick. Carrie is actually a great writer and quick witted… although she’s a little afraid of the big bad voices of the internet, while I’m starting to get thicker skin. So I’ll pass on the kind words.
Carrie is a great writer! She also adds the relaxed experience of a traveller who absorbs, and then reflects on, her surroundings. It lends a nice touch to this community – it makes it real. So many other blogs just write about this or that fine hotel or plane seat – hell, the seats and hotels all blend together to the point where I wonder of they know anything about the culture they are visiting.
Have you thought about marching your 2 sites? I think you complement each other very well.
Whoops… Typos above… The key one is that marching should be merging. Have you thought about merging your 2 sites?
And I am Rick, not Rock.
Congrats! Well deserved. Perhaps you’re a fan favorite because you and Carrie are down to earth, everyday type people. I enjoy the tricks on lowering miles required to fly to different regions (i.e. powerful zones).
Thanks Todd!
Will definitely look to continue to add value in finding ways to lower prices… also for myself. 😀
You do have good content. For explanation, if you can use a lot more diagram and arrow, it would have been easier to understand. Once again, congratulation.
Thanks for the feedback. I should certainly be less lazy and take the time to add visuals! A little bit of time could go a long ways in that direction. Maybe I should put a sticky on my computer that says “be more visual!”… not joking… that’s not a bad idea.
Anyways, thanks.
I recently started reading your blog and really like the content. the most powerful zone post was the one that got me hooked on your site. I appreciate that you don’t always go for premium cabins and (seem to) prefer getting the most trips/ flights out of your miles
Thanks Michael. Admittedly, the Most Powerful Zone post is the one I’m most proud of. So maybe I should just write what I find helpful.
I like your “traveling style” and your willingness to share some complex ideas. I also appreciate that you don’t “push products”.
I’d like to see more “small tricks” in the future. (Like, how best to use Twitter in this hobby.) Also, posts that help you organize the “thought process” for redeeming miles. (E.g., if I want to go to A or B, what do I need to figure out first, second, third in redeeming points and determining itinerary)
Yea… The other day I just barely mentioned that I use google calendar. And then I started thinking, that’s actually huge. Like when I learned how to set up alerts before the cancelation deadline, I actually saved money… simply because I would book mistake fares and forget about them, and then forget to cancel.
So perhaps I should pay more attention to my daily routing.
Anyways, thanks Bluecat. Always appreciate your comments.
Congrats Drew!! You deserve this over the others. No CC pushing/spamming and quality information without sacrificing morals/ethics. My favorite posts have to be all of the United posts and also the posts involving massive hotel points. Would definitely love to see more of those.
Maybe start some posts about post-devaluation, but to be honest I think most of your loyal readers care most about more frequent trips/more stops over a quality seat. I’d rather go on 2 trips than 1 in a larger seat and feeling VIP. You get to the same place anyway!!
Keep it up Drew!!
Thanks Jason. Maybe I’ll take down the scheduled post on “top 30 credit cards for dog owners”????? :-p
To answer your question I have http://travelisfree.com/2013/06/18/best-use-of-british-airways-avios/ bookmarked as it is one of the most thorough explanations out there. You really took the time to break it all down. Not to say other bloggers haven’t done so as well, I just prefer your methods and explanation I guess.
Great to know. I’ve been thinking about doing more posts like this. Best uses and complete guides kinda things.
I really don’t want to provide input here, because the reason you are one of my favorite blogs is that you show me things that are interesting that I didn’t even know I was looking for. I’d prefer for you to continue to curate what you find interesting, and if I see that it’s content I’ve learned elsewhere, I and other readers will let you know, but to this point you have the most original content out there!
Oh, and the posts I saved, among others:
http://travelisfree.com/2013/12/27/complete-guide-to-united-routing-rules/
http://travelisfree.com/2013/03/26/avoid-fuel-surcharges-when-using-british-airways-avios-choosing-the-right-airline/
http://travelisfree.com/2013/06/07/how-to-use-priceline/
http://travelisfree.com/2013/06/07/how-to-use-priceline/
Sweet. Thanks for the good feedback.
Yea, my goal is not to post things that you would the same on 10 other blogs. Not saying there isn’t value in covering deals, there is! It’s just kinda locked down by the bigger guys. So says me.
Your blog is one of the newer blogs I’ve been following. What I like is that you are a budget traveler. My family of five are flying together for the first time this spring on miles and points. While I prefer luxury hotels, that’s not always affordable. I’m interested in maximizing the miles and points that I have for domestic family travel. One of the posts I enjoyed the most was the BRG post. Also, more info on renting cars for cheap would be great!
