This blog, Frequent Miler, was born in September 2011. I started it simply as an outlet to share my excitement about my latest passion: miles, points, and elite status shortcuts. It didn’t even occur to me at the time that I could earn real money from the blog, but things changed quickly. First, Boarding Area offered to host my blog. This gave me an instant audience and better ad revenue than I could have earned myself. Plus, it tapped me into a network of other bloggers who were happy to share information with me. I remember one, in particular, who told me about credit card affiliate marketing. This changed everything.
I already listed credit cards on my site as the best way to earn miles and points. With affiliate links, I simply replaced the old links with new affiliate links. Now, when a reader clicked through and was approved for a credit card, I earned a commission. I decided early on only to do this when the affiliate offer was the best offer for my readers. If I knew of a better offer, I’ve always linked to that better offer instead. Plus, I didn’t want the affiliate situation to change my blog content so I promised not to put affiliate links in my daily blog posts. Instead, I put them initially all on one page that readers could find if they wanted to. Later, I changed it up: today, each credit card has its own dedicated page with both the link to apply and everything else you may want to know about the card. Those individual card pages are literally the only place on the blog where you’ll find credit card affiliate links. And again, wherever there’s a better non-affiliate offer, you’ll find that better offer on the page. When we write posts, we link to these card pages when relevant, but we don’t know at the time of writing whether or not the reader will find an affiliate link there when they click through. Links and offers change regularly.
This blog became my full time career about 6 months after I started it. 8 years ago today (April 1, 2012) was my first day of severance pay at my old job. Even though I hadn’t yet earned much money from the blog, I was confident that I could make it work with my full attention. And within just a few months I was earning enough to fully replace my previous salary. Over the next eight years, blog revenue swung wildly up and down depending upon many different factors, but it has always been enough for me to feel incredibly fortunate. I know I could have earned a lot more by aggressively “pushing” credit cards, but I was never interested in doing that. I’ve always written posts based on what interests me most at the time. And while selling credit cards may be lucrative, I don’t find it interesting. That won’t change.
The idea of being a full time blogger sounds like a dream job. And in many ways it is. I’m my own boss. I can work from anywhere. The idea of blogging from the beach, though, rarely works out. Bright sunlight makes it impossible to see my laptop. And I get too hot. But every now and then I find a relaxing place in the shade, like photo above (which was in Delray Beach, Florida at Crane’s Beachhouse).
One downside of being a full time blogger is that it can be lonely. Yes, our cats (and previously our dog, RIP) keep me company. But they don’t offer real human interaction.
One thing that has helped a lot with the need for human interaction is that I’ve hired others to help with the blog. Most readers are now very familiar with Nick Reyes. He works full time for Frequent Miler, writes far more than I do, maintains our credit card database, and much more. Stephen works for me 10 hours per week primarily authoring Quick Deals but has also tackled other important projects. And recently we added Carrie to our staff as our Creative Director. She’s now working 20 hours per week as our graphic designer, project manager, SEO (search engine optimization) expert, and much more.
Now the COVID-19 mess has threatened the business.
Even though our readership numbers are still good, ad revenue is way down. Worse, banks have started removing their credit cards from affiliate channels. Fortunately, revenue has been very good in the months leading up to today and so I believe that we can weather this storm without shrinking the team.
Rather than explain anew the details, I’ll share with you the same information I shared with my team. Here’s what I wrote to the team just yesterday:
The purpose of this email right now is to keep everyone in the loop regarding how COVID-19 is affecting FM’s business.
First: Last year was a very good year revenue-wise. Credit card affiliate revenue was up. And at the end of the year, ad revenue was way up thanks to Boarding Area moving to in-content ads. The point is that the business has plenty of money to weather the current situation…
And then COVID-19….
Ad revenue: Ad revenue is plummeting. My understanding is that marketers simply aren’t bidding nearly as much on ads as they did before. That makes sense to me.
Affiliate revenue: Affiliate revenue has just started to drop a little (about 30%), but I expect it to drop precipitously in April. Two banks have already pulled certain cards from the affiliate networks. The cards we no longer have affiliate links for represent 71% of affiliate revenue from the past 12 months. And I expect it to get worse. I expect that other banks will follow suit.
In short, I expect business revenue overall to drop to meager amounts.
How long will this last?
No one knows, of course. My gut tells me that we have to be prepared for 6 months of record low revenue.
