About: Ben

Ben Schlappig is the founder and lead writer of One Mile at a Time, the independently owned points and premium travel publication he launched from his college dorm room in 2008. What began as a hobby has grown over nearly two decades into one of the most widely read independent authorities on premium travel and loyalty programs on the web. His path into the field started early: he'd been flying between the United States and Germany since childhood, and as a teenager discovered the world of miles and points and the premium travel those miles could unlock. Weekend mileage runs, obsessive research, and ultimately redeeming miles for Lufthansa first class to Europe were the spark for what became his career. Known to longtime readers by his handle "Lucky," Ben has built one of the deepest firsthand track records in the industry. He has flown more than five million miles, and has flown all of the major airlines and reviewed every international first class cabin. That direct, in-cabin experience anchors his reviews and strategy coverage, which span airline and hotel industry news, frequent flyer and hotel loyalty programs, award-redemption strategy, and travel credit cards. Beyond the blog, he also founded PointsPros (now part of point.me), a travel consulting service that helps people use their miles and points to expand their travel experiences. Ben is a widely cited expert on miles, points, and premium travel, and his work and commentary have been featured in major outlets including The New York Times, Time, Bloomberg, and the LA Times, as well as the Wall Street Journal and Rolling Stone. He is available for interviews and media appearances on airline and hotel industry news, frequent flyer programs, miles and points strategy, and travel credit cards. See our About page for media inquiries. A core part of his credibility is editorial independence. Ben writes all of his own content, with no ghostwriters, and One Mile at a Time operates without ownership by a bank, credit card company, or media conglomerate — a distinction Ben treats as central to the site's honest, reader-first reviews.