Rolling Stone Article about One Mile at a Time/Ben Schlappig

Barefootwoman

Barefootwoman

Level 2 Member
I was wondering if any of you have read this article that came out a few days about about Ben Schlappig, his passion for aviation, his blog, his life in this Hobby. I thought it was interesting and wondered if any one of you agree with the industry consultant's assertion that our Hobby is very dangerous to the aviation industry?

Link removed to make this unsearchable...it can be seen at:

Code: 
www.rollingstone.com/culture/features/ben-schlappig-airlines-fly-free-20150720
 
T

TheBOSman

Moderator
Staff member
Barefootwoman said:
I thought it was interesting and wondered if any one of you agree with the industry consultant's assertion that our Hobby is very dangerous to the aviation industry?
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Only as dangerous as they allow it to be, which is the ironic part that we've done as well as we have for so long!
 
M

MilesJunkie

Level 1.66 Member
Saw and read it. Ben didn't need to say the people running the programs are idiots. Might be true, but don't need to go poking the bear so publicly. Obviously didn't learn those same loose lips sank his United account when he was young. Or maybe he doesn't care personally if he goes out with a bang but there's plenty of us that do...
 
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smittytabb

smittytabb

Moderator
Staff member
Barefootwoman said:
I was wondering if any of you have read this article that came out a few days about about Ben Schlappig, his passion for aviation, his blog, his life in this Hobby. I thought it was interesting and wondered if any one of you agree with the industry consultant's assertion that our Hobby is very dangerous to the aviation industry?
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I have a lot of opinions about the piece and read it awhile ago before it was widely circulated. It has now gone very public and very global as I have seen it picked up by wires in UK, Australia, France, among others. A version of it even showed up yesterday on my Yahoo homepage. This kind of publicity is not good for us. It is good for him. Anyone who has been doing this awhile knows Ben or knows of Ben. I just wish everyone else on the globe didn't as the overexposure and misinformation in the pieces I am seeing will have wider implications for all of us I fear. As far as danger to aviation? Most frequent flier programs are separate businesses from the airlines themselves, and profitable ones at that.
 
Barefootwoman

Barefootwoman

Level 2 Member
Yes, I was cringing as I read parts of it. His youth is showing....you know, knowledge comes before wisdom. No doubt some aviation execs are hitting "forward all" on that article lol. Incoming! Fire in the Hole! Hobbyists take cover until this one blows over lol.
 
P

projectx

Level 2 Member
I read this a few weeks ago when TBB shared the article before it was published. Calling out the airlines as idiots in an article that's all about gaming the system? Look in the mirror, pal.

Does he really spend all of his time just flying from place to place, spending little to no time exploring the world on the ground? That's sad.
 
smittytabb

smittytabb

Moderator
Staff member
MilesJunkie said:
Saw and read it. Ben didn't need to say the people running the programs are idiots. Might be true, but don't need to go poking the bear so publicly. Obviously didn't learn those same loose lips sank his United account when he was young. Or maybe he doesn't care personally if he goes with a bang but there's plenty of us that do...
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LOL "when he was young". At 25 he still is young. But he's made a fortune selling credit cards by the time most his age are still trying to figure out their careers. Just remember that one of the biggest mistakes is assuming he flies for free. He can afford to not do that all the time.
 
Barefootwoman

Barefootwoman

Level 2 Member
The article also makes brief mention that there are many more men in the Hobby than women. I can't be sure exactly, but I sense that there are lots more men than women on the forums. In real life, I've seen roughly even numbers of men and women at travel and miles/points events.

Are there many more men in this?
 
smittytabb

smittytabb

Moderator
Staff member
Barefootwoman said:
The article also makes brief mention that there are many more men in the Hobby than women. I can't be sure exactly, but I sense that there are lots more men than women on the forums. In real life, I've seen roughly even numbers of men and women at travel and miles/points events.

Are there many more men in this?
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Yes. I have never seen a breakdown, but at all of the miles and points events I have been to, there are definitely more men than women. A lot of people do things as couples. When you see people at the events, sometimes one person is involved in the hobby and the other is tagging along. I couldn't drag my husband to a miles and points event, but we are both very independent and have different interests and hobbies.
 
E

El Ingeniero

Level 2 Member
This is bad news. This is the kind of crap that just fills me with rage. I knew he was a punk, but didn't realize just how much of a little shyte he was.
 
ukinny2000

ukinny2000

Level 2 Member
projectx said:
Does he really spend all of his time just flying from place to place, spending little to no time exploring the world on the ground? That's sad.
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I agree. It feels like it's the aeronautical equivalent of knowing the price of everything and the value of nothing. To me he seems to have constructed this bubble for his life to isolate himself to the greatest extent possible (like Sheldon Cooper in a way). Not how I personally would choose to live my life, but to each their own... .
 