How does this change what we’re doing?
I believe that Frequent Miler is a valuable business and so I will invest whatever it takes to keep it going through this downturn. For at least the next 6 months that means that I plan to continue to employ each of you at the current rates.
As far as changing our focus, I think it makes sense for us to do things now that will make Frequent Miler better prepared for a resurgence in 6 months (or whenever it happens). That means things like:
- Platform improvements: Complete changeover to new theme, re-work our email newsletters, finish tag project, etc.
- Improve SEO. Anything we can do now to improve search engine optimization will help us weather the storm plus will put is in a great position if/when ad and affiliate revenue returns to pre-COVID levels.
- Continue to expand into video and podcasting (and other media maybe?). We need to do more to grow our audio/video audience. Eventually these could be very important revenue streams.
We’re here for the long run
Sure, I could imagine a situation where travel is found only in history books. In such a future, this blog probably won’t survive. But that’s extremely unlikely. More likely, the economy will eventually rebound, and travel will creep back into all of our lives. When that happens, I expect that this blog’s revenue will return. My bet is that this will happen before I have to make any hard staffing decisions with the blog.
And so, I expect that our blog will not only continue on, but will thrive in the long run. And in the meanwhile, things will be mostly “business as usual”. We’ll continue to write articles and deals. We’ll continue to produce videos and podcasts. And we’ll continue to earn revenue. In the short-term it won’t be as much as it was before, but every bit will help us weather this storm for a bit longer.
Want to learn more about miles and points? Subscribe to email updates or check out our podcast on your favorite podcast platform.
[…] How Frequent Miler (the business) will survive COVID-19 (published April 1, 2020): This post included a brief history of this blog, including how it turned from a hobby into my career; and I shared an email I had sent to the Frequent Miler team (Nick, Stephen, and Carrie) where I predicted that revenue would drop precipitously, but I pledged to use my savings to keep the team going for “at least the next 6 months.” […]
[…] very open about how that’s affected Frequent Miler, both on our podcast and in posts such as this one and this […]
[…] Miler business survive? Three months ago, I published my answer based on what I knew at the time: How Frequent Miler (the business) will survive COVID-19. Now, I’m back with an […]
[…] How Frequent Miler (the business) will survive COVID-19 […]
[…] seen notes from Frequent Miler and One Mile at a Time about how they’re still paying their employees in full during these […]
[…] habe Notizen von gesehen Häufiger Miler und Eine Meile nach der anderen darüber, wie sie ihre Mitarbeiter in diesen herausfordernden […]
[…] wrote a great post last week about how Frequent Miler will survive, so check out How Frequent Miler (the business) will survive COVID-19 for more about […]
I echo everyone’s comments, that your blog truly makes a difference for us and we appreciate you all so much! While it may be too nerdy for my family to read/watch/listen, you still make me look darn smart and give us the best advice, improving all our lives. I’ve clicked through apps solely from your site and sent friends/family those links for the last year I’ve been reading. The podcast/YouTube has been such a fun addition and we all hope that leads to revenue for you. You guys are exceptional!
Thank you for this post. I do think you guys put out very good, original content.
Of things to put on your to-do list would be showing us ways to earn points without leaving home. Obviously there is getting new credit cards, but what are the other ways to earn points without leaving home. I am willing to earn a bit less cpp if I do not have to leave the house. As an example, I put house and car payments on Plastiq which costs over 1 cpp. I just have to remember to use those points for high value tickets. I need more of these type of earning methods when I cannot be out doing gift/debit cards.
I appreciate Frequent Miler because it stays out of politics and just gives me the travel perspective. I like that FM does not bash companies when they make changes to their programs. We in this points and miles community only are able to do what we do because companies offer points and miles as a marketing program. We come out on top and it is just a cost of doing business for these companies. But when enough of us abuse the terms or loopholes are exposed and utilized by enough people it is not fair to blame these hotel chains, airlines or banks for making changes so they don’t lose money. I like that FM focused on finding value for its readers and listeners.
The podcast is very enjoyable.
[…] the management at The Points Guy come out to state something like this? No? I wonder why! How Frequent Miler (the business) will survive COVID-19. I think it all depends on how long this new reality […]
Travel…only in history books… that gave me a chuckle… well – travel will come around again…but it may not be as fast or ever reach a “similar zenith” for many years. We’ll see..
