Around the end of the year, I like to share the most read OMAAT posts of the year. Truth be told, I like to write this breakdown post not just for you guys, but also for myself.
I spend little time focused on optimizing traffic. Sure, I try to do basic things that are good for SEO, but that’s about where it ends. I’d rather spend my time writing about the things that I’m passionate about and find interesting. I logged into Google Analytics today for the first and last time of 2024 to write this post.
In this post:
The most read OMAAT posts of 2024
Here are the 10 OMAAT posts that were read the most in 2024, in the order of number of page views received:
- Frontier Airlines Pilot Arrested On Aircraft At Houston Airport
- Scary: Spirit Airlines Flight Prepares For Water Landing
- Terrifying: Southwest 737 Descends To 150 Feet Above Tampa Bay
- Delta Flight Attendant Stabs Colleague, Charged With Attempted Murder
- Pilot Caught Secretly Working For Two Airlines
- Air France A350 Business Class: Best In Europe?
- JFK ATC Loses Cool With Air France Pilot, Crosses Line
- A TAP Airbus A321’s Wild, Nose First Landing In Madeira
- Delta Diamond Snitches On Flight Attendants, Faces Backlash
- Houston-Bound British Airways 787 Returns To London After Nine Hours
Here are a few more things I just pulled up that I find noteworthy:
- The most read post was read ~1.3x as much as the second most read post, and ~4.1x as much as the tenth most read post
- My most read airline review of the year was of Emirates’ A380 first class, my most read lounge review was of British Airways’ Concorde Room, and my most read hotel review was of Corendon Amsterdam New-West
- No posts about tips or tricks for redeeming miles or points even cracked the top 100 posts in terms of traffic
- In terms of monthly traffic, July was the busiest month, while September was the quietest (which is unusual, because usually summers are quieter for traffic)
- When I publish my takes on airline experiences, the post with initial impressions of the experience always gets more page views than the actual full review installment
My takeaway from the most read OMAAT posts
Suffice it to say that the posts that are the most read are absolutely not the posts that I think are most useful, that took me the most post time to write, or that I’m most proud of.
But that’s also the joy (or curse?) of the internet. Posts that I find marginally interesting and that take me 15 minutes to write sometimes get way more traffic than posts that I find really interesting and that take me hours to write, and often require a significant investment (in terms of cash or points). In that sense, the above list doesn’t surprise me.
The posts that are most popular with the internet at large are typically not the ones most popular with longtime readers, and I never want to lose sight of that. If my goal were simply to generate as much traffic as possible, I’d quit traveling and would just post salacious airport meltdowns all day long, because the internet loves that stuff.
But simply maximizing traffic isn’t what motivates me to wake up every day and get excited about “work.” I’ve written about my day-to-day life as a travel blogger, and how I got started in this in the first place. Ultimately this industry is my passion, and the fact that I get to write about it every day is something I won’t ever take for granted.
Personally, I’d rather spend several hours writing a post I’m proud of and that I’d also enjoy reading, than spending 15 minutes writing a post that generates five times as much traffic, but that I’m not proud of.
Bottom line
I always find it interesting to look at the most read posts of the year. That’s not because the data changes what I’ll write about, but rather because it’s a good reminder that quality, detailed content isn’t typically what gets the most page views.
As always, I’m extremely grateful to all OMAAT readers for their support. I’m incredibly fortunate to be able to do what I love every day and call it a job, even if it doesn’t feel like it. I owe that all to you guys.
Thanks for another year of quality content Ben! You have a boutique blog and the care that you take to make each post something with actual content is much appreciated by us who love to travel. I also personally appreciate you repping the gays well and living your best life with your husband, son and dog. Keep up the strong work! :)
"Not good stuff," as in not one lucrative credit card advert? Quite the rebuke, eh?
Really interesting post.
I'd have expected the long-form review articles to have lower initial take-up, but to have higher "residual" traffic - people accessing them months or years after publication. I'm wondering if this is the case?
