So, 'it's a business, not a charity.' Huh. Wild. For real, though, Ben (and team), you don't ever really have to explain yourself, but thank you for trying to, regardless. Your site (and a few others still out there) really do a great service for this hobby and community. Even before I became a commenter, I sought information from your guides. I'll admit, I didn't 'want' some of the changes at first, but I did register, and some the new features have been helpful. And, you do get less ads when you get higher up the 'status' list. (C'mon, OMAAT Diamond Reserve 360 Global Key...)
"signing up for our newsletter and adding OMAAT as a preferred source on Google through your account."
I am already signed up for your newsletter,
i did add one mile at a time as a "preferred Source". I had to google how to do that....I must be older than you, because computers are not intuitive
maeve, you'd need to register an account; like, currently, you're not logged in (Guest).
*sigh* Biscoff only. I think OMAAT Diamond Reserve Elite Plus includes lounges (and up to 70 lbs of carry-on!) Yowzers!
It would be great for those of us long time readers and commenters, who hadn't created accounts until recently, to earn points for past "engagement."
(Or, pretend this is a SUB, actually read the program rules, visit/contribute a few times each week, and you'll be up to Diamond in no time... you could be 'Gold' tomorrow, just by signing up for the Newsletter and Google-thing via the Notifications tab on your Profile on the site. Eh, you do you.)
It would be great if said long time readers and commenters instead created an account, if they want credit for things they posted. Accounts here have always been free.
"You can do a bunch of sponsored content; I’m not opposed to doing more of this if I have to..."
That second phrase surprised me. As others have noted in the comments, we come here because you're honest. That is exactly what makes your site attractive, and the more you dilute that, the fewer loyal readers you'll have. I mean, even when you're NOT trying to monetize something, people scream about "Click bait! WAAH!" because they think your intention in posting something that might have a sensational aspect to it is just to increase clicks and revenue. Well, imagine how they'll scream if they see paid/sponsored content?
That said, your core audience is a tough one: we're all in the miles and points game because we enjoy getting stuff for "free" (or at least getting good value). So very few are going to pay for content, yet you have to pay the bills. I don't envy the balancing act you're forced to devise! But I do appreciate (most of) your content and I do go out of my way to find your affiliate links when I decide to apply for a credit card. Least I could do.
@ snic -- Yeah, as I mentioned in the second part of that bullet, it's something I'd rather not do much of, though. So it falls more in the category of "well, if I have to" rather than "yep, I'd like to."
"You can do a bunch of sponsored content; I’m not opposed to doing more of this if I have to..."
Ben, there is an implicature (as we say in the language business) here that you have done sponsored content before, I was not aware of that. Was it designated and I missed it?
“we enjoy getting stuff for "free" (or at least getting good value)” … thank you for adding that parenthetical, because even those sign-up-bonuses require careful planning, actually reading and understanding terms, the privilege of decent credit, opportunity cost, etc.
Long time reader and I have no issues with what you are doing with your blog.
It's yours to run as you see fit and if people don't like it, then they can stop visiting.
Your content is still head and shoulders above the AI-generated and click bait slop in other travel blogs.
Keep up the good work!
Not a fan of requiring email list sign-up to comment.
As always will appreciate your openness and transparency!
While I love the site and follow it, I’ve got to say it has some of the most annoying and detrimental ads(in terms of blocking the actual content/making it difficult to read) of any site that I visit.
So if having multiple video ads playing at the same time and crowding out the article isn’t enough to make a living…..oof
So that guy you spoke to is making money by breaking the law, you realize that right?
Hi Ben
Long time reader and HUGE fan. I will always support you and this endeavour.
That includes, should it ever come to this, a paid subscription.
Thanks for your passion, transparency and quality.
Oh yeah...please move to St. Petersburg...it's just better over on this side LOL !
As always, I truly appreciate your thoughtfulness and transparency. What a wonderful respite from some of the other garbage on the internet. I support your proposed changes and appreciate you letting us know. A lot of times I don't bother to sign in before I comment because the system would kick me off and I'd have to re-enter - it was a pain in the butt. I'll make sure to sign in from now on so I can get credit and potentially reduce my ads. 🙂
I understand the tradeoffs one must make between business sustainability and user experience, especially in a space as competitive and commoditized as travel blogging (not to mention niche! not everyone geeks out about optimizing travel as we do!). I'm a technical product manager at a large tech company, so I get it.