Hey FM team, I’ve been a loyal reader since 2012 and this time of social distancing has led me to spend even more time perusing your site than normal. I am not a person who has a ton of credit cards (I only keep one or two with an annual fee at a time), but I really appreciate your content. Keep it up and we will keep giving your pages clicks and your videos views! Thank you!
Like many other people have said, I’ve been reading this blog since I started collecting points and miles about 5 1/2 years ago and have recommended the blog to others who were interested in travel. I’ve always come to FM for the link when I want to sign up for a new card. FM and DOC are the only blogs I consistently read. Reading through the comments on this post, one thing really struck me. The community of people on FM is a really pleasant group of people. As much as I love DOC, I sometimes have a hard time reading the comment sections on the posts there. I’m not sure if there are just too many trolls out there who have discovered DOC or if people just can’t help themselves when they sniff anything they can turn into a political commentary. The unabashed greed in the comments sometimes scares me too. I think Chuck and Will do a fantastic job, but the messages sometimes seem out of their control. Most other blogs I occasionally read have the same problem. One of the MPD posts I read recently had enough language in the comments to be R rated. FM doesn’t seem to have that problem and I hope it never will. Thanks for the blog and for taking care of your people.
Greg, I’ve never left a comment, but I’ve been an avid reader for a couple years now. I’ve always appreciated your integrity and straightforwardness, and now I also admire your transparency and vulnerability. Your blog has helped me and my wife enjoy much nicer travel than we could have afforded otherwise and you’ve made learning this game a blast. If there’s anything your readership can do to help you guys weather the storm, I’m sure I wouldn’t be the only one willing to pitch in. Perhaps something as simple / ~high-margin as selling FM apparel, luggage tags, etc? Not the most creative idea, but I know it’s one being tried by various small business across the country (see Tuesday’s WSJ, for example).
In any case, please keep us posted, and wishing you and your team all the best to come out of this even stronger!
RS
There is so much about FM that has helped me enjoy travel that would otherwise be beyond my means. As I looked for something to add to this discussion I found so many sentiments from others that I share. My solution (rather than repeat what has already been said -and far more eloquently than I could state) was to simply give those comments a thumbs up. Seriously guys. Best. Blog. Ever.
Downturns weed out the rest and only the best survive. You guys are the best so don’t worry. How can readers help? Click on more ads?
[…] How Frequent Miler (the business) will survive COVID-19 by Frequent Miler. FM is one of my favorite blogs to read, so it’s nice to see that he will be keeping on staff. Make sure you support sites you enjoy when possible. […]
Half way through the comments, but decided to comment first. I enjoy your site because you write what interests you. It definitely shows in your writing. The same thing can be said about Nick and Stephen. Nick is a very good story teller and he can keep his cool by presenting his thought in a clear and logical way even in an otherwise heated discussion. Stephen is easy to follow and share something that regular travelers may not notice, like Troll Hunting. The most memorable posts to me are your story of learning scuba diving and the 40k challenge. Thank you for your hard work and really want to see some version of 40k challenge in the future.
You haven’t applied for a $10,000 EIDL advance, which becomes a grant? Run to SBA.gov .It’s 2 pages. $10,000 ACHed to you in 3 days. If you use it for business expenses it’s a grant. If you are denied for the loan, you get to keep the advance.
Anyone with a business should be doing this.
Thanks again to everyone for the outpouring of support today. For those looking for a way to support Frequent Miler, consider subscribing to our YouTube channel (it’s free!). We’re going LIVE for an Ask Us Anything on YouTube Thursday 4/2 at 4pm Eastern. You can click through to the video announcing that here and hit the “subscribe” button on YouTube. Thanks!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3VkX4uiJCBQ
I started reading this blog in 2011 right after I got into the miles game. I had quite a few blogs in my list back then, but this one is the only one that I still read daily. I’ve probably read every post, even when the content didn’t really apply to my situation.
This is the only blog that’s kept its integrity and transparency, unlike all the others I started with. It is also the one that has the best content: deep-dive analyses, thorough research, and they run the math in easy-to-understand ways. There have been many posts that covered topics that I had always wanted to look into more and you guys covered the topic in exactly the way I’d wanted it. (Do you guys read minds?)
I always refer friends to the credit card links here because I trust that the best deals will be listed.
Keep up the great work and stay safe.
