It’s a fact, the industry reads the blogs. Some companies hire people to read the blogs for such content. Thus, blogging about secrets is really good for clicks and really bad for the deals.
Let me tell you one thing, no one who shares deals on a blog post is doing it because it’s charity, it’s not. More people will lose the deal forever, than people who gain in the meantime – 99% of the time, it’s true.
But secrets grow by email, twitter, in person and even on flyertalk, but they are somewhat coded. So unfortunately this means networking can be important. I say unfortunately because people don’t have the time to make it to events… but you can also make those connections on flyertalk, trust me. Just be active, and make friends.
But here it is, here is the reason on I don’t kill deals:
Because I travel.
No offense to ya’ll, but my travels are more important than my blog.
And in all honesty, my blog was born out of my love for travel.
But if you did not know, we are full time travelers. The two of us will probably get to 6 continents this year and spend 300 nights a year in hotels. To be honest, secret deals are more important to me than I would post online.
Thus, I don’t kill deals because I actually use them. People who kill deals, do not care about them. They don’t. They haven’t used them, and don’t care much if they are gone.
If a deal dies, I may end up paying because of it. So why would I ruin it? I want to protect deals because I love this hobby.
It has nothing to do with whether or not I’ve founded the deal, it has to do with whether or not I care about the hobby.
But to disprove this BS that bloggers are saviors of the niche, share deals offline. Do it. Share it with friends (who know how to keep a secret) and apparently don’t share the good ones with bloggers (except for me 😉 ).
Gary Leff (who loves the hobby) has always said that he would never post a deal that isn’t facing certain death. Gary, Ben, Seth… they live the hobby and they don’t kill deals. And even if it did payout for a little bit, they would lose two lifelong readers for every one they gained. I mean, really, those blogs haven’t really been blowing the lid and Gary and Ben have die-hard/lifelong readers.
But because these guys live it they don’t kill deals. And because I live it I don’t kill deals. I can’t help but think that the deals that get publicized, the poster has never used the deal. You can tell most of the time.
Anyways, that’s the reality, all deals die, yes – but some not for a very, very long time. I can’t believe how long some have lasted. Unbelievable. How dumb are they?
So share. Just in a responsible way. Off public spaces or coded well enough that it’s not super obvious.
Find me on twitter @travelisfree and dm me. 😉
Tell your friends.
I always share the best mistake fares with my friends. Tomorrow I meet them in Mexico because of it. We go to Milan in a few months because of it. We were planning a trip to Guam because of it…
Tell your family.
You know, a lot of people genuinely believe they can’t afford to travel. Or it’s just intimidating. But say, “here’s a $5 ticket, do you want to go?” and it takes down the wall for people. Suddenly they worry less.
But don’t let bloggers be the only way people find deals. Some are undeserving and haven’t done the work… but they are lucky to have you as a friend.
For those of you who want to know how to FD (which is a simple concept once you learn it), and how to find goodies, you need to do the work. If you’re reading this post, you have the ability. But be patient. I was in this game fulltime (and I mean fulltime) for two years before my first mistake fare. And if you saw the post with my calendar, I think I could do one a week right now if I wanted to.
The games a little be like magic, as I imagine when someone says “hey I want to be a magician too” the master doesn’t give all his secrets away. It’s like anything really. You learn over time.
Be patient.
And that’s another thing, the money is in the newbies. So spoon feeding and killing a deal might get the right readers to your site. And see even if it decreases the longevity of the site, it’s good for the short run.
If you share big secrets with me I don’t post them here because:
1) I wouldn’t break your trust. I believe in coming up with my own good content. Not using someone else’s. Hopefully I’ve done that. Hopefully you saw that in my last post.
2) I wouldn’t do that, because I live this hobby. I love this community and I love this crazy game.
Anyone who thinks he’s sharing it but is decreasing the lifespan may be financially motivated, or doesn’t care, or hasn’t lived through enough deals killed. But it’s not for the good of us. It will benefit a few, for sure. But not more.