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nrdk

Level 2 Member
@Barefootwoman Please break the link in the first post, last thing we want is some analytics at RS pointing back here as well.

Personally, I'm of the school of thought that there is a 'tipping point' when there are n number of people associated with this 'hobby', in which things will (even more) rapidly shut down and be 'addressed' by various programs.

This kind of publicity will only make matters worse ala MMS readership herd-style of mistakes, blatant entitlement, and poor soft skills.
 
Barefootwoman

Barefootwoman

Level 2 Member
You should see his FB page now. It's like he's become a rock star. Agree that this does not bode well overall for the community.
 
S

Sesq

Level 2 Member
I think its mostly harmless. The thrust of the story is on the mileage runs, mistake fares and airport hopping. Other than some dumb quotes (who is the idiot now?) it treats MS as an arcane, shady art. While the shady part isn't a help, the arcane part works for me.
 
smittytabb

smittytabb

Moderator
Staff member
MilesJunkie said:
Link still not broken. Please edit. For reference, please check Matt's post on breaking links.

EDIT: Not sure but @smittytabb - does your quote of BFW's unbroken link need to be edited too?
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I had originally told Barefootwoman to break the link and then I changed my mind. If that's the case then VRHunter needs to break his in his profile post too.
 
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nickelfish1

Level 2 Member
I finally read the article today. At times I was kinda pissed, at times I rolled my eyes, and at times I totally agreed and smiled. In the end I was actually left feeling sad for him. All this running away to find nothing but emptiness when he gets to where he's running to. Champagne and caviar dreams while you're sleeping alone.....
 
ElainePDX

ElainePDX

Level 2 Member
nickelfish1 said:
... In the end I was actually left feeling sad for him. All this running away to find nothing but emptiness when he gets to where he's running to....
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My reaction exactly.

TBB linked to a great satire of the RS article:
shandypockets dot com slash the-wheels-on-the-bus.html

Truly funny!
 
smittytabb

smittytabb

Moderator
Staff member
Ruh oh, thanks @TheBOSman. I still think it is not that big a deal to unlink this particular post, but I went back and forth. @ElainePDX, I came here to post the spoof and you had it here already. It is super hilarious. Thanks for posting.
 
Matt

Matt

Administrator
Staff member
nickelfish1 said:
I finally read the article today. At times I was kinda pissed, at times I rolled my eyes, and at times I totally agreed and smiled. In the end I was actually left feeling sad for him. All this running away to find nothing but emptiness when he gets to where he's running to. Champagne and caviar dreams while you're sleeping alone.....
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ElainePDX said:
My reaction exactly.
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I see this reaction a lot from people about this article, and I couldn't disagree more. There is nothing wrong with running away to find yourself, and you can have the appearance of a successful, 'normal' life and be lonely and miserable. This is an odd way to put it, but imagine that happiness is a 1-10 scale, he might be genuinely on a level 7 right now, and you might be a 5, and just not know.
 
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nrdk

Level 2 Member
Spoof was pretty great, I hope that makes just as many rounds as the real article, mostly for the selfish reason of 'discrediting' the supposed glamorous lifestyle. For some reason I have a sinking feeling about the way this particular article will be received.
 
V

Voyaging Doc

Level 2 Member
Having met him at FTU I think he's a brilliant guy and genuinely tries to help others and share loopholes even if he is not making a buck off of it (directly). I think we all have the mindset of paranoia and for good reason. I disagree with this article being published as it exposes are hobby unnecessarily but I can't fault him for it as he benefits from the publicity. He is truly living out his hobby, and enjoying it which is something all or some of us may envy to a degree. But of course doing what you love does not always fulfill ones' definition of happiness and contentment. I'd love doing what he does, but it's not the same without a companion.
 
italdesign

italdesign

Level 2 Member
Cringe-worthiness aside, I wouldn't put much weight on "accuracy" of the article. Writers cherry-pick to create a coherent-ish theme. They also tend to project their own experience. So what you read (and everything you read) is the cherry-picked selection of the writer's projection of what he heard.
 
Barefootwoman

Barefootwoman

Level 2 Member
I see it the same Matt. I once had the American Dream - big expensive house in a gorgeous suburb, child in private school, husband was a corporate officer at a Fortune 500 company, I was a mid level manager at a Fortune 100 and it was all a trap of responsibility and stress. Eventually, the house and contents were sold, child graduated, husband ran off to become a corporate criminal (I cannot abide such) and I left my job. I am much, much happier now and it has nothing to do with who's lying next to me or whether any of us are living the picture of domestic bliss. I am barefoot and content. For some of us, Ben is living the dream. He doesn't appear to owe anything to anyone.

Ohm...... ;)
 
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