Greg, you, Nick, and the team are absolutely the best in this business.
Other friend who do similar blogging would, I believe, even second that notion.
I hope you make it through to the other side. And I look forward to sharing my new project with you guys as it ripens.
Mark
Greg, love the transparency, the strategy, and will be rooting for you and the whole team to weather this storm!
Things like this are why I have ALWAYS used your links when applying for cards.
I’ve been reading your blog since 2012 and saw yo speak in San Diego in 2013(?) We always use your links for our CC apps precisely because you do not push them. Have a hard time reading anything Lucky writes now because all he does is pimp his links. Keep fighting the good fight!
I wish you the best of luck during this downtime.
I’ve been a regular reader since the early days–I remember the Blog Post where you (Greg) announced you were giving yourself 6(?) months to be able to make a living with the Blog. Best of luck as you go forward. I enjoy the down to earth nature of your blog, the professionalism and lack of sensationalism. Plus all the good info!! Thank you and best of luck.
Thanks Greg! Wishing you all the best
Do whatever you can to make this work. You have created an amazing product. It never feels cheesy or like a sales pitch and by far has the most valuable and interesting content. Nick was an awesome addition and really enriched the site. I’ve been a reader since the beginning and will do what I can to keep supporting the site.
Definitely agree that Nick was an awesome addition. He’s written some really informative things.
Thanks!
Glad to hear it, and thanks for the transparency. This has always been my favorite since I discovered it. Keep up the good work to you and your team – We’re all in this together 🙂
Frequent Miler has always been one of my go-to blogs for points and miles. Because of you and your team, I’ve been able to take my wife (and recently my whole family) to some extraordinary trips that I never would have imagined. I just want to say thank you. This is a tough time for so many people. We are all in this together.
Been reading this blog everyday since I discovered it a few months ago. God bless this blog. Love your content and the unique insights you offer. I’m pulling for you guys to come out of this very soon.
I just wanted to chime in to say two things:
1) This is what it looks like to work for a great boss. When I talk to people about Greg, I often say that as good a guy as he appears to be on the surface if you read his blogs regularly enough to gather his personality, he’s an even better guy behind the scenes. Days like yesterday, when we got that email, make me feel even more fortunate to work for Frequent Miler.
2) Thank you to everyone for the comments here. Greg already said they made his day. They made mine, too. Despite the economic uncertainty that we all face right now, it feels great to be a part of something that has brought joy and value to you. We’ll keep working to do that and appreciate your support. It matters. Thanks again!
I enjoy your blog and FM podcast. These extraordinary times are difficult on many different levels but your content provides an escape for many of us. How about setting up a patreon or gofundme account to accept donations. Bonus if it could code as grocery for my chase freedom this quarter, lol
Greg (and Team) – you all are the best in the business. Not just on content but because of your transparent and honorable approach to what can be a murky field. I’m glad to always support you when I make a card decision – or encourage others to do so. Hope Covid gives you all reasons to have more creative and wacky ideas. Thank you!
Greg, as soon as I found your blog (via Ariana/Pointchaser) it quickly became my favorite. I still read every post, even though my points hacking is largely on hold and there is much else I must read online daily.
I’m temporarily shifting to 0% intro APR cards to help weather this financial storm, and I’ll make sure to apply for each via this site. You may not be getting affiliate revenue for now, but continued use of your links should give you a strong sales story to the banks once normality returns.
I, my friends and family thank you for helping us enjoy parts of the world we’d never dreamed we’d visit.
-Mike
Thanks for sharing, Greg.
I have been reading for a few years and met you, Greg, at Travelcon II in Vegas a few years ago. I plan to keep reading the blog, but I do not like podcasts or videos. I can read a LOT faster than those. If you head more in that direction, please give more thought to having TRANSCRIPTS.
Best of luck, it is gonna be tight times for a LOT of businesses.
Good news: Youtube does this automatically. Just click the three dots to the right of the buttons for thumbs up/down, share, and save under the video, then click “open transcript”. If you never knew this was an option on Youtube videos, don’t feel bad: we only discovered that yesterday!
Let me know if you want help with the FM YouTube channel.
Links to FM posts discussed in the video, can be added to direct viewers to the FM blog from YouTube.
More visual aids can be added (and perhaps some editing) to the videos that elaborate on content discussed. Very few podcasters on YouTube are doing this.