Thank you Ben.
Although I appreciate what the statistics are suggesting, your blog would not be the same without the review articles which, as you say, may not be the most profitable, be it in reader numbers or money. They do, however, support an impressive library of information which I very often re-visit for when planning trips or while on trips. They are a huge part of what makes your blog wholesome so keep doing what you’re doing! You lead the pack!
How did the Cairo airport review and resulting brouhaha not crack the top 10??
Thanks for the amazing work and posts this year. Always love your writing.
sorry for contributing to 30 reply comments ;)
Ben, keep up the great work. I'm not sure how much detail Google Analytics goes into, but I would guess most of those views for the "dramatic" articles are from widespread sharing and non-frequent OMAAT readers.
Most of your OMAAT followers are doing so because we're avgeeks and/or points people just like you. Keep up the great reviews and points tips. We certainly appreciate it. Honestly this is one of very few websites I visit...
Ben, keep up the great work. I'm not sure how much detail Google Analytics goes into, but I would guess most of those views for the "dramatic" articles are from widespread sharing and non-frequent OMAAT readers.
Most of your OMAAT followers are doing so because we're avgeeks and/or points people just like you. Keep up the great reviews and points tips. We certainly appreciate it. Honestly this is one of very few websites I visit every day.
On a selfish note, I also appreciate that you're a morning person living on the East Coast, so when I wake up at 6 AM PST half the articles (or more) are already polished and ready to consume!
I'm curious which of your posts had the most comments... those are often the fun stories ;)
This is my ‘go-to’ website everyday. I’m also surprised the CAI post didnt make to the top 10. Keep up with the good work!
You should write a post of the "Top 10 Avacado Toasts of All Time"!!
@ JS -- So how do we feel about leaving the avocado toast humor behind in 2024, as a New Year's resolution? :-)
What a classy response. I'm going to steal that.
Well, I was at first going to say no to that - even though we do get tired of the redundant, boring pics of avacado toast. But then, I like your response and perhaps maybe I should turn over a new leaf for 2025. You've inspired me! (How's that for a back-handed compliment?) :) I'll do my best!
Thank you for keeping on writing the reviews for the long time readers, even if they mean less engagement :). For the review preview posts, I like them because they usually indicate if I want to read the full review or not. And there are still some other posts that I refer to quite often (most notably up to date award cancellation policies, or current transfer bonuses). Happy New Year to you and your loved ones !
@ Clem -- Thanks so much for reading and for your contributions, and happy new year to you as well!
I've been an OMAAT loyalist since May 2017, while I am unsurprised by your most read articles of the year (other than the snub of the Cairo airport debacle!) I truly appreciate the time you put into the articles for avgeeks and travel nerds like myself
@ Kevin -- You're very kind, thank you, and happy new year!
Thanks for all you do Lucky! Long time reader and fan. I still appreciate the long involved reviews and point redemption articles. When I'm looking for thorough, detailed, and specific, I'm going to OMAAT first. :)
Ben, your reviews of luxury airflights re my go-to, and I send members of my private groups to your site all the time. I even still use your defunct YouTube channel with beginners, because your 3 "getting started with points and miles" videos are still the best introduction around.
I did notice the uptick in "clickbait" posts this year, and honestly I did go ahead and read a few. Knowing that that's where you money...
Ben, your reviews of luxury airflights re my go-to, and I send members of my private groups to your site all the time. I even still use your defunct YouTube channel with beginners, because your 3 "getting started with points and miles" videos are still the best introduction around.
I did notice the uptick in "clickbait" posts this year, and honestly I did go ahead and read a few. Knowing that that's where you money comes in makes it a little easier, especially since you're not at VFTW levels of faux-outrage content. I too wish you could focus on exactly what you (and, generally, we) want, but that's not the internet we have.
