Tagging Miles

Doing Good, Join us for Happy Hour on 30 November, and bring a toy!

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Last year, I partnered with Richard Kerr and Travel Hacking Award Travel 101 to host a Toys for Tots Happy Hour.

Frequent Travelers Do Great Things

Last year you (the travel hacking / frequent traveler community) donated 50 toys to Toys for Tots. That is amazing. Just look at all the toys:

Frequent Traveler Community

50 Toys bound for Toys for Tots!

This year, I’m partnering with Ed from Pizza in Motion and Jeanne from Le Chic Geek, Tagging Geeky Pizza Event for a in support of Toys for Tots. We’d have Richard with us if he weren’t hosting his own event on the West Coast a couple days later (I tried to convince him that he could fly same day, because, you know, American is that reliable!) but we will keep Richard with us in spirit.

The event will be in Arlington, VA, thanks to Jeanne’s amazing contacts with seemingly every DC restaurant. Details below:

Tortoise & Hare Bar and Grille
567 23rd St S, Arlington
Crystal City Metro Station
Arlington, VA 22202

The event will be 30 November, 6-9pm. We’ll have representation from the US Marine Corp to accept the toys (and our appreciation for their service). We’ll have friends, fellowship, and I’m sure the Tortoise & Hare staff will be pouring plenty of enjoyment!

Please take a moment to register.

We are asking that you bring a toy for a child that might otherwise not have a toy underneath their tree. 

Doing Good

When I originally got into this community, I got in via blogs that shared tips to generate miles and points–and ultimately–great experiences, because they wanted to help. Randy founded FlyerTalk, then later partnering with others–including Pizza in Motion himself– founding MilePoint with a similar goal in mind. Sharing the amazing things available for folks that want to put some effort in, to get amazing travel opportunities. That grew further to include doing good for others. There’s a MilePoint Kiva Lending Team that is doing amazing good for people who might otherwise not get microloans to do good in their own community. All of these things were inspiration for us in the travel community to do good.

With that in mind, I invite you to the bring a toy, do some good, and share in the holiday revelry with fellow travel hackers.

If you’re wondering about the best way to procure such toys, Ed, Jeanne, and I will be posting about opportunities to purchase toys in ways that you might even get some extra miles yourself. For example, you can utilize Shopping Portals to generate as much as 12,000 miles/points at the moment.

FT4RL Recap, Meet-ups, AMEX Platinum, Noise Cancelling Headphones

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The Weekly Travel News Roundup is a collection of headlines from around the internet that caught the attention of the Tagging Miles team. Content on these blogs do not necessarily reflect the positions of Tagging Miles, and should not be considered endorsements. Have a great story we should read? Contact us now and let us know.

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Tagging Miles Posts of the Week:

 

Thoughts from Reselling DO 3

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This past week, we hosted the third ResellingDO. I’ve intentionally not posted very much about the events in the past, partially, because I want to cultivate people sharing openly. That’s also why we’ve kept it small.

ResellingDO

Quality Bagels to start the day off

ResellingDO 3

On Sunday 11 September 2016, we hosted roughly 75 people at the Jailbreak Brewery, in Laurel, MD. This was the same site of the first ResellingDO. This time, we rented out the taproom for the entire day. It really was a great event.
We covered such topics as:

  • Recent brand restrictions (link)
  • Using gift cards to supercharge your margins
  • Reconciling Inventory
  • Utilizing data to increase your margins
  • Storage Fees (which will soon go up-link),
  • Buyers, and more Accounting for resellers

ResellingDO

As you read through these topics, you are probably thinking, as I did, that we were really moving at an intermediate to advanced level. The truth is, that was the goal, but I didn’t want to advertise it as such. All too often, you see a conference or meet-up that is marketed as “Advanced” only to find out that the content really isn’t.

The challenge I see going forward though, is how we can make reselling accessible to new folks, and help to get them up to speed, as we continue to push the level of expertise for many of the presentations, to that next level of advanced. This is particularly important, because over the past 3 events–which have grown by about a third each time–I’ve been truly impressed with the number of repeat attendees.

img_4441

Looking ahead to ResellingDO 4

During ResellingDO 3, I announced a “Save the Date” for ResellingDO4. A lot of folks pulled me aside and asked me to consider a slight date change of a week or two. I originally announced a date that, due to spring breaks across the country didn’t work. I should’ve learned my lesson after this past year.