As always, the goal is to steer viewers to your blog while providing value. The FM blog/podcast has done a great job delivering on this.
If I can help, please reach out. All the best
~Cap
Thanks Cap! Your contributions have already been invaluable. We would of course welcome any additional help and/or tips you can give.
Greg,
I posted a Comment to your AMA promo vid on Youtube with a link for a recent FM YT podcast with visual aids which I added myself.
I just hope YT didn’t Spam the Comment.
Thanks Cap!
Very interesting post. I know I’m spending lots less time reading blogs these days – somehow miles and points, while a distraction, just don’t seem quite as important to me. Partly because with portfolios crashing and job instability and people getting sick this space can seem a bit tonedeaf. Partly because future trips are off for who knows how long. In any case, rather than checking blogs first thing each morning, blogs are now the fourth or fifth thing I check (which means of course that on many days I don’t get to them).
Multiply me by hundreds of thousands and I’d assumed revenue must be hurting in the blogspace. And that’s a shame because your blog is informative, clever and entertaining – its given me lots of pleasure. I’d hate to see all your hard work swept away by this cataclysm. Just as I’m doing what I can to support restaurants in my area with takeout and gift cards I’ll do what I can to help out my favorite blogs (I finally come out of 5/24 in late April and I’ll certainly start here when going through my credit card wishlist – though if Chase is the issuer pulling back that doesn’t help you and kinda shows how absolutely everything is changing under our feet).
That said, things will eventually change. Not sure they’ll return to normal but they’ll return to a new normal and I can’t imagine I won’t find your site as compelling as ever.
I’m hoping Chase might relax the 5/24 rule for a bit, or at least bring back those black star fixed APR offers that bypass 5/24 (I got a Marriott card that way which I’ll eventually upgrade to a Ritz, all of which I ONLY knew about solely because of FM!)
Of all my morning emails, I save FM for last. It’s like dessert. And I linger on it as much as necessary, often rereading posts several times when they can be of particular value. I’ve become somewhat of an oracle among family and friends b/c of my points game knowledge; much of it gleaned from FM.
Greg, we’ll be here for you if you’re here for us.
[…] everyone, I hope your week is going well. I just read Frequent Miler’s post this morning (How Frequent Miler (the business) will survive COVID-19) and thought it would be interesting to see what Travel with Grant blog posts people read year to […]
Love the blog and appreciate all that you do, including keeping things going during lean times. Will be rooting for you!
Learn so much from you guys and also enjoy your “Click and Clack” pod casts. Hope you take up the idea of applying for the small business loans/grants. If that doesn’t work, consider adding a paypal donation link to your site. I would be happy to send some $$ to your team as I want you to continue to succeed. You all provide real value to the community as many others have commented. Be well and stay safe.
I cant imagine a day going by without reading your blog. You, and your “team” are amazing. Keep up the fantastic work and know we – your readers- are here to support you through it all.
Take care
Is this “Carrie” Drew’s wife?
Yes, but you can call me Carrie. 😀
Great, we sure miss you and Drew. You two sure had great blogs!
I was going to ask the same question. Good to see you here. What happened to Travel is Free? I really enjoy the podcast with Dave talking about his trip to Japan with you and Drew.
Drew is such a talented genius that TPG brought him in to innovate amazing sounding tools for TPG Labs and eventually the new app. So glad his superpowers are being recognized, he gets his creative/innovation outlet, and he’s given a ton of capital investment to launch us into new travel possibilities!
Greg, your blog is built on honesty and integrity. I am so happy that you are getting to see just how much your readers appreciate that in a time where it is rare to find. Keep on the course and you will be blessed by longevity!
Greg (and any small business owner pretty there) .
Unsure if you already looked into it, but the Fed’s (Treasury) new forgivable Paycheck Protection Program should help you.
Program kicks off on Friday
Hi Greg, your blog got me hooked on miles and points in 2011/2012 and was the inspiration / motivation to start TWG. I love your passion for blogging and traveling. I wish you and the FM team good luck and good health in the weeks and months to come 🙂
Will continue to keep reading, have a whole slew of posts to catch up on. I’ll make sure to disable adblocker for your site so that my viewership can help, however small. Hang in there, from all of us <3
Do you do any Amazon affiliate links that people could click through?
Thanks for the update on your business. I’m wishing you all the best!