@ Origami -- You're very kind, thank you! :-) So here's a fun fact, because I did the math the other day. As a percentage of total posts, 2024 had the lowest number of "travel incident" stories in the past six years (which I think is what many would consider to be "clickbait" stories). I didn't go back further than that. So I can totally understand how it may have appeared otherwise, but the number...
@ Origami -- You're very kind, thank you! :-) So here's a fun fact, because I did the math the other day. As a percentage of total posts, 2024 had the lowest number of "travel incident" stories in the past six years (which I think is what many would consider to be "clickbait" stories). I didn't go back further than that. So I can totally understand how it may have appeared otherwise, but the number of those posts is on the decline, and I think that trend will continue in 2025.
quit travelling and just write posts about airport meltdowns all day? then you'd be matthew at liveandletsfly....please don't ever do that!
I'm amazed that the Boeing window incident and the Cairo airport nonsense didn't crack the top 10.
This too just shocked me. I would have pegged this as #1. What it top 25 Ben?
We need a list of the most premium posts of 2024
Ben, Thanks for sticking to what matters even if it doesn't generate the most traffic. This site introduced me to the world of traveling on points over a decade ago and I remain grateful. Your trip reports remain the best in the business. I also cherish your tips for booking aspirational flights. Flying Emirates after snagging an airport upgrade remains my top flight experience of all time. It wouldn't have happened but for you. Keep...
Ben, Thanks for sticking to what matters even if it doesn't generate the most traffic. This site introduced me to the world of traveling on points over a decade ago and I remain grateful. Your trip reports remain the best in the business. I also cherish your tips for booking aspirational flights. Flying Emirates after snagging an airport upgrade remains my top flight experience of all time. It wouldn't have happened but for you. Keep it up, and here's to a great 2025 to you, this industry, and your readers!
@ Roundtree -- Thank you so much for reading, and happy new year! :-)
My annual complaint that your built in search feature is poor and it's hard to find what you have or haven't reviewed, especially when the first hit is 8 years old. You really need an airline and aircraft directory system.
For hotels that's much more complicated, but being able to see "all hotel reviews in France" at a glance would be helpful
@ James S -- Totally agree with that feedback, and I promise improving that is something that's on my list. I'm hoping that it'll happen in 2025, as I have quite a few improvements I'm hoping to make.
Ben, I look forward every day to about 1700hrs in St. Petersburg (FL) to see what you have written today.
I have been following for some years now and THANK YOU ! for the reviews and observations that you bring to us.
@ BradStPete -- THANK YOU! And always happy to see people with a connection to St. Pete!
Am always looking for the best way to snag a J or F ticket to Europe or Tokyo.
Did you ever do a follow-up about the Delta Karen?
Turns out she was anyways lying about getting miles for snitching. She got miles for some delays and other issues on her other flights not because she "reported" the FAs.
@ yoloswag420 -- Hah, I didn't bother, but that whole situation is messy...
Ben, so appreciative for the excellent writing you do. My comments probably have 1/100 th the skill as your articles. I know when there is a flight or hotel review that you have covered it thoroughly and honestly. Keep the accurate and non-biased reviews coming please. I will try to support you by reading them and clicking your affiliate links when possible.
@ Greg -- Appreciate the support, thanks so much!
Now do most popular comments of 2024. Wouldn't be surprised if the entire Top 10 are people calling Tim Dunn out for his terrible mental gymnastics.
If I could block one thing from OMAAT, it would be all posts talking about Tim Dunn! Not Tim himself, just all the rest of you.
Sheesh, now I have to block myself.
@ Mark -- Hah, so in the coming days I plan to publish updated commenting guidelines, which will impact that. Stay tuned. :-)
@Super you left out DCS with his stupid mental gymnastics too
What would be interesting to me is which posts made you the most money. I’d assume that would be posts that give you a lot of credit card referrals or generate a lot of referrals for your husband’s travel agency. Would you be willing to disclose that?
@ NM1961 -- That's a great and interesting question. My lack of transparency here isn't because I'm not willing to reveal it, but honestly because it's something I don't track much. The truth is that I spend very little time focused on maximizing revenue, and a lot more time just writing, and hoping that the combination of all content pays the bills. As long as it does, I just keep trucking along.
