Friday, November 28, 2014

Travel Bloggers - An Education in Miles and Points



I learned most of what I know from reading other miles and points bloggers. Many of them have learned what they know from message boards and from other bloggers. If you have the time and ability to do so, then reading message boards is a wealth of information. If you only have time to read the bloggers, they are more or less a reader’s digest version of the message boards. I have spent very little time on the message boards. But I do have a handful of blogs that I read on a regular basis. The quickest way for a beginner to expand their knowledge is by reading and studying these blogs. Doing so will help to build a solid foundation of knowledge and be able to start enjoying your miles and points.

One Mile At A Time – Lucky has been very lucky in life. And readers have been even luckier in having access to his infinite wisdom and personality. He is one of my two favorite reads. I subscribe to receive his daily emails. He flies thousands if not millions of miles a year. He is currently in the middle of living out of hotels for a year. He does a ton of reports on premium class airline flights, lounges, and hotels.


View From the Wing – I used to work out of my Ballston, Virginia office for five months in 2013. This happened to be the same office where the author, Gary Leff, spent half his work days in his full time work position. We even had lunch together once, and he treated. He is a co-founder of Milepoint.com, a community travel message board. His blog runs the gamut on travel news and experiences. His topic can be a bit on the more advanced side.

Frequent Miler – Greg is a pioneering blogger. He pushes the boundaries of miles and points with personal experiments on accruing miles and points. Two years ago, he broke the news on Vanilla Reloads, and the world of manufactured spending has never been the same.


Million Mile Secrets – Daraius and Emily are a couple who love to share their techniques on miles and points and the travels that they experience. This blog is a great blog for beginners. His writing style is very informative and detailed. He has been controversial in that many milers think that he spoon feeds the beginner.



The Points Guy – Brian is the tallest blogger I have met. He stands about 6’ 8”, and the only thing more noticeable than his height is his passion and knowledge of miles and points. He really loves Miles. That’s the name of his dog.


The Miles Professor – this lady knows her miles and points. She is the only blogger whom I have not yet met. But she has some great techniques on how to use miles. She shows that a single woman can participate and enjoy this hobby as much as any guy can.



Frugal Travel Guy – this was the very first blog that I started reading on miles and points. The founder of the site, Rick, was very helpful with hints and ideas. He has since sold his site and makes cameo posts. The content since his departure has not been the same quality. Rick continues to host the annual Chicago Seminars convention for miles and points fanatics.


Mommy Points – Summer is the only mother blogger that I read. I enjoy reading her blog for reading perspectives on family travel as that is how I travel. She brings the reality of finding more than just two award tickets into her pages.


I do not read all of these blogs daily. But I do receive many of their email updates to notify me when they do post. Not all bloggers are created equal. A few of the above mentioned bloggers write these for a living, or at least as a supplement. They all receive affiliate bonuses for registering new credit card applications. But they all also share a TON of great news and information with their readers.

It is vital to read and learn when you start this hobby. I am always learning and will continue to do so as this hobby is always changing as well.

Hope that everyone enjoyed their Thanksgiving feasts and get-togethers.

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