We’re setting the date: 4 March 2017

I’ve also started to refine my thinking on the kind of topics I am gearing up for. Things like creating listings, discussions of Private Label, Wholesale, the next level down for sourcing. The challenge, is that as we push for more and more advanced topics, people naturally become cagey. I totally understand the hesitancy to share the secrets to one’s business. So finding a balance is something I’ll be very focused on over the next couple of months.

Wrapping Up

Really the point of this post, was to highlight some of the topics that get discussion at ResellingDO events. Also, to highlight the fact that we’re already planning for the next ResellingDO, and I hope you will attend.

New Opportunities after AAdvantage Program Changes

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I shared the below as part of my remarks at the Travel Hacker 101 Meet-up that I co-hosted with Richard Kerr. If you aren’t a member of the Travel Hacking 101 Facebook Group, you are missing out. 

A new world, with AAdvantage Program Changes

We all gather here today, to celebrate the amazing life, of the Mileage Run. With American’s changes to their elite status qualifications, we must change. This is a wake-up call. A rebirth, if you will. For those of you loyal to any particular airline, and for those of you starting out, or just not loyal to any particular airline, it is time to embrace other airlines.

I hope to offer you some airlines to think about.

In the Western Hemisphere, you could fly:

JetBlue, which has an amazing culture as long as you don’t mind connecting in New York or Boston for the most part. Both great cities by the way.

You could fly Southwest, just don your Cow Bell, and don’t forget to get the single best opportunity in travel hacking, the Southwest Companion Pass, where by earning just 110,000 Rapids Rewards Points in a single year, allows you get to nominate a companion, who can fly with you for free, for the remainder of the current year and all of the next. If you don’t have a companion, look to your right, look to your left, it is a great way to make friends.

And then there is Delta which is a great airline operationally, I mean if you want to get where you’re trying to go, anywhere close to on time, Delta is your airline. And you get some SkyPesos too. I’m still not sure how to use them, but, you get them anyway.

There are other airlines in the western hemisphere, but, lets think bigger:

Overseas, you could fly Qatar Airways, It is after all, Richard Anderson (the former CEO of Delta)’s Second favorite airline. And as an added bonus, it may be the only airline where you can board an A380 via air stairs, rather than a true jetway.

You could fly IcelandAir which is actually a pretty nice airline for being a low-cost carrier and if you fly them to Europe you can have an Icelandic stop over with an IcelandAir stop over buddy!

You could try Bangkok Airways, a true Boutique Airline, that has a mobile lounge set up by the gate with beverages and cookies, and, has audacity to serve a meal, on a 45 minute flight from Phuket to Bangkok.

You could fly British Airways but, then you’d have to connect in London-Heathrow, so lets skip that BA.

You could fly Air France or Lufthansa, both airlines have very nice products The only problem is that every month or so, and sometimes even more frequently, one union or another, within the airline goes on strike.

There is nothing worse then arriving at an airline counter just to find out your flight has been cancelled. I take that back, worse than arriving at airline counter is arriving at the Lufthansa first class terminal only to find out that your first class experience has been rebooked on United, that can make a grown man cry, if you don’t believe me ask my wife.

But we must remember, other than those who are independently wealthy,  we would not have the opportunity to travel the country if not the world without travel hacking. Remember also: we all have one common interest: travel.

ResellingDO 3 tickets will go onsale on 21 May!

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I mentioned in my Save the Date that I would give a week’s notice.

True to my word, I am giving a week’s notice. I wanted to speed up the time between the “save the date” and actually releasing tickets, primarily because I know people want to start booking travel, and I don’t want folks booking travel, if they cannot get a ticket. It just seems unfair.

So that said, we will be releasing tickets on Saturday 21 May, at 10am Eastern Time, with a second grouping of tickets to be released on Sunday 22 May, at 10am Eastern Time.