![Nick of FM on #40kFarAway [TIF Podcast]](https://travelisfree.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/travel-is-free-podcast-nick-40K-120x86.jpg)
Bravo.
Thanks.
It’s pretty clear to me that all readers can choose what they want to read and essentially ‘vote’ with their support by using a certain bloggers affiliate links. If you don’t like what someone is saying, don’t support them. That is really all you can do.
Finally a refreshingly honest post about all of this.
Thanks scibuff.
I like your thoughts on the deals and completely agree, the only deals, that are worth posting openly are things like discounts and deals via credit cards, such as Amex sync offers, or big points opportunities that have short life spans regardless. I did recently enjoy your email and look forward to many interesting opportunities in the future.
Thanks hdawg. There are indeed many opportunities out there.
Agree, key word is “openly”. I’m all for sharing.
with all due respect you have a nice blog here but if you don’t post deals then people will look to sites which do and those sites will prosper
There’s a huge difference between posting about a good deal (i.e. 90K US to North Asia) and posting about clear loopholes that will be gone quickly if a major blogger ever publicizes it, solely in the name of increasing traffic or affiliate clicks
This is a hobby to Drew, Gary, Lucky etc. It’s a business to TPG, MMS, MV etc.
It was never about the hobby to them. They’re doing what they do solely for their own personal benefit, not to “help the masses”. Not necessarily anything wrong with treating it as business first, hobby second…. just don’t insult your readers intelligence with the type of BS that MV is spewing about “improving the welfare”
So, you disparage bloggers who kill deals because they are selfish money grubbers. But freely admit you don’t expose deals because it might affect you directly – which is just as selfish.
As I see it, the guys who share the “secrets” have the higher moral ground.
I certainly can’t and shouldn’t say who it’s a hobby for and isn’t. I assume most guys get into this as a hobby. For me it’s still MORE of a hobby than a “business”. And I can’t claim to know that for other people either. But one can certainly assume that if they enjoy and use a trick and want others to use it… they wouldn’t want to contribute to its death.
But I think most of the bloggers I’ve met have been genuine – even if they do make money. I’ve never met TPG, but I honestly think that Daraius would have an issue knowing he misled someone regarding an offer. I’ll be darned if he doesn’t care about his readers. So sometimes disagreeing with someone can cause unfair judgments.
Either way, I agree that there’s a huge difference in posting about deals and killing them.
…But he does post “deals.” He just doesn’t tell you that doing A=B like some blogs do, but instead teaches you how to find them and how it works, which in my opinion is much better information.
Thanks Jason,
I did not try to communicated that I want to with hold information, but… just not kill deals. lol.
I really, hope the info is still there, just in a different way.
With all due respect, I’ve learned more from this blog than from any other. Just because you are not spoon-fed here, doesn’t mean the information shared is not incredible useful…..and this is coming from a newbie.
Thanks Mark! Good to hear. 😀
Maybe your right… But it will benefit no one except that blogger. I promise.
RE: Guam
You talking the Guam en espanol mileage deal, or some sort of mistake fare that was killed? Sorry, haven’t been keeping up lately.
LM at MV is what Drew’s referring to here, and he’s right.
He’s talking about the douche extraordinare at Valueless Miles
I hold you and MileValue in the same esteem in terms of bloggers, and I am sure it isn’t a coincidence that you both are addressing this today, however i can’t really support your point of view, especially given the tone, milevalue has a better point of view on the subject in my opinion. I respect that you don’t want to hurt your “livelihood” but everything about that idea is contrary to having a blog and contrary to the concept of the internet in general. Information is designed to be shared. Not everyone can afford to spend all day searching FT, nor would i want to because everyone on that site seems like an elitist. They feel so cool that they know information. I just need sites and people that will give a summary of what is going on in the world, and if it is something that interests me, then i will take the time to do more research. More importantly, there are way too many voices on the internet for the blogging community to ever come to an agreement on proper protocol for things like this, so you having a strong stance on the matter vs. someone else like milevalue, will only decrease your readership, vs. his increasing. Either you care about having a blog and wanting to keep people informed or you don’t. I have always found a lot of information on your site extremely useful, so your stance on this won’t sway me one way or the other, but at the end of the day, no one can know something until it is taught or experienced and no one can have experience, if someone doesn’t provide the opportunity. No one is just born with the knowledge, so for you or anyone to learn about something and decide that information shouldn’t travel any further than you, is selfish and elitist. Hey that’s just my opinion, which doesn’t account for much.
