I’m not someone who cares about anniversaries or birthdays, because I almost find them to be a sad reminder of how fleeting life is (though perhaps that’s also a good reminder).
Anyway, Tiffany emailed me this morning to remind me that it’s OMAAT’s 12th anniversary today… wow! Indeed, the first blog post was published on February 4, 2008, and the rest is history.
I rarely write about milestones like this. I usually sit down and intend to write something, but then am disappointed I don’t have anything amazing to say, and then just pretend it never happened.
But that seems like a missed opportunity, and today I just want to share one very simple message — THANK YOU!
I started this blog 12 years ago as a hobby my first year of college (I was 17 at the time), and never in a million years did I think this would become my long-term, full-time job.
I can’t even begin to say how thankful I am to those of you who have checked in over the years. There’s no way I could have ever done this full time without the support of you guys.
It blows my mind how many people choose to read this site — the blog gets about as much annual traffic as the world’s busiest airport, so while that’s a weird way of thinking about it, yow! Move over, Hartsfield Jackson Atlanta International Airport.
Thank you, thank you, thank you. I’m grateful for all of you I’ve had the chance to interact with, whether in person or in the comments section. I’ve learned a lot.
This industry is my passion, and I get up seven days a week excited to write about it. It excites me just as much as it did on day one. In college I was terrified of the thought of having to “grow up” and get a “real” job. Well, I still feel like a kid, because I get to wake up every morning and do what I love.
Hopefully you’ve at least gotten a laugh or some useful information out of the blog at some point over the years.
Lastly, a special thanks to Randy Petersen for inviting me to blog on BoardingArea when it launched a long time ago, and to Tiffany and the rest of the OMAAT team for making all the magic happen in the background that basically allows me to just spend my days blogging.
Congratulations on doing a fantastic job, Ben. Onemileatatime is always my go-to website for travel-related matters. You and your teammates are the best travel blogger in the industry. It's always a great pleasure to read topics covered by you, Tiffany and other teammates. Thank you very much to all of your effort and contribution. Happy Anniversary and many more to come.
Congratulations to you, my favorite airline miles blogger! So much better than that arrogant blowhard at one of the other blogs who has to remind everyone on every blog he is 6’7
Congratulations! I have learned so much from you over the years and have loved watching you grow from that college student many years ago. Here's to many more years of happiness doing what you love. Hope a glass of Krug or Bollinger is in your near future.
You’re a good egg Ben. Congratulations
Happy anniversary and many more to come. :)
PARABÉNS BEN!! (congrats in Portuguese) ! :)
I love your blog, keep up the good work! and thank you Tiffany for doing such an amazing job bts !!
"Hopefully you’ve at least gotten a laugh or some useful information out of the blog at some point over the years."
Many laughs, a TON of useful information, and even a few dollars in Amazon credits I would have otherwise had no idea I could have gotten.
Keep up the good work!
@ Ben Congrats on 12 years! Miss you on FT, but really enjoy reading your blog. Cheers!
Congrats! Love the blog.
Congratulations! Keep up the great work, Ben! I love your blog.
Glad you get to live your passion. I love what I do but I find myself steering my teenage son to his passion, something I wish someone had done for me 30 years ago. Keep up the good work doing what you love!
Thank you for all the inspiration. I have been a follower for many years. I constantly reference your blog and send out trip reports for people that I help book awards. But I have gone places and done things that I never would have dreamed about without your blog. I get to stay at amazing hotels and fly in first\business class and all for very little. All this I simply wouldn't or couldn't afford. It...
Thank you for all the inspiration. I have been a follower for many years. I constantly reference your blog and send out trip reports for people that I help book awards. But I have gone places and done things that I never would have dreamed about without your blog. I get to stay at amazing hotels and fly in first\business class and all for very little. All this I simply wouldn't or couldn't afford. It has allowed me to travel in style for less than I would have to pay for economy and that is key. Miles/Points allows me to do things that would otherwise cost way to much. It has allowed me to see the world and experience things people dream of. It also allows me to share these experiences with my wife, kids, parents, and friends. I also try to pay it forward and share my knowledge to bring these trips to friends. I just helped some friends earn than burn enough points for RT biz class to Europe for their 20 year anniversary. With enough points left for the Park Hyatt Paris. So thank you for what you do. It brings a lot of benefit to many.
Mark
Ben and OMAAT team congratulations. Your blog helped me so much and I've been a reader probably since the beginning. My top 3 moments.
1) I won a twitter promo and you gave me 30k SPG points and I went to Cancun at the Westin Lagunamar with my 18 month old son for his first time at the beach.