I'm liking the changes you and Jeremy are bringing to this site, and how you're thinking about building community. At the end the day, I visit OMAAT to read about your honest, unfiltered opinions and experiences regarding the travel industry, and to engage the passionate member community. The more you build community around your core site members, the more the organic community will attract new members by creating an additional layer of value around what you (Ben) do.
That said, the site stability needs some work (I re-wrote this comment in my iOS Notes app because the site crashed, reloaded, and erased my draft; Jeremy, I know you're working on it!). Ben, please organize a meetup next time you're in Seattle. Would love to chat more!
FWIW your recent changes have made it so that I cannot view your blog on my work computer. You block the access because of the controls on my work computer that I cannot change. That’s fine, but it means that I engage a lot less with your content. If I am searching for an answer to something, I simply chose a different source than your blog since if I click on a link you all will block me from accessing. This may be harming your traffic more than you realize. You don’t owe me anything but thought you would want to know.
Same here, it thinks I'm using an ad blocker when it's just the company's firewall. So I only read omaat on the bus now :p
I really don't care how many ads there are, I'd still read if it's accessible.
Thanks for these reports. We've made some adjustments, and you shouldn't have any issues with the company firewall (but let me know if you still do).
Thanks for this post - it's the level of transparency displayed in this post and the editorial independence that makes this blog worth reading and coming back to again and again. I think the changes you have made are sensible, even if some new features are hard to discover.
Ben,
Thanks so much for sharing your insights. I really appreciate the opportunity to understand what you’re going through and how the world is changing and how it affects you.
I totally understand and appreciate what you need to do and would love to do anything I can’t to still continue to enjoy the products that you produced, and the articles that you write. The world is moving at Mach .9 so if we’re evolving with it, it’s gonna pass us by glad you’re in the sky and welcome to the sadness of today.
So we are going to get Lucky to do tiktok dances is what i am hearing (reading).
Ben, I've been following your posts for a number of years and have enjoyed them from any number of perspectives including interesting destinations, industry “issues,” quality of service, costs, etc.
The only issue that I have with this blog is its current almost entire orientation towards (or maybe obsession with) ultimate luxury – the front of the aircraft (business class or better), five star hotels, the fanciest restaurants, etc.
Not all of us are travelling on a generous expense account. The days in which Gold status (based on actual miles travelled on the airline) either on American or United Airlines would yield free upgrades to the front of the plane are long over. (I have “lifetime” Platinum status on United, but it has been many years since I have been able to score any free upgrades based on status!) I understand that “cash is king” and that the airlines would prefer any cash or an exorbitant miles/points expenditure to get to the front of the plane over a “free upgrade” based strictly on “loyalty” (whatever that means these days). And the airline or credit card lounge situation has totally gotten out of control with overcrowding and, especially in domestic lounges, marginal food. And hotel loyalty programs have become a real joke (including Marriott, Hyatt, and Hilton) with resort/destination fees, failure to provide any room upgrades at all or to honor alleged commitments for early check-in, late check-out, “free” breakfasts, lounge access, etc.
What I am suggesting is that you occasionally devote a column to “slumming it” in your travels and reviews. Describe your good, bad, and indifferent experiences in “economy class” (not the super-cheapo not-even-a-carryon class) flights including being “stuck” in middle seats, the airport dining options, non-luxury (2, 3, and some 4 star) hotels both domestically and around the world, typical non-Michelin Guide restaurants, etc.
You might even find this to be a fun exercise every so often, possibly even more so than dealing with the Cairo Airport!
Appreciate the transparency, and think your changes are fair
Ben, I wish there was the ability to be automatically logged into the site. Like others have said, I only log in if I want to comment - can we stay logged into the site somehow? It would make it much easier to comment or like etc plus get the benefit of your new status system.
When you log in, there's a button option to stay logged in. As long as that is selected, you stay logged in for 14 days. The team is working on extending that period. Hoping to have that out in the next week or so.
I have been reading for years, while I see changes both good and not so good, I have not felt the monetisation to be squarely in my face as a reader. But in the end good content costs money to create, and the bills don't pay themselves.
Of course I will not like all changes, but what I don't like, might be what the next reader over likes very much. But overall the information I get from the site is generally good, and I enjoy reading it.