I can’t tell you everything, but here is what I can tell you:

  • Tickets will cost $95.
  • You will get 5 beverages/beers, and lunch
  • A ton of great networking opportunities, and a number of awesome speakers

I won’t share all the speakers right now, for two reasons: (1) I don’t have them locked in, and (2) I won’t lock the speakers in, until the survey is back with what you all want to learn!

But, I will say this:

  • We’ll be inviting Micheal Dean back to talk about Gift Cards – Reselling them, Buying them, Maximizing them.

I have a number of other folks who have expressed interest in attending and speaking, but I’m hesitant until we get the results of the survey that I will send out after we release tickets. The reason we do this is because we want to provide a line-up that you, the attendee, wants. Potential topics include:

  • Tax
  • Reselling Tools
  • Tips and Tricks for Scaling
  • Others based on survey results

So, I realize I haven’t given you every detail, but the fact is, we’re more than 3 months out. I want to give you the opportunity to form some of the DO, and I’ll take your input and make a masterpiece.

The things that will not change are:

  • Date/Time: 11 September/9-6pm
  • Location: Jailbreak Brewery, Laurel, MD
  • Link: ResellingDO3

Save the Date – The Next ResellingDO!

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Jailbreak 1

The first two ResellingDO’s were rather well received, having sold out in minutes. While I had originally considered doing the third one in Texas, I came to the conclusion that it would require more time and more planning, and the fact of the matter is, the fourth quarter comes quick, and there’s no way we could do a ResellingDO in the last 3 months of the year because of it.

The theme will be Preparing for Q4

As a result, we’re going to go with 11 September – Yes, a Sunday! It’ll be held at Jailbreak Brewing Company in Laurel, MD, the same place of the first ResellingDO. The benefit of Jailbreak though is, they are closed on Sunday’s, so we’ll have the entire tap room to ourselves, all day!

I realize that a Sunday can be a challenge, but, there are some folks that have expressed interest in attending, but have been unable to attend on a Saturday. I’m certain it will a great event. I will give a week or so notice before we release the tickets.

So – will you be planning to attend the next ResellingDO?

Save the Date – Washington DC Travel Hacking 101 Dinner

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Anyone in the Miles and Points game will tell you – meet-up events are great for networking with fellow mile, point, and travel folks. So, Richard Kerr (Founder of the Travel Hacking 101 Group), Dan Nainan, world traveling comedian from the Last Comic Standing (except when he’s in a layflat, we hope!), are co-hosting a dinner on June 10th in the Washington DC area!

About the Hosts:

Richard Kerr, is an out of the box thinker, having figured out ways to leverage less popular miles and points programs such as Etihad Guest. He travels comfortably (even on Asian Low Cost Carriers), and is an expert in Asian travel, having lived in Japan for a few years and leveraging every opportunity to travel regionally. He also writes regularly for The Points Guy.

Dan Nainan travels the world performing in front of corporations, sold out crowds, and celebrities. President Obama, Michael Bloomberg, Kunal Nayyar and others testify to his hilarious act. During his travels, Dan has become a world travel subject matter expert writing travel articles for several news outlets.

Me, well, ya’ll are reading this, so hopefully you know me by now.

Where:

Well, that’s the fun of a “Save the Date” post – we’ve narrowed in on the date, we’re just locking in the venue. But trust us, it will be awesomeness.

Wrapping Up

That’s all I have for now, but mark your calendar for June 10th! You can register to attend via this Facebook Event

 

Announcing the next Maryland Meetup!

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Jailbreak 1

Usually I (and others far more efficient than I) work these meet-ups in the Saverocity Forums, however I thought I’d put it out on the blog to get greater interest.

The next Maryland Meetup will be:

Thursday, November 12. Starting around 6pm, going till whenever!

Jail Break Brewing Company
Suite F, 9445 Washington Blvd N, Laurel, MD 20723
(443) 345-9699

Please either join the conversation in the Saverocity Forums, or comment here, and I’ll coordinate a reserved space for us all.

As I’ve commented about conferences (like most recently the FT4RL), networking is key to really maximizing the miles and points game.

So will you make it?

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