Be Clever

Lately, some bloggers have learned a basic advertising trick. They use buzz words and phrases like “secrets revealed” to grab attention. And then, 99% of the time, their “secrets” are nothing…just empty promises and fluff. It’s an annoying trend. Readers feel resentful but they still end up following the blog regularly. Now we have a bunch of readers who regularly read blogs they don’t like. This is a strange pattern of behavior. The blogger gets what he wanted (traffic) and the resentful reader is 100% responsible for giving it to him. I would think this is common sense but…

IF YOU DON”T LIKE A BLOG, THEN STOP READING IT!!!

There are other bloggers who actually do their best to reveal “secrets” and kill deals. I’ve met some of these guys, and can assure you they are even worse in person than their online personas would indicate. Any blogger should want to help the reader. In the world of miles, that means posting MOST things, but not certain loopholes that close if published. Sometimes it’s tricky to know where the line is, but other times it is absolutely clear as day. Nobody wins if a deal gets killed. The bloggers who kill these deals pretend to care about the reader, but only want the hits (and the income that comes from increased traffic). Remember, these guys are feeding their families and paying their mortgages. They will do anything it takes to get paid. This is their business.

My advice to you is to be clever. If you’re sharp, get sharper. Look for more opportunities. Right now, are you noticing what time of year it is? Are you seeing the sales at every turn? For example, there are restaurants in your town offering $15-$20 extra for every $100 gift card you buy. Take the time to study what you can sell some of these gift cards for. You might be able to actually profit from your mile earning. Educate yourself on the opportunities within the lucrative Amex Sync promo. And on and on. Don’t depend on being spoon-fed at every turn. Spend the time. Do a little digging. Get more creative.

 

Thursday Triple

  • Check your email and American Express account page for an easy way to earn free points. Just refer friends and family to Amex cards and rack up the points. For example, I’m getting 5,000 points per friend I refer to the Starwood card. 
  • Get another $5 free at Amazon. Not really miles, but who doesn’t love Amazon?
  • Some more free money from Uber. A free 50 bucks this time. Apply promo code BEMERRY in the app. New users only.

Visa Service

You ever see an actor who accepts an award and forgets to thank the most important person? We watch it later on TV and think, “What a boob.” Well, folks, once again…

Me = Boob.

In yesterday’s Andaz love-fest, I forgot to thank my friend Kevin. He hooked me up and put me in that room for 2 nights. I really can’t thank the guy enough (and yet I forgot to thank him yesterday). He is a great friend of the blog, and it’s starting to become obvious how many friends MileNerd has. Sitting in a pool in Maui, I talked miles with Sal and Pat (both of whom I had never met before that day). Then today, I got a few emails from other readers who were there last week and were bummed we didn’t meet. We could have owned that pool! Speaking of friends…

I’ve mentioned Steve from Allied Passport before. He’s a loyal friend of the blog, and I can vouch for him if you have any visa/passport needs. I heard from him today and he wanted to share another deal with a couple blogs. Hopefully it will come in handy for some of you. Details are below:

“From now until January 10th, 2014, Allied Passport is offering free visa service to MileNerd readers traveling to China, Kenya, or Tanzania. All readers will pay is the embassy fee and return shipping (the $45 Allied service fee per traveler will be waived).”

  • Submit documents 10 or more business days before departure,
  • Ship before January 10th via FedEx,
  • Follow all directions on the website,
  • Mention MileNerd on the order form when entering payment.
  • For China, click here – $140 + return shipping
  • For Kenya, click here – $50 single entry, or $100 multiple entry + return shipping 
  • For Tanzania, click here – $100 + return shipping
“There is no limit to the number of travelers that can participate in this promotion. Combined shipping rates apply to 4 or less passports. A small fee will be added for groups of 5+.”


My Favorite Hotel

You know how it is with the things I love. From AwardWallet to Uber to the people who run RocketMiles…sometimes I need to gush. So please allow me to do a little gushing here. Ok, that sounds weird. Anyway, my point is this…

I spent 10 days in Hawaii for Thanksgiving. I’m sure I’ve mentioned this before, but Maui is my favorite place in the world. There’s something so magical there that I just can’t get enough of. Well, this trip was better than ever before. The reason? The new Andaz. I stayed in 3 different Maui resort hotels last week – Grand Wailea, Fairmont, and Andaz. The first 2 were great choices, and families with kids should strongly consider them. But if you’re a couple looking for a romantic getaway, don’t even think about anything other than the Andaz.
The tranquility pool…the ridiculous service…the strawberries handed to you on the beach…the fact that it’s brand new…and on and on. I absolutely fell in love. Get yourselves some Hyatt gift cards, use your 2 free nights, and burn some Ultimate Rewards points. By any means necessary, book a trip to Maui, and stay in this hotel. What can I say, this post has been one big “Thank You” to the Andaz. I’m obsessed!

Tons Of Monday Deals

  • US Airways’ mile sharing offer is back. I talked about it last time and think highly of it.
  • Register all your American Express cards for $25 off a $75 purchase at Amazon. Killer deal.
  • You can also get 30% off any book at Amazon with code BOOKDEAL.
  • 25,000 Hilton points when you buy a Rosetta Stone language course.
  • The Cyber Monday sale from Alaska Airlines.
  • A 30% off Cyber Monday sale from Marriott.
  • Chase cards work for Amex gift card purchases again. I buy mine through BigCrumbs and promo code HOLIDAYCC4 waives the fees right now.
  • 25% off Living Social deals with code CYBERMONDAY today.