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A few weeks ago I was in Las Vegas and ya gotta love Randy’s play on Vegas and BAcon, or our BoardingArea Convention we have each year with all the bloggers at BA. So what was it all about?
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Information overload about writing our blogs, SEO or how to help others actually find just what they are looking for on our blogs.
Help from those who represent the banks as well as some of the Delta folks and major heavy hitters from the main stream media as to how to reach out to them and help them with what we know. Fun stuff.
Then great info on the tech side of the blog; we use a product called WordPress to create posts so lots of good info on “plug-ins” and other ideas to make the blog more reader friendly (and faster etc.). Plus lots of input from the BA staff as well as my fellow bloggers. A full weekend that just flew by.
Plus it was not just all classroom time. We had some group time to check out Vegas sights.
One place we all checked out was the wheel or High Roller as it is called. It is BIG!
This was a neat time and gave a great view of Vegas at night. I think about 20 of us were in our pod.
Another night, we (that is Me, Lisa, MJ, Adam + PM&M) wanted something light and popped out for an IN-N-OUT burger and ran into Gary, Ed & Randy! Good times.
We also took some time to explore Vegas one day pre-BAcon and checked out the white Lions and Tigers at the Mirage. We are cat people and they were amazing to see!
How did we do it? Now I am always all about the points (shocking I know). But I am also UBER cheap(no there is no UBER in LAS yet). At the same time I am running the blog as a business so I do need some deductions now and then. I found the best of both worlds and used my AMEX Reserve card and my 1st class BOGOF certificate and got an OK price from SBN. Nothing to brag about but cheaper that buying two 1st class tickets from SBN to LAS. Plus I, as primary on the ticket, would earn a boatload of MQMs and Skymiles – yummy! Then, on our way to Las BAcon, we were offered a bump and were paid $1,200 (total) for the two of us to take a flight a few hours later. Uh, OK. Can do! 🙂 That will wipe out the ticket cost more or less (because as you all know I don’t count bumps when I get them, but when I spend them, so to me I still paid for the trip).
As you saw we used both of our IHG free night certificates for the two nights pre-BAcon and then were at The Mandalay Bay paid for by BA. Lastly, after BAcon we stayed out at the SPG Westin Lake Las Vegas on points and cash (review up soon).
Bottom line was that we did just fine since we had a bunch of meals on Delta jets, in hotel lounges as well as the Centurion Lounge in LAS. Not saying this little educational weekend was free, but as I said I need some deductions each year. 🙂 – René
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Perhaps this is best for a new thread or post on your part but please tell about ‘bumps.’ How often do you take them? I ask whenever I fly if the flight is overbooked. I’ve had three bumps this year; a fourth had I wanted to give up a confirmed BusinessElite for the promise of one the next day.
@Reader – see post 5 in the Rookie series http://deltapoints.boardingarea.com/2013/05/29/rookie-wednesday-a-look-back-on-what-we-have-covered-so-far-and-beyond/
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Beyond that I always ask over and over for bumps. I made $2900 in September from bumps 😉
I always look at the seat map as a good indicator. Is that true? Should I be booking silly flights tomorrow that are clearly full just to get a bump?
@reader – i have seen 10 empty seats and flight oversold by 10+ – always always always ask!
No luck with getting BA post follow functionality eh? 🙁
@Gaurav – sorry what?
hi Rene–just wondering if they were able to help you with adding functionality to the blog so that readers could choose to get updates on comments. I think you had mentioned in the past that you would discuss it with BA’s tech team.
@Gaurav – yes but not yet. BA or at least I am considering moving to another comment plug-in that will allow just that. But that will happen just not right away! Txs for input very much. 🙂
Hey Rene. I couldn’t find an e-mail for you. I was a Delta GM for 2014 but hit PM for 2015 about a month ago. I should hit DM next month. I have a question. If I select my choice benefits now–say 4 regional upgrades–do I get another round of choice benefits to pick from when I hit DM or is it a one-time thing?
Never mind. I found your e-mail.