Hang in there guys and gal… you have one of the best blogs out there with true content in nature and haven’t sold out as others have over the years… My wife and I thoroughly enjoy reading your blog day after day and week after week so if there is anything the reading community can do to help (other than get credit cards unless they are solid cash back options that can provide 10-12% initial ROI) let us know! Hang in there you have all of our support!
Thanks so much for the wonderful comments! Each of you has made my day!
Greg, I have recently started following your blog and really enjoy the content you produce. Been in the points game for 5+ years and stopped reading most blogs as I got tired of “buy a cup of coffee and get a free first class flight” kind of articles, but really enjoy well thought out and analytical posts you publish. Thank you for all the work you’re doing and stay safe!
Greg, have you and your team looked into the provisions of the gig worker unemployment provisions of the new bill that was passed?
There’s also a portion of the money allocated to small and medium businesses. If they keep their staff employed during the shut down, the loans become grants.
Appreciate the transparency. Over the years it’s become necessary to do a lot of “between the lines” reading of most blogs in this space as they’ve become locked down by their obligations to their sponsors / owners. This blog is one of the few places where I don’t feel I need to be constantly on the lookout for the “real” motive behind any statement.
Your approach to staying fully staffed during the down turn and investing for the long term rather than worrying about the monthly bottom line also reinforce to me that your ethics and long-term outlook are those of someone I’m happy to associate with, if only as a consumer.
Greg, this has always been the best travel hacking blog, hands down. Like you, I got into this in 2011 and I’ve been a reader since you basically started. First internet stop everyday for me, and was a pleasure to finally meet you in MSP last year. I can still remember buying walmart gift cards at big discounts on ebay, laundering them as soon as they arrived, then selling them to re-sellers, or later, buying $200 vanilla’s online! Those were the days!
The integrity of this blog is what really stands out. Like when you let your affiliate revenue get cut in the past as you refused to appease the banks. Like always having the best offers linked. Like not continually pushing credit cards. Like not posting on things I let you know about that are too sensitive for prime time.
I’ll be here as a reader; you’ll get through this as all of us will. Travel will come back; question is simply when…..
Excellent post. As a small business owner and avid traveler, I have been thinking about cutting down on the (large) quantity of blog emails, podcasts, Twitter follows, etc. This has motivated me to get this done since I had already decided that most everything that I act on is covered on Frequent Miler. Thanks for all your team does.
Greg, I met you in East Rutherford when you first started this blog. You discovered the Amex Blue and Vanilla reloads. Just focus on content and keep it engaging. No one is going to care about the new theme. I bet more than half of us use an aggregator to read all blog content so themes rarely matter. SEO it’s part science and part art to drum up the right targeted keywords.
Stick to relevant content and be an aggregator for up to date information regarding credit cards.
And then it was the April fools post that wasn’t….I read through the whole way expecting a “we sold the blog to Card Match”…..or “I’ve traded honest reviews with Arne Sorenson in exchange for a lifetime free Marriott stays”.
It occurred to me that some might think this was an April Fools post! But I decided this isn’t a great time to try to fool readers. Instead, I’ve scheduled a roundup of my favorite old April Fools posts to be published a bit later today.
I had the prefect story, but I couldn’t get it published: COVID CROSSES SMS BARRIER: WOMAN INFECTED BY TEXT MESSAGE
Likely once COVID-19 peaks, demand for travel will ramp up and eventually explode. Be ready!
I should know better, but, okay, I’m going to bite on this one ….
“[D]emand for travel” may indeed ramp up, but this demand is “[l]ikely,” especially in the international realm (think “miles for business class seats”) to be demand for something that won’t exist anymore: The ability to get out of your seat and through passport control quickly, and be on your way to having fun. Rather, think confinement during quarantine, if not Ellis Island-style, then in a way that is unrealistic for anyone not planning to be in that locale for quite some time. I mean, seriously: a “peak” is the moment things are the worst. Pick your date: 30 April? 15 May? 31 May? Now pick a destination spot: Barcelona? Paris? You really think that it is going to be easy to do that kind of travel in a way that accords with what we want to get for points and miles.
I hope that you are right and that I am wrong. But demand for travel did not exactly “explode” after 9/11 or the 2008 financial crisis, and the structural problem for traveling associated with the first of those two events was far less than the structural problem inherent here (both the reality of the situation — the virus moving via travel — and the political optics — “strong” leaders tightening borders to protect “their people.”)