Here's how I...
@ NM1961 -- That's a great and interesting question. My lack of transparency here isn't because I'm not willing to reveal it, but honestly because it's something I don't track much. The truth is that I spend very little time focused on maximizing revenue, and a lot more time just writing, and hoping that the combination of all content pays the bills. As long as it does, I just keep trucking along.
Here's how I view the profitability of the various types of posts:
-- In terms of time invested, clickbait stories are probably the most profitable in terms of effort, because they're quite to write and get a lot of page views; like I said, if the goal were to just maximize page views and profitability, I'd probably just be writing those all day
-- While a good amount of the blog's revenue comes from affiliate marketing and credit cards, I think most people would be surprised by challenging that has become over the years; the volume isn't what it once was, and there's a ton of competition online for that traffic
-- Trip reports are probably the least profitable posts in terms of the amount of effort and investment they take to write, and the relative little interest from the internet at large; however, those are the posts I enjoy writing most, and I know consistent readers enjoy those as well
-- Ford does really well with his travel agency, and while I totally recognize that many points "purists" might not like it, the truth is that the intended audience there often isn't those who read the blog on a daily basis
Hope that somewhat answers your question. :-)
Thanks for the insights Ben, especially since you don't have to share any of that.
As for your last point, I've never understood why some of your readers cannot understand the concept of evolving as you go through life. You do a great job of still getting points hotels in the mix, but it'd be sad if after all this time you *only* stayed in St Regis / Park Hyatts when there is an...
Thanks for the insights Ben, especially since you don't have to share any of that.
As for your last point, I've never understood why some of your readers cannot understand the concept of evolving as you go through life. You do a great job of still getting points hotels in the mix, but it'd be sad if after all this time you *only* stayed in St Regis / Park Hyatts when there is an amazing world of non-points hotels out there. I'd argue the spirit of the points/miles world has never been to exclusively use just points/miles for everything, but rather to open up the world of aspirational travel for less, whether paying by points or cash.
Thanks so much, that is very insightful and interesting. I’m an avid reader and fan of your reviews, I do value these tremendously. I also go back to them in preparation for trips. I do a couple of bookings through your husband (via Aaron, thanks for the support), so I hope that sends some revenue your way and compensates you a bit for the review pieces. They really are what makes this blog stand out!
"If my goal were simply to generate as much traffic as possible, I’d quit traveling and would just post salacious airport meltdowns all day long, because the internet loves that stuff."
So you don't want to be like Gary?
Don't even get me started on Gary's daily foot fetish posts...
And yet we all read Gary's blog. I also note that Ben and Gary have respectfully attributed/credited each other for a long, long time. I think of it this way: Ben is a balanced diet, Gary is Garrett's Buttery Popcorn from ORD, which I LOVE.
I stopped visiting Gary's blog years ago when most of his headlines were clickbaits.
DenB - we really don't haha. As a matter of fact, a few months ago after scanning his articles titles in the daily email recap he sends and literally laughing out loud at the junk, and realizing I didn't even open an article of his in so long, I just unsubscribed from his newsletter / daily recap. Same happened a long time ago with TPG after all their content became sponsored or about cruises and Disney.
It's frustrating because there are some nuggets in there that are worth it... annoyingly sometimes in the roundup posts with the clickbait title (and usually some foot fetish video that you have to scroll past).
"And yet we all read Gary's blog."
No we don't. I stopped years ago, once it turned to clickbait.
Re: "When I publish my takes on airline experiences, the post with initial impressions of the experience always gets more page views than the actual full review installment". I think that is because your "initial impressions" are always very detailed :-), better then other bloggers' full reviews.
I started reading your blog when I took my first road warrior job in 2013, and have been on the site near daily ever sense. Thanks for sticking to your roots, Lucky! There are a lot of people who appreciate what you do and love the reviews, even if they aren't generating the most traffic! You've helped my SO and I take some amazing trips, and for that I'm truly grateful!
