Last week a TV production company approached us, IHG quit giving RA referral certs, and we went from India to Thailand. Also, I wanted to start doing video. So here are my thoughts in video:
I’ll sum up the video in text:
IHG sucks.
IHG took away their RA referral certificate from RAs who earn the hard way. I don’t expect that the fewer RA’s will mean much. After all, RAs who earn it the hard way must be staying more. This is in no possible way a good thing.
AA sucks.
AA without warning took away stopovers and the AA Explorer Award chart.
India kinda sucks.
Indian transportation is incredibly stressful… which is great because India is already stressful. On the other hand, it’s farflung, so different and magical when you see some of their devout rituals.
TV sucks.
Mainly because they didn’t give us a TV show. Now that we’re declined I say, “I don’t think I’d accept TV anyways”. But we all know I’m easy for the right price. Who knows. In reality we don’t get an option, but our one interview was too stressful. Bad sign.
Anyways, someone out there may be the star of a travel hacking show. Hope they don’t blow our secrets.
Finally, does my video suck?
Lemme know peeps.
I ll be the first to say Awesome, I like the video format and connect you to the blog. Thanks
Thanks Choi… I’ll definitely try to add more value in the future videos, but just doing a few tests. But I guess it’s good if only for good connection.
Thanks
side note, the Abe Lincoln takes a little time to get used to, hhahah.
They approached me too. It didn’t get to the interview because the guy I spoke with on the phone said that my accent would be a problem. 🙂 Bummer, but I actually appreciated this no bulls**t “we’ll call you back” approach, so no hard feelings.
It would be interesting to see who they will pick eventually. It would be even more interesting to see how whoever they pick will manage to balance the publicity with not blowing secrets. That’s gonna be a hell of a balancing act.
Here are a few tips about your video from someone who doesn’t do videos (so keep that in mind).
1. Want to sound natural? Write a script.
2. Make it short. Under 5 minutes would be great because who has the time!
3. Loved it otherwise.
Funny. Yea, I’m totally curious who they pick… or if they pick. And that’s another thing, they could turn down everyone and we wouldn’t know. It could never be made.
5 minutes seems like the youtube cap. eh? Same with pop songs. :-p maybe more like 4.
United tutorials on video would be great!
That would be cool and easy to do on video since their website engine is actually decent.
Personally I prefer reading. It is easier to back up and make sure I understand a concept, or skim and skip forward if I already understand something.
If you do add some video, I hope you’ll mix it up a little visually with charts, pictures, etc. Maybe some video of you and Caroline trying to get on a train in India! 🙂
Actually we do have lots of travel video. Hopefully we can put those together and maybe have a separate channel for that. Idk… We’ll see. But I definitely have the ability to mix in charts and pics easily, but just doing a test run… so to speak.
What do you think of having the video and the text on the same post? then you can choose… I guess.
Shave, you will look more serious
No! Wife’s opinion wins! 😉
I like the videos and seeing a honest person like you in video adds much more joy compared to your excellent write ups. Please keep these going.
Hah, by the way, I could have given you some tips about India had I known you earlier and had I known you that you would be travelling there. Do let me know if I can be of any help to you in your planning when you plan to travel to India next time. Yes, I fully agree that travelling in India is not that easy compared to some other places but there is some pristine beauty that is still there in some parts of the country which cant be found in the western countries. Also you went there during election time, almost summer time, school holiday time which is the not the right time to visit India. It must have been really stressful.
Lesson learned. 😀 Yea, would love to go back, maybe kasmir or the south next time.
Thanks,
Drew
Video is awesome!! How to videos will be super awesome!!!!
Thanks Sara, I’ll have to start planning those in the line up at some point.
I enjoy the video format as it feels more authentic.
Any chance you can send out your newsletter again? I saw it and thought it was a notification about a new blog post.
The Club Carlson one? Yea, let me know if you get it.
Got it. Thanks!
I really enjoyed seeing you in video after reading quite a few of your blogs. It’s more personable. Hope you keep blogging in multiple formats – the info is helpful and I enjoy the variety. Just a thought – the video might have been more picturesque if you filmed outside with the pretty view behind you. Thanks for all the tips.