>demand for travel did not exactly “explode” after 9/11
I quite clearly recall this. We had our first Disney visit in December 2002, on a cruise and then a few days at WDW. People still were not traveling. We got an incredible deal ($500 a week for adults and $200 for a child, with a room upgrade and park tickets as I recall) and the cruise ship was only half full.
I will be positive here. Let us hope for a COVID-19 vaccine! Apparently, this strain does not mutate much, giving hopes for an effective vaccine. And if it does ultimately mutate, it may simply become another variant of the common cold rather than the virulent disease in current form.
Quite possible — I don’t mean to be pessimistic on that score.
I do think, however, that what we are seeing now with universal border closings, layered onto the political situation that underlies it, means that international travel will not unwind so quickly.
Again, my preference would be to be wrong about this. But as someone interested in international travel, I find myself thinking that I need to change my miles-and-points orientation more than I would prefer, and probably for longer than I would prefer.
au contrair mon frere……
Greg, I’ll echo what others have said. Your blog/podcast are my #1 source of information in the points/miles world. Not only have I learned a ton (and amassed a boatload of points/miles) b/c of your site,… I also really appreciate the character/integrity that both you and Nick have more than anyone else in the points/miles world. I know I don’t represent everyone when I say this,…but if you ever decided to move to a subscription model (similar to other blogs/podcasts), I’d pay.
I enjoy reading your blog and really hope you guys make it through. Stay safe and healthy.
I wish you all well and hope you can weather this. This is my favorite points & miles blog. I, too, have been following for years. I like Joe W’s idea of applying for the federal loan you may not have to pay back. We all pay our taxes, I’m happy for you all the benefit from them.
Of course, apply for the loan. But just to correct the record, its not our taxes that will be paying for the loan and any subsequent forgiveness, its our children’s and grandchildren’s taxes. The deficit has been exploding the past two years, and going forward it will be truly horrific.
This is my favorite travel blog by far. I also watch every one of your YouTube videos. Please keep up the great work and wishing you, Nick, Stephen, and Carrie all the best through these difficult times. Next time I apply for a new card, I will use through your Affiliate link (assuming they still work).
Greg, just apply for a small business loan through the new CARES Act. As long as you keep the same amount of employees and use the loan for business expenses like salary, you might not even have to pay it back. I’ve been helping out all my small business clients with this and they say the application is pretty easy.
To Joes point specifically the PPP part of the cards agr will provide for about 10 weeks of payroll as a foregivable loan.
I’ve been following along since early on when you started this. I’ve always appreciated the information you’ve shared – it’s help tremendously to give my family and me opportunities to see this world that have been incredible. I also appreciate the transparency you’ve shared here today. Wishing you and your team much success in weathering this storm.
YOU ARE NUMBER ONE !!!!
ONE DOOR CLOSES ANOTHER DOOR OPENS
Thanks for sharing, Greg. It was insightful. Your blog is the best on BA followed by Gary (for industry perspective) and Lucky (for reviews and general interest posts). I hope that the team will be able to stick together!
I share this opinion too, with addition of DoC outside of boarding area. FrequentMiler and DoC are my two main sites. OMAAT and View from the Wing are two others that I checked, but as not frequent as FM and DoC, mainly because your commitment to presenting the information that benefits your reader first, and not necessary the one that gives you the best affiliate income to your site. Thank you!
DOC and FM are in a class of their own. FT and Reddit are also useful. Gary and Ben offer niche perspectives, focusing on financial and luxury aspect of travel respectively . The hardcore people probably agree.
Try to find other ways that your readers can help sustain economic viability, I’m sure many of us would be open to it.
Yes, FM and DoC are the cream of the crop. Initially I started out reading dozens of blogs, but eventually dropped even Gary and Lucky while maintaining FM and DoC. You guys must survive!!
The sites we frequent are very similar. ^_^
Really insightful. As a complete non sequitur, how do I keep that dreadful popup on the bottom of the screen from appearing?
You’ve always been my fave blog from day one, when I stumbled into this hobby in 2013. You’re still my first go-to blog each morning. If our Churn Team doesn’t have a referral link ourselves, we always apply through you. May Jesus Christ sustain you through this challenging time. You’ve helped, more than any other blogger, us to amass 24M miles/points to help offset travel costs for our International Ministry. Thank you!