Right maybe more in general on a holistic view of the trip. Kind of like bluecat asking for smaller details instead of always doing a series on United routes.
So, yea. Thanks for the feedback. Definitely have no other choice but to be a budget traveler. lol
Rats, I missed it! I was on my FREE Disney vacation with my 10 other family members – yeah, the one you helped me plan for! I would have voted a million times! Thanks again for all you do! My favorite blog! I hooked you to my blog that I am starting up again…do you have a button for your blog? I could only link you by your website. thefrugaldiymom.blogspot.com 🙂
Hah 😀 Well I think you can only vote once but I’m happy with the win I had. :-p
Thanks Erin. Very glad to hear the fam made it down there. And 10 of you none the less! That’s freaking awesome.
A button… like a logo or like a banner thing? I hadn’t thought about it yet.
I have figured out a couple of things but am well short of your level. People who ask me for advise are sent to some of the newbie centered sites for the most basic earning principles and then here once they graduate from baby food. If anything, the occasional more-basic post might make your advanced content more accessible, but otherwise I say keep it up. Oh, and stay cheap, so there are still two of us!
By goal this year is for you to send newbies to my site without my homepage content being covered with ads and unoriginal content! :-p
Yea, I know a lot of people have said that I need to back up an explain the thing that leads to the thing I’m explaining.
I was born cheap. 😀
1. The Most Powerful Zone Concept is probably my favorite post. Also, I like the post where you wrote a summary of award routing rules.
2. What I would like to see is answers to those frequent flyer puzzles that you gave last fall. I’m stumped. Also, I would appreciate a post about a comprehensive listing of some of the major frequent flyer programs, and which redemptions do and don’t have fuel surcharges (especially Aeroplan, ANA Mileage Club, Korean Air Skypass, and Virgin Atlantic). Sometimes a redemption on one airline in a certain frequent flyer program might not have fuel surcharges, and a redemption on a different airline in the same frequent flyer program does have fuel surcharges. I would like to know the details of that.
3. Please keep up the United posts post-devaluation, and please also write about economy awards.
Great comment. Thanks much! The comment gives me a good place to start on some of the ideas I’ve had recently.
And yea, I’ve been meaning to finish that United thing. Have an idea for that but have a lot on the plate. Will get to it… eventually.
Stay tuned!
I voted because your blog is amazing. Infact I came across your blog because of travelsummary. Not that you have crowned american as the best airline i expect to see more of tricks and sweet spots for them. Also I had a question. Do point stays count towards Big win ?
Thanks Abhishek! Am planning on an AA post for Feb 1st! … the deval date of United. Trying to be somewhat symbolic. lol
No, points stays don’t trigger IHG promos.
I really like your IHG and United posts…was able to book a ticket to South Africa that costs $4000, so thanks for that! I would love to hear more about IHG earning on steroids (one of my favorites) and hotels. American posts would be nice because off peak awards are kind of a great use of miles. I am really looking for a source for college travel too, that is not your forte really, so maybe ill just have to start it on my own! But a poor college student perspective would be nice. But I guess that goes with the $12,000/year concept. Regardless, thanks!
Also, more on mistake hotel fares…I want a calendar like yours!
Awesome. Glad to hear it Andrew. And good feedback.
Hmm… I’m pretty far removed from the college… anything. But my budget is similar! lol Does that count?
Congratulations, you got my vote.
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What happened to the newsletter?
I just wrote a post explaining that. But will be out monday.
wow- I just discovered your site (by googling ‘open jaw united southeast asia’) I’m soooo glad I found you just in time for the raise in those miles required for the flights. I originally was going to just book a trip to/from Bangkok but all this information I’ve gotten tonight has thrown me in for a total loop. I want to take advantage of the 65,000 SE Asia as best as possible- for late 2014. I’m up for a great adventure! I’m thinking Africa might be a do-able side trip… I welcome any suggestions.
Drew, thank you SO much for sharing your tips and insights. Such great information and ideas- I so appreciate this website! I’ve checked out your wife’s website as well- great stuff there, too. But first, gotta get this trip booked TOMORROW (Feb 3).
aiiiiiii!
best, Casey
Hey Casey! Very glad you found the site and glad to hear the site has been helpful.
Sooo. Did you get anything booked? Let me know how it went!
Drew