Oy! I am extremely apologetic I forgot my own blog’s birthday from last week! We turned 3 last Monday, and I just wanted to thank all of you for your hard work in earning your miles and travel feathers in India, and making us a part of your journey along. The journey, is the reward!
Like I’ve said before, I started this blog to put out my travel experiences with miles and points, with a focus on the Indian miles and points space. And I think the timing was about right. When I popped up on the blogosphere in 2011, there were a lot of travel blogs about India, but nothing that focussed on travel loyalty, aspirational travel and how to make it work via your travel credit cards. And I thought I won’t last more than a few months, because I usually just don’t have the time to go through with lots of things on my personal agenda.
Looking back, each click that you guys have made has made it worth it. Each email I’ve answered has been also a learning experience for me, as much as it has been for you. The questions have been very interesting, from “how to get an upgrade” to “I have a Centurion invitation right here, should I pick it up?”.
So, thank you for your time and inputs. I’m trying my level best to bring you up to speed with all the information I can about travel, miles and points, and travel credit cards amongst trying to write trip reports, and usually failing about it!
I also feel like rewarding someone today. So, I’ll send across a prize worth INR 1000, as a gift voucher from Flipkart to a winner, drawn randomly. Here is how you can win this prize:
“Leave me a comment on this post about what has been your favourite post(s) from my postings over the past three years, and why?”
No, I am not asking you to do a lot of brain taxing work, but just make sure you make an entry by tomorrow midnight IST (29 July 2014), and one person can only participate once, and using a valid email address. You should be a resident of India to participate in this contest. Do paste the link of the blogpost in the Comments while participating as well.
Thank you for your support once again!
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Belated Birthday wishes!
My favorite post is your comparison of mileage earning cards @ http://livefromalounge.boardingarea.com/2014/01/09/mileage-earning-credit-cards-in-india-2014-comparison/
Because it is comprehensive and also because it might have taken some time and effort to create it.
Thanks and best wishes.
Congrats Ajay!! Wish More n More years to come for toys blog!!
The best part I like is the credit card reviews.. You did a day n night effort to chat create an excel utility to compare cards. That’s an awesome work. And the second one as Air India joining Star Alliance news.. You break this news in January!! I was waiting anxiously for this news.. There was a time I lost the hope.. Thanks for such a nice blog.. 🙂
Congrats AJ.
The best post was on the Hilton Cat 1 Gem at Goa and the related posts on Citi PM transfer Bonus. with all that, I got a 5 Nights Rewards stay in the Double Tree, Goa for 5000 INR cash value using the Citi PM miles. Thanks.
Dear AJ ,Belated Happy Birthday.I am so glad this site was even born.BTW 9w has been offering great discounts recently. What recourse do guys like me have who find that fares now are much less than what we have paid earlier for the same dates and sectors ? Cancelling and rebooking is not worth it.An article from you is needed.
I really liked your post on RTW flight on etihad on diamond first http://livefromalounge.boardingarea.com/2013/07/25/going-rtw-flight-ey101-auh-jfk-etihad-diamond-first/
May be someday 🙂
Hi AJ and congrats on the birthday of the blog !
Personally, my favourite was your review of Park Hyatt Goa, as it came exactly at a time when I was torn between some properties in South Goa and it helped me made up my mind immediately.
http://livefromalounge.boardingarea.com/2012/07/29/go-goaah-park-hyatt-goa-resort-spa/
Happy birthday to the blog AJ! Have been following the blog for almost a year now. Happened to find your blog while searching for “Premiere Class trip reports for BOM-HKG”. Since, it was my first time flying international, i wanted to get a hang on what to expect from Jet Airways. Found your BOM-BRU blogpost http://livefromalounge.boardingarea.com/2013/03/22/going-dutch-flight-9w228-bom-bru-on-jet-airways-premiere-a332/ and this helped me a lot. So, even though i was a flying international and business class for the first time, i knew all the details i needed. Thank you!
P.S. The trip reports have reduced of late. Awaiting the BOMBAY-PARIS report.