2) I still love the gummy bears Amazon review. Every time I need a...
Ben and OMAAT team congratulations. Your blog helped me so much and I've been a reader probably since the beginning. My top 3 moments.
1) I won a twitter promo and you gave me 30k SPG points and I went to Cancun at the Westin Lagunamar with my 18 month old son for his first time at the beach.
2) I still love the gummy bears Amazon review. Every time I need a good laugh I google your post.
3) Your parents reviews are so special. But the best one is the one is at Emirates first class.
Congrats to the team for all the hard work and dedication to the readers.
Happy blog-iversary! Thoroughly enjoy reading your blog, you have the most authentic voice. Keep up the good work!
It has been a pleasure following OMAAT all these years! blessings to you and your family!
Congratulations and thank YOU! So much learned here over the years. Here's to the next 12!
Congrats on 12yrs!!! However now knowing that you were 17 12yrs ago makes me feel really old. I love your blog! It has really helped me maximum my travels. I love reading all the different experiences of cabins, earning miles/points, how to redeem, best ofs, and more. Cannot believe you're SO young! My word I need to do more with my life. Where's my husband? We need to fly somewhere! lol!
Congratulations Ben!!! Your blog has helped me a lot over the years. Congrats to Tiffany as well!!!
Congratulations Ben!!! Your blog has helped me a lot over the years. Congrats to Tiffany as well!!!
Lime, not line lol
Ah, 12 years already? Ah, I remember back in the day when Lucky would be thrilled to have Orange Fanta (the European kind) in the lounges or onboard...and when his biggest issue was being served a lemon, not a line, with his Diet Coke...
But yeah, a link to his first post and.or trip report would be interesting for sure.
Congratulations Ben, Tiffany & rest of the OMAAT crew!!! Ben, your blog has changed lives, including mine for the better (though people think I'm strange when I fly the most indirect routes to try better products or to keep my status). :)
Congratulations Ben, this has been my morning read for a few years now and I hope that will continue for a long time
Lucky, I redeemed for my first award flight in 1999; my first TATL J in 2007. For the next 7 or so years I *thought* I knew what I was doing, and then I came upon your blog.
Since then I’ve stayed in some amazing properties like the PH Saigon, experienced J in ANA, checked out the Wing/Pier, flown upstairs in an OZ 747, and most recently flew my family of 5 (!) from...
Lucky, I redeemed for my first award flight in 1999; my first TATL J in 2007. For the next 7 or so years I *thought* I knew what I was doing, and then I came upon your blog.
Since then I’ve stayed in some amazing properties like the PH Saigon, experienced J in ANA, checked out the Wing/Pier, flown upstairs in an OZ 747, and most recently flew my family of 5 (!) from Seattle to Sardinia in AF J.
All because of you.
Many thanks for all you do, the positive impact you have on your readers, and best wishes for continued health and happiness.
-Grant
Congratulations!
Post your first article again
Keep up the truly amazing job!
Thanks Ben, your blog leads me to the magical world of points, flights and hotels. You also inspired me to start my own blog three years ago. I really hope that I can keep writing for so long.
Congratulations, always enjoy reading about your insights into the industry.
Here's to the next 12!
Congrats, Ben, wow 12 years doing what you like! You're lucky & good.
Congrats
Congratulations :)
Cheers.
One of my favorite memories was a recent one... the epic United Polaris dinner party. Love your blog and congratulations on 12 years!!!
Will you write an article asking your readers to share the best two flights in premium cabins or hotels that they enjoyed by reading or learning from your blog? In addition, the cultural knowledge that they gained from your blog or the countries that they visited following your trips.
Congrats Ben; I never would have experienced most of my amazing travel experiences without you and Randy...thanks for all that you do.
Congrats Lucky, Tiffany, and the team. Thanks for changing my life for the better.
Congrats! Only discovered your blog (and the points and miles world) three years ago, but have loved every moment!
Congratulations, Ben and the OMAAT team!
Hope you’ll host more reader meet-and-greets/gatherings like at LAX last summer.
Or maybe you’ll come speak at the Chicago Seminars this fall.
Regardless, thank you for sharing your adventures with us online.
Like so many others have said, your writing has made so many positive impacts! Living an amazing life thanks to your great advice. Thanks for keeping it real and being so relatable.
Congrats - and thanks for all the informative and enjoyable articles.
Ditto the comments above - link to the first post please!
Congrats!
Been reading since 2011. Congrats, love the site as much as I did 9 years ago.