I'm also surprised the...
I started reading your blog when I took my first road warrior job in 2013, and have been on the site near daily ever sense. Thanks for sticking to your roots, Lucky! There are a lot of people who appreciate what you do and love the reviews, even if they aren't generating the most traffic! You've helped my SO and I take some amazing trips, and for that I'm truly grateful!
I'm also surprised the Cairo saga didn't come higher based on the sheer number of comments each of those posts gathered!
I hope you and your family are enjoying the holidays! Take care!
Most bizarrely, with all those extra readers and commenters from Egypt, how did those posts not crack the top 10!! ;-)
@ Khatl -- Hah, that's a great question, and it surprises me as well. I suspect because it was several posts, given what a saga it was. Together they would have been by far the most read post of the year, but individually, they didn't quite crack the top 10.
@Ben, do you have any way of ranking your posts based on # of comments? Wondering if the Egypt saga would fare better by that metric... It'd also be interesting to know about other posts that resulted in lots of engagement via comments.
Looking forward to more OMAAT in 2025!
Interesting stuff. I am a little surprised at your most read hotel review, since it's a bit of a niche hotel/room (even if super cool). Emirates F and BA Concorde Room make sense for most read, but I would've guessed one of your luxury reviews would've been the most read hotel review.
As a longtime and frequent reader, I can say I enjoy the full reviews the most and also find the points/redeeming stories very...
Interesting stuff. I am a little surprised at your most read hotel review, since it's a bit of a niche hotel/room (even if super cool). Emirates F and BA Concorde Room make sense for most read, but I would've guessed one of your luxury reviews would've been the most read hotel review.
As a longtime and frequent reader, I can say I enjoy the full reviews the most and also find the points/redeeming stories very valuable. For example, when about to book a reward ticket, and needed to know the cancellation rules, I searched the program + OMAAT in Google and found exactly what I needed. So even if not read much, know those posts are very valuable for some of us.
@ S -- You're very kind, thank you! Honestly, hotel and airport lounge reviews just don't generate much traffic, period. But I'm also fine with that, because I know for the core OMAAT audience, trip reports are among the favorite posts. It's also why I try to strike a balance. I couldn't afford to do this full time if the extent of my posts was just trip reports, but I view it as a reasonable...
@ S -- You're very kind, thank you! Honestly, hotel and airport lounge reviews just don't generate much traffic, period. But I'm also fine with that, because I know for the core OMAAT audience, trip reports are among the favorite posts. It's also why I try to strike a balance. I couldn't afford to do this full time if the extent of my posts was just trip reports, but I view it as a reasonable investment in the site, in terms of time and money (and it's also what I'm most passionate about).
Same. Been reading for about 9 years now. I came, and stay, for the detailed flight reviews (huzzah for living vicariously). I read other articles as they interest me, and come and search for specific things when needed (e.g., credit card review when I'm considering a new one).
How did the Cairo airport article not even crack the top 10, let alone be your top one?
Perhaps it was released too late in the year?
"The posts that are most popular with the internet at large are typically not the ones most popular with longtime readers, and I never want to lose sight of that."
THANK YOU!
Surprised your Egyptian saga didn’t crack the Top 10.
@ UncleRonnie -- I kind of am as well, but I think it's because it was spread across several posts.
Your reviews are incredibly helpful and the best format of anyone who does this for a job. They are the reason your consistent readers come back. Cheers to more in 2025.
@ pstm91 -- Always appreciate your comments, so thank you, and happy new year!
Best Wishes on a safe pleasant and productive year of 2025
appreciate all your reviews + your enduring honesty
Thank you for everything you do Lucky, you are truly the best in the game. The long form reviews are what keep me coming back every day. Happy new year and hopefully they will be higher up in the rankings next year!
@ Curtis -- Thank you very much, and happy new year to you!