AJ – Heartiest congrats for 3rd glorious year of this blog, a much needed for the Indian flyers who hit sky quite often.
Its difficult for me to single out the most rewarding thing as I believe your contribution is immense in terms of Award Wallet promos, Credit Card info, Flight offers & other news and help us travel our plans more effectively.
Great Work and would urge all the members to contribute more to this ever growing family of Indian flyers.
Thanks Much
Congrats on turning 3. Have been following this blog since 2 years now, and have saved quite a lot of money due to the various offers you keep posting about.
My favorite post is the credit card comparison, which led me to choose the Citi PM as my primary card. Have collected well over 150,000 miles due to the good earning rate 🙂
http://livefromalounge.boardingarea.com/2014/01/09/mileage-earning-credit-cards-in-india-2014-comparison/
PS : The post about your Paris trip and the proposal was quite fun to read too
Edit : Added link to the blogpost
Happy Birthday!!!!!! I’m following ur blog for last 16-17 months. It really helped me to collect miles beyond my imagination. Thanks for all the good work and efforts u take for your blog.
For me the best blog was planning the proposal trip to Paris… http://livefromalounge.boardingarea.com/?s=Paris it was like a fairy tele Never knew miles can achieve so much. A perfect case study for any miles collector. Most important was it had beautiful emotional touch throughout. Panning was perfect and most important you achieved your objective. God bless!!!
You posted about maximising IHG Rewards last Christmas and helped me get a ton of extra points so my wife an I can stay at the InterContinental in Dubai for our 30th Wedding Anniversary. Thank you.
all of the great trip reports!
Back in June,2012 you did a Trip Report on “Park Hyatt Goa Resort and Spa” http://livefromalounge.boardingarea.com/2012/07/29/go-goaah-park-hyatt-goa-resort-spa/
Which I just loved, and decided to take my wife there for our second honeymoon soon there after. Thanks!
Great milestone reached.
I al always interested in credit cards , miles , points etc,.. But haven’t found nay comprehensive site like yours. As soon as i find your i acted and got best credit cards available. SBI air India and citi Platinum
I feel i made maximum benefit from your blog http://livefromalounge.boardingarea.com/2014/02/11/my-2014-credit-card-strategy/
I have many credit cards but none that matches SBI air india card, I read about same on above blog , got one, spent 10L and used the points to buy almost 15 tickets and have enough points for another 10, 1 way tickets.
I am happy i stumbled on your site. Thanks for your blog.
Wish you all the best.
Your sunday plastic series helped my family to earn thousands of miles every year.
Congrats AJ on completing 3 successful years.
I have learnt many things from you, but 2 things completly changed the way I look at things now.
Citi Premiermiles Card
http://livefromalounge.boardingarea.com/2012/05/13/sunday-plastic-citibank-premier-miles-credit-card/
AwardWallet
http://livefromalounge.boardingarea.com/2013/04/02/a-grand-giveaway-of-free-awardwallet-accounts/
Really appreciate your efforts.. Keep it coming.
Best wishes,
Thanks AJ..
I found the comparative analysis on Indian Credit cards to be very handy..
Cheers,
bp
The best part of your blog is the wide coverage of Trip report with variety of pictures. also prompt updates of offers from different airlines and cab agencies (like Uber) keeps us updated of the current offers at any point of time. Since I read all your posts, I can’t pick the best ones as every single article is a benchmark for itself.
Your blog has been my first point of contact to look for current offers.
http://livefromalounge.boardingarea.com/2014/07/28/happy-birthday-to-us-let-us-reward-you/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+boardingarea%2FLiveFromALounge+%28Live+From+A+Lounge%29
The ICICI Bank Jet card bonus miles for sign-up and use post http://livefromalounge.boardingarea.com/2013/07/17/bonus-miles-on-the-icici-bank-jet-airways-visa-credit-cards-for-sign-up-and-use/ was one of your first posts that I read and have been hooked on to your posts since then. Do keep posting! All the best!
Happy birthday!!!
Love the trip reports.
Wishing many more bdays.. Cheers!