This is the blog I read daily. This blog changed the way I travel. Thank you.
Congrats, Lucky. Well done for sure. I’m an every day reader for about 10 years and have cancelled most of the other blogs I used to subscribe to. Everything i need to know is always covered here! Thanks for all of it:-)
Having original ideas and putting them to work as a successful small business is a very big deal (been there).
I'm only a 2 year regular reader, but I've gotten a wealth of information from OMAAT. And I'm an AA million mile and a passenger rail fan going back 50 years (I knew as much about trains as you do about planes).
Reading your site has allowed us to accumulate close to a million points...
Having original ideas and putting them to work as a successful small business is a very big deal (been there).
I'm only a 2 year regular reader, but I've gotten a wealth of information from OMAAT. And I'm an AA million mile and a passenger rail fan going back 50 years (I knew as much about trains as you do about planes).
Reading your site has allowed us to accumulate close to a million points and miles. They'll be put to work enjoying our retirement! Unfortunately our planned Chengdu and Tibet trip in April won't happen, but the Perth trip in November is booked.
You have a great product ! Many thanks.
Thank you Lucky - you are the person who got me into points and the wonderful world that is, yea First and Business Class!! Dave
Congrats Ben and thank you for all the great premium travel you helped me gain access to from the start of your blog. I remember seeing you in your favorite seating area at the LH FCT many years ago and thinking OMG that’s Ben! It’s a new world now and I feel fortunate to have gotten to experience the wonders of First in the most aspirational seats- thank you!
Can't travel now since I have a baby so your jetsetting travels and reviews allow me to live vicariously for now. I enjoy all of your reviews and your quirky sense of humor. Hey, I learned who Shawn Mendes was on this blog!
Congrats Lucky! What sets your blog apart from other blogs (cough cough The Points Guy) is that it is more personal. I always enjoy learning about your perspectives and I love your humor. Keep up the great work!
Congratulations to you and all the team what a great milestone and not easy in this day and age of “immediate” feedback either
Ben, you are the best!
Thanks Lucky. Remember following along to 6-transpacs in 6-days back in the FT years. Can't believe it's been over a dozen years.
I've been reading since the very beginning. Other than basic necessities of life like eating and sleeping, reading OMAAT is literally the only thing that I do every single day. Thanks, Ben!
For those who asked for the first post:
https://onemileatatime.com/welcome/
Have been reading just about daily since 2012! Through the hobby and your blog advice have now experienced F on LH, SQ, EK, EY, OZ, KE, CX, JL, AF, BA, QF, QR, MH, and AA. Still a few carriers left to knock out, but have enjoyed the ride the entire time! Thanks for all the great content!
Congratulations! I've been following for over 6 years and enjoyed writing a mini-post a few years back. Looking forward to whatever comes next!
@ Ben -- Thanks for all of your amazing work! Yes, life is fleeting...
Congrats, Lucky! Glad to have been around for most of it, and here's to many more years!
Happy birthday. Love your blog. Keep on going
Your blog has added so much to my life. THANK YOU!
Started following in 2009 when I was 11. Cheers to 12 years!
Thank you for a fabulous 12 years. I didn't discover this game and your blog until 2011, but my travel life has vastly improved since then. I love reading the posts from you, and Tiffany. Question - has Tiffany been with the blog from the beginning? How did you two meet? One of my favorite set of posts was the competing reviews you and Tiffany did about Lufthansa flights.
I always check your reviews,...
Thank you for a fabulous 12 years. I didn't discover this game and your blog until 2011, but my travel life has vastly improved since then. I love reading the posts from you, and Tiffany. Question - has Tiffany been with the blog from the beginning? How did you two meet? One of my favorite set of posts was the competing reviews you and Tiffany did about Lufthansa flights.
I always check your reviews, and I've had some fantastic flights thanks to advice from you. Hope you are at this for many more years.
Congrats, Ben! OMATT has been a daily read for me and the quantity and quality of reviews remains spectacular.
You’ve come a long way Ben and it’s been such a joy to watch you grow and become yourself more and more over these years. I think I’ve been reading since around 2012 and in that time you’ve changed and grown so much while also teaching me a lot to. You’ve changed my life immensely and I’ll never stop being grateful. Congratulations, now your 30th birthday will be incoming in April! What will you do!
Congratulations. Two memories of your site I’ll note:
1) You did a live contest while flying to have people guess how many times you’d be offered a drink (I think) and I guessed 32 and you gave me 10,000 Delta miles.