Some people complain that the site is moving away from a pure points blog, and going in to more cash based travel. Might even just say moving towards being a travel blog rather than a points blog. With the overall development in airline, hotel, and credit card points, we all (probably) feel the challenges in travelling purely on points, and also start mixing far more cash purchases into things. So, I'd say it is only of interest to get more non points input. But maybe that's just me?
I want to endorse your comment about non-points, cash-based travel (like, I thought Ben’s thorough review of the new FS yacht was excellent, and clearly not a mere points redemption); that said, even on an epic round-the-world points and miles trip, I have to imagine there’s still very real cash expenses behind it. (Like, I don’t recall in-depth discussions on how said points were earned to begin with.) So, a variety of content is really best. Something for everyone. And if some folks don’t like a particular topic (or comment, or commenter…), they can ignore or engage.
@1990
In the immortal words of "he gets it," I fully concur.
Since I retired and moved here to Malta (that's MLA not MIA), I lost access to accruing more points and miles because I could not get a U.S. based CC here. And Europeans treat CC a lot different than Americans. Most use debit cards or CC that must be fully paid by end of month
So, for the most part, I, too am a free agent, paying by cash. Can't really complain when our cost of living here is about 40% lower than in Seattle. (Can you imagine, buying a house here and paying property tax only when you buy it and when you sell it?)
But I started reading Ben's postings. Forgetting that most of the talk is about how to monetize your travel. He was speaking directly to cash-based travelers, too. We like good things, too. Along the way, I learned about Ben's background (Germany and father who worked for LH). And having flown LH two- or three-times a year from Seattle to Helsinki, I looked into LH. They had several daily flights to FRA and MUC. Each connected with intercontinental flights to most anywhere in the world that we wanted to visit. And he talked about how well you are treated when flying FC out of FRA (FCT). Yes, I knew that the FC and Biz class seats were very dated. But, we both sleep comfortably, and service has always been fantastic for us. And has for doors, they remind me of the old western barns with swinging doors. Stand next to it, and you can see what you are doing.
And from time to time, Ben speaks about his love for Japan. So, we flew to Japan a couple of years ago, going to Tokyo and Kyoto. Enjoyed it very much. Just wish they had more temples and shrines!
One thing led to another, and I read an article inside their Worldshop Magazine. And lo and behold, there was an article on Beppu, a city on the northeast side of Kyushu. Words and pictures aplenty. Beppu is noted for a preponderance of thermal spas (Onsen), due to being built directly on top of a geothermal. So, you can walk from your hotel in your bathrobe, with towel to the spa you want. And there many "flavors" of spa water to taste, Each designed to cure what ails me (wonder if there is one that will make the Orange man go away? When you are finished, or in between spas, you can stop at one of the numerous thermal restaurants along the roads, and have some boiled shrimp, corn on the cob, or steamed potatoes.
My wife selected our hotel, the Amene Resort, Gahama Terrace, a 5-star ryokan resort on the bay. But, they do also have some suites with traditional beds, not tatami mats. My back thanks them. On the tenth-floor open terrace there is a jacuzzi and a traditional hot tub. So, not too far to fall into bed!
The bottom line is two-fold. I will use cash. Others may use points/miles, although this hotel, and its sister hotel are the only two hotels on the bay, with no affiliation with any program.
While I assume the vast majority of readers on this site are "in it" for the points and miles info, the rest of us gather the nuggets of information for our own use. It is not just Ben that provides the nuggets that I seek. I can thank you, his long-time followers.
So, Ben, keep on providing the information. By formatting it that that users of points and miles can gain valuable money saving ideas, at the same time providing the rest of us valuable, and practical, information.
p.s. While I agree with Ben that younger people have much different sources of information than their parents, it's worth pointing out that some countries are banning the Tic Toc's, Instagram's, and facebook from providing news via short blurbs, unless they pay for that content.
As if by magic, no sooner than I posted the above, I received an email from Worldshop. In it they reprised many of those blogs inserted into their Worldshop magazines. Here's the one on the Onsen in Beppu. Makes you just want to spend the days in various steam baths. https://www.worldshop.eu/en/blog/japan
One reader’s two cents FWIW:
You provide a great service at incredible value (free for most). Make money however you think is best, and remember that the loudest voices are rarely representative of the majority.