The Sunday plastic series was great. In fact, that’s how I discovered this blog and I still have it under the ‘money’ folder in my RSS reader. (Yeah, I’ve been lazy) 😀
I have always been a transportation buff (mostly railways but also a little bit of shipping) and this blog got me interested in air travel as well.
3yrs is just a beginning. Good luck and have a long and happy journey ahead. 🙂
Cannot point a single post really.
From upgrades, to status match to flight reviews and what not.
I came to know about awardwallet.com on this blog, and so much so about status match.
Voucher or no voucher, I still can’t thank you enough for it 🙂
Congrats on completing 3 years AJ !! Loved your Singapore airlines trip reports ! Keep them coming.
Ajay,
I am considering getting myself a Citibank Prestige card, and therefore my favourite post will have to be http://livefromalounge.boardingarea.com/2014/07/24/the-citibank-prestige-officially-launched.
congrats on completing 3.Being a world traveler I am always browsing the various blogs and sites on how to earn and redeem miles. I could not find any site which was of specific use to an Indian traveler like me until I came across your site. Now I follow up with most of your posts as you give insights on how to earn valuable miles. This was a good post, the one on credit cards. I actually used the spreadsheet to calculate my earnings across various cards available in India and found out I was using the right card till date.
http://livefromalounge.boardingarea.com/2014/01/09/mileage-earning-credit-cards-in-india-2014-comparison/
went ahead for premier miles after reading this post.
http://livefromalounge.boardingarea.com/2014/02/11/my-2014-credit-card-strategy/
thanks Ajay.. your blog is timely and helpful for senior citizens like me.
R J
Hi,
Congrats on completing three years.
The best post for me was the Singapore Airlines Business Class Redemption from LAX(?) to BOM. Helped me realise the mistake I was making on redeeming on the PremierMiles site itself instead of transferring to an airline and then using the same.
Won’t be making that mistake again.
Regards
AS
My favourite posts have been all your trip reports! I was introduced to the concept on this blog and went on to discover the other BoardingArea bloggers through here.
Happy Birthday 🙂
For me the best post/posts are the Lounge access using the visa/mastercard posts, I didn’t know about that earlier 🙂
Happy Birthday to the Blog!!!
I have only been a recent reader(less than a year) but I make sure to check the blog every now and then for any news and updates.
To pick a favourite post is difficult as I havent been a regular here but from since I have joined the best posts have been about the Sales and additional discounts that aren’t out in the public like 10kg extra in base membership of AI.
Great work done by you and look forwards to more posts soon!!!
Dear AJ,
Lots to learn from your blog. Made me ambitious and instilled a strong desire to travel extensively. Citi premier miles card was one of the good decisions I made after reading your post.
Thank you
aditya
Hey.. Happy birthday! Obviously all your posts make a very interesting read. But purely from the sheer info / knowedge / hard work point of view it has to be your series on comparison of the credit cards. The last one being…
http://livefromalounge.boardingarea.com/2014/01/09/mileage-earning-credit-cards-in-india-2014-comparison/
Keep them coming…
Happy Birthday to “Live from a Lounge”! Thanks to you, Ajay, I have often learnt a lot of new things, and always enjoyed reading the blog.
My favourite post so far has been “Sunday Plastic: The `new’ Premier Miles Citibank Credit Card”. The main reason is of course that I did not till then know all the features and benefits. I immediately applied for it and have benefited from it, even though I am not that frequent a traveller. Since I had held a Jet Privilege credit card, which shut down, and since HDFC Bank would not let me get a Jet Privilege/HDFC card since I already had a lifetime free HDFC Bank card, this was an obvious choice after reading what you had written. Your blog had good solid advice and I did not regret it. I have renewed it for a second year.
For me the best was the excel comparing the various credit cards & the one elaborating your 2013 spends, earnings, balances. Also, the first class Singapore airlines redeemption. Ofcourse the uber, awardwallet, myles giveaways (who doesn’t)
If you think I win, I will happy to find a way to pass the voucher to a underprivileged child.
Award wallet