2) Several years ago I got two Bank of America Alaska mileage cards because of your blog so that I could fly Cathy first to Hong Kong with a stopover and on to Johannesburg for just 70,000 miles.
Wow! A wholehearted congratulations from Zürich!
Many thanks for the huge amount of insight and interesting information you come up with on such a regular basis!
Best of luck and many more happy landings!
Only 29! Next year is your Milestone. How does the traffic you get on your blog help you financially? Is it from the Credit card links or advertisements. Just curious.
Congratulations! I only started reading the blog last year but it has been a joy to read.
Thanks Lucky, I’ve loved the blog for as long as I can remember, back when your favourite beverage was a Diet Coke with lime - how times have changed! I love your style, your attention to detail and your ability to keep your head when the comments get narky.
Keep the reviews coming!
a long time follower since 2010, happy blogging lucky!
Thanks for changing my life for the positive.
Congrats! This blog has certainly helped me enjoy some trips I didn't think were possible.
Congrats Ben, and thanks for the great blog. Been reading for about 10 years.
Before that I'd never traveled in F, since have done BA, CX, EK, OZ, NH.
Keep up the good work!
Thanks Ben, your blog has literally kept me sane and entertained in equal measure. Just think of the reports in another 12 years ! Have a Krug for me.
An amazing achievement, and one that you should be roundly congratulated for. What you produce each day in quantity and quality is amazing.
I'll keep reading you every day.
Thanks again, and keep up the great work.
Congrats! Here's to another 12 when I'll be your age right now! I started reading in the summer of 2016 and I still check your blog atleast 10 times a day :)
Congrats Ben (and the rest of the OMAAT team)! It seems that I’m hooked on checking in on the site a few times a day. Which is not an easy achievement in this competitive digital environment. You have a winning combination of up-to-date content, fresh perspective and a consistent and engaging approach to storytelling. Looking forward to the next 12 and beyond!
Congrats ben. Loving the blog, keep IT up.
First, Congratulations!
Second, seriously? You're how old? Ugh. LOL
thanks Lucky!
Congratulations. And thanks for publishing a blog that’s still worth reading.
So grateful for your dedication and passion. Vell done, Benny! (with the thick "Sherman" accents your Dad and my late Mom shared...)
Well done, Lucky!
You’ve come a long way from the scraggly kid I met on Randy Petersen’s free trip to Paris on the Open Skies inaugural flights.
Ummm. First post link please and thank you!
And congrats!
Congrats! You are the best! I check your blog around 10 times a day :-)))
Thank you for keeping up with your blog and still maintaining the quality. Ever since I found you in 2016, it has been incredibly helpful in flying premium for good deal. Can't wait to continue reading!
And sorry for overposting, but you should update this one: https://onemileatatime.com/five-memorable-travel-experiences/.
Just to add, I googled to confirm her name (thought it was Janice, but that's from Friends) and Janesis is still working on Singapore and is Chief Stewardess now.
Wow. Congratulations! Been following your blog since it started so I guess I’ve been reading every review from you for 12 years now! You got me into flying and earning miles and I’m always grateful.
Congratulations! You may be very good at this ;-) to make it last 12 years and counting. I only discovered Omaat in 2012 and wish I had find it earlier.
My favorite memories are still the "Chasing the sun" and "The last Aeroplan Hurrah" series, when BA rebooked you on the not yet flown Emirates first and, something that got me intrigued over the years, your reviews of Singapore featuring Janesis. You stopped mentioning...
Congratulations! You may be very good at this ;-) to make it last 12 years and counting. I only discovered Omaat in 2012 and wish I had find it earlier.
My favorite memories are still the "Chasing the sun" and "The last Aeroplan Hurrah" series, when BA rebooked you on the not yet flown Emirates first and, something that got me intrigued over the years, your reviews of Singapore featuring Janesis. You stopped mentioning her a long time ago, have you never flown you her again?
Link to first blog post?
Thank you for documenting your amazing journey and letting us tag along! :)
Congrats Ben & your team! Been a loyal reader for over 10 years!
Been reading OMAAT for at least 10 years, thanks for opening the door to first class travel for my wife and I this past decade: CX, SQ Suites, QF, and EK. All the best and keep up the good work!
Great work, fantastic blog! Your reviews are the best, period.
Congratulations! This made me think, haha. I joined Flyertalk in 2007, as a 17 year old. I think I started following your blog around 2009? Still here! keep it going!
Congratulations. You do a great job.
Happy anniversary!
That's awesome. Congrats to you and the team and hopefully another 12 to come!!