Thanks Ann. I’ll try outside next time. Let me know if it’s better, although I know lighting can be hard when you don’t control it, and when it’s not coming from behind the camera.
The video works for me! Something that came across well in your video is a your attitude – how you view yourself as a ” miles collector” and how you continually try to get into the thinking behind the miles and points providers decision-making. …So much more powerful than “grab this shiny deal” or “look how cool I am flying first class”.
I continually appreciate both your blogs.
Thanks Rick. Yea, I tried not to be a deal alert system, I just don’t think it’s that simple. So it’s good to know that people actually appreciate that… because it is a way to get traffic.
Drew
I like the video-and-summary format; maybe the video is a little long. I hate that the HI Phuket site has max occupancy 3 in their 2-double rooms. More BS hotel program frustration. But I can book the same room for 4 with 8775 AA miles with an Executive card, not sure if that would make us ineligible for the Plat upgrade. Honestly I hope any travel hacking show on TV is done by someone far less competent.
That’s funny that you can do that on AA for the same property. I have no idea if it would, but I’m guessing if you emailed in and gave your plat number they would.
lol, I can’t even imagine what a TV show would look like. If it’s someone like Lucky, then it’s a lot of first class… which is interesting. If it’s someone like us, then it’s totally different. My guess is someone closer to lucky and it’s a lot of credit cards and first class seats and fancy hotels.
I enjoyed the video. My personal preference is reading with diagrams, like many of your posts, but the video is a good complement.
I think the video reflects the style of your blog, which is informative but informal and conversational. However, if you want to mimic the style of the professional looking “Complete Guide” that you put out, I agree with Andy Shuman above. Good feedback.
Also, wildly off topic, but it can’t hurt to ask, since you’re the United guru:
Using United, can I book a round-trip to Australia with my origin in the USA but my final stop in Europe? More specifically, I want to r/t to SYD from my USA home, then take my stopover at home, before taking a “free oneway” to Europe. I’ve read that in theory, you can have open jaws across regions for the origin, but I can’t get an example booking to price.
Anyway, thanks for the video.
Thanks J. Clifton
Boy, that’s quite a ticket, and in different regions, it would totally be possible. I don’t think it’s a legal routing period to combine OZ and Europe with the US.
Even if it were, I imagine that when starting in Australia, the US would be a more powerful zone than Europe and therefore it wouldn’t work. Because you’re trying to make US the stopover, not the destination.
The concept is totally possible, the rules just won’t allow it.
Thanks man. I appreciate the help.
I really like videos so please do more. I suggest you get a camera that can do 1080.
I we love to see a series of videos on how to use AA miles and BA miles to avoid BA fuel charges when traveling to Europe from various cities in the US.
Great suggestions for video content (I’m always certainly open for content ideas). I think I made the resolution lower because the internet was a little slow or something, but I’ll try 1080 next time.
I prefer reading so I can scan the content or read in depth, based on what I see in the post. Can’t really do that with a video even if I know the topics in advance. I probably wouldn’t invest the time to watch a video. But I love your written blogs! (I agree with Dgb on the beard)
I’ve been reading the blog for only a few months, but its refreshing to see someone who knows what their doing and actually posts data that is useful. Sure I signup for a lot of creditcards for miles, but im personally sick of the top 10 lists that are posted everyday, i stopped reading most blogs because of this. I’ve been on flyertalk a few years and went to a few Do’s apnd seminars, they were ok, i learned a few things. But I like the detail you provide, something that I haven’t seen in a few years, most stopped providing good content.
BTW – if your up to chat about How to scam IHG, or just bs about miles I’m actually in Phuket till June 3rd, here hanging out and trying to do some work. Would be nice to meet up and have a drink. Let me know.
Love the video! EXTREMELY bummed that travel hacking will probably be ruined by the tv show just like couponing was…little did I know! Glad you aren’t doing it:) Been so busy, just finally catching up! Good job!