Ah Drew, this post really…. puzzles. As much as I like you and Carrie, I’m inclined to be with Ron here — though no doubt that’s from a clueless state of consciousness.
So you share deals with your friends, but not with your…. loyal readers, er, those of us not yet attuned enough to be able to decipher the codes.
I also don’t comprehend quite the argument that you don’t post secret this or that because you don’t want to kill the deals…… and yet you do want us to tell our friends. Tell ’em what, exactly? that you and your private friends are doing just swell? (but the rest of us must suffer as we must because we’re not on your inner circle?)
And if you weren’t doing this blog to earn at least some funds to help finance your hobby, why again are you doing it?
Will and Ron,
Thank you both for polite and thoughtful responses.
It was not long ago that AirFareWatchDog posted one of the best fuel dump strikes known in the community. Within HOURS the strike was no longer.
It benefited no one and yet many lost a trick.
Many tricks if posted here (and on other bigger blogs) would be pulled because most major companies are watching.
Trust me when I say that a blogger who turns in a trick for cash, is not doing it for you but will turn you in like a cheap trick as well. Not only will the deal be lost for more than it gained, but you will be sold intensely with urgent headlines a BS deal or two.
Sure the trick was growing in popularity more and more people found out off the blogs. But it wasn’t until it was posted on the blogs that it was killed.
Telling my friends offline about a trick is not nearly the same.
Similarly, has my newsletter not been full of unique content? If not, I’ve missed the mark I was aiming for. Sharing about finding mistake fares, earning miles for free, free night tricks, etc… In your email and away from the search engine.
I’ve tweeted and posted on facebook mistake fares. Sure the life expectancy is short for those anyways.
Have I not given original and unique content on routing tickets and other tricks online?
And I do share real tricks anyways, all the time. Not just in the newsletter but in my email wich is constantly full. Which I love. And when I see someone and think “this would really benefit them” I don’t keep it to myself. I have skyped or emailed with readers after emails just to walk them through tricks, tickets, deals, etc…
And yes, it would benefit me more in some ways to post the tricks. Pageviews = cash in the blogosphere. But I do not cheapen my audience or my site this way.
No not everyone can spend all day on FT but it comes around. And if you can read a blog you can read an email. You can send an email.
Plus, it just comes around.
I’ve seen how these deals grow. 10 people tell two people. And those 20 tell two people, and so on and so on. By the time someone with no love for this game finds out about it to blow it anyways, chances are it’s been around a while.
If in the end, I’ve failed at having original info and keeping people informed… then I’ll do better. But don’t think you’ll benefit from all the info being on the home page – imo. And so, why put it on the home page?
Sincerely,
Drew
Sorry Drew, but that’s a pathetic rationalization. As the other Ron pointed out, your excuse for not sharing with readers (but friends and family are fair game), is totally selfish. You are taking the moral low ground.
Well, agree to disagree.
Because 1) As I said, sharing is mostly detrimental. Just because you didn’t know about it and now do, doesn’t mean that A) you wouldn’t have found out in a non deal killing manner. and B) that more people wouldn’t have gotten in on the deal if it lived longer.
2) Because it’s profitable for the blogger. So if you say it’s selfish of me for not sharing the deals, then… you’re missing the cash benefit from the blogger.
Either way, I’m not against sharing info. I just keep it away from google.
What do you, and the others going after Drew, not get about the fact that once things like this are highly publicized on blogs, they usually cease to exist and then help no one? People are giving MileValue credit for trying to “help his readers”, when in reality what he’s really doing is trying to get attention, like Lindsay Lohan going out to the club without panties on. If he publicizes a deal that in turn gets taken away, who benefits besides him?
Drew, hopefully you didn’t take my critique as a personal attack, because it wasn’t. Just debating a different point of view, with a complete understanding that my opinion is not going to change yours. You’re still the first travel blog I visist on a daily basis, so keep up the good work.
I rather enjoy when people disagree simply because it makes the comments more interesting. :-p lol
So, don’t worry about it. But honestly, I do appreciate hearing that it’s a site you follow.
Thanks for reading,
Drew
Thanks!
This is why you are my new favorite blogger. Keep up the good work!
😀 Thanks Jessica. Hope not to let you down.
Drew
Drew, Although I wish I had access to these mistake fares before they are dead I understand why they aren’t posted. Your sight has given us great knowledge on how to maximize our miles and we have refined our travels because of it. Simply put we consider your site as the best!
Thanks Andrew,
That means a lot to me. I hope the deals come your way though.
@Drew,
Its not about killing deals. Unless the deals are too good airlines won’t spend their time behind fixing it immediately. IMHO bloggers are there to share the information.Airline knew very well about hidden cities and have no time/interest to fix this, even the judge handling the frequent flyer case knows about the hidden city. Do you really think airlines don’t know about this even after so many years???
That’s true, to some extent.
Many times airlines have errors and don’t fix them because they think the cost of fixing it is greater than the number of people doing it. Thus, AFWD getting picked up by a newspress could get the entire thing shut down instantly. Bigger blogs get content from smaller blogs, and it’s like the media chain.
So the more attention, the more likely they are to change it.
And some airlines/hotels, I promise you, don’t know their own issues.
But, I also don’t disagree that bloggers should share info. But responsibly. Off the homepage. IMO.
Bravo Drew! Respect!
Thanks.
Love it!
Glad to hear it.
I read this deal a few months ago and thought how cool… its hardley worth the time its a strange deal that can help a few people. Its a spanish(well speaking anyways) I doubt they will catch it too quickly. Better deals exsist why would I buy a 250(in LM) dollar flight to japan when i will have to spend 40k UA miles to get home. When for 150AA I can go around the world in BIZ. Its a good deal but not insane.
I think your mostly right. It’s not global or anything. And I think the airline is obscure enough that it’s lasted this long…
All the way with you on this, Drew! Of course I, and everyone else out there, would like the easy deal dropped in my lap. But this endeavor, like any worthwhile one, is great because it challenges you to be creative, to think for yourself, and to plan out your own moves. You give us so much in showing us how to think critically, which is more than throwing us a fish once in a while. You are teaching us how to fish!
Now… How the heck did you come up with so many hotel deals on your calendar post! Come on… Spill the beans… er… the basket of fish!
Thanks Rick,
You didn’t get that newsletter? Most of those are basic. Email me a reminder and I’ll forward it.
this was posted over a year ago
http://boardingarea.com/viewfromthewing/2012/08/22/aviancataca-lifemiles-is-the-most-generous-program-in-star-alliance-and-how-you-can-use-it/
I’m reading through that post and I don’t see a single city pair named, that post only links to threads on frequent flyer forums where folks have to wade through a lot to figure things out for themselves.
There’s a big difference, I think, between pointing folks along in the right direction so if they want to spend time working through a deal and understanding it for themselves, and spoon-feeding the masses (many of whom may get themselves in trouble for instance without a Russian visa) and leading everyone right to it.
Yea, this is a great example of sharing info without killing it. All he did is reference a forum which is highly coded lol.
I agree completely — I think the difficulty is for newer people like me though is learning how to find these deals on our own.
Is it just continually searching and occasionally stumbling upon one? Are there some tricks that can be shared openly? I don’t mind putting in the legwork at all to find deals on my own — it just figuring out where to start is the hard part!
One question…if anyone he shared the tricks … how would you find them / would you use?
100% agree. Bloggers shouldn’t kill the deals for gaining the viewers.