Category Archives: Updates

Updates

The Milelion Directory has been updated for September

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Hi all

The Milelion Directory has been updated for September. Starting next month with the website redesign, you can look forward to a much more visual, easy to search directory. In the meantime, enjoy the textual goodness below.

You can always access the latest version of the directory here

Happy earning!
Aaron

Airline Programs

Credit Cards

Hotels

Rental Cars

SIM Cards

Reviews of Flights and Hotels (Trip Reports)

Check out the new and improved trip reports section here!

Other useful stuff

[Last updated: [20 Sept 17]]

Updates

The Milelion is undergoing some enhancements

4 Comments

Hah, scared you with the “E” word didn’t I.

Last week I put out a call for suggestions on how you’d improve The Milelion. There were many great suggestions (apart from the one on the bikini pics gallery. Seriously guys, such content would need a paywall and you know it) and I’d like to thank you all for your detailed feedback.

I’m pleased to announce that in early October you can look forward to a new and improved Milelion with a faster design that will enhance your browsing experience with improved readability, new features, better organization and other often requested features. Some feature requests have already been addressed on this version of the site, such as an improved comments system plus timestamps for articles.

I’m in the process of working behind the scenes to make this happen, and one important to-do is tidying up existing content on the site. I started by cleaning up the Trip Reports section of the site, retagging and regrouping posts and adding a proper index. Of course when the new site comes online this section will also have a makeover, but in the meantime feel free to catch up on reviews of hotels and airline products you might have missed!

Check out the new and improved Trip Reports section here!

New Trip Reports Section

If you have other suggestions of things/features you’d like to see added to the site, it’s not too late to sound out!

Updates

How would you improve The Milelion?

42 Comments

Hello everyone!

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again- I have absolutely no clue how to do anything technical on WordPress. Therefore, I’ve always just chugged along and prayed for the best. The problem is, when things do go wrong (like some content disappearing with the recent site migration or the site getting suspended temporarily for excessive CPU usage), I often have no idea how to fix it quickly and it stresses me out to no end.

As the site grows bigger the demands will only increase, and it’s important that the UX continues to be as smooth and as hassle free for all of you as it was on day one. Therefore I’m going to bring on a freelance webmaster to help make some fixes and optimizations on The Milelion.

Here’s where I need your help- if you’ve observed any annoying bugs, issues or if there’s anything at all you think would make the site easier for you to use (features, arrangement, layout, whatever) please leave a comment and a detailed description and I’ll see what can be done.

Be nitpicky, please. If I’m going to bring someone on board I’d rather fully employ them than have them sitting around twiddling their thumbs. If you’ve always been enduring some minor annoyance in order to access the ramblings of The Milelion, now’s the time to say something.

For example, Eddy wrote in to let me know the site doesn’t appear properly when a wide screen monitor is used. I assume it will be an easy fix for someone who knows what they’re doing.

Other features I’m thinking about

  • Implementing a system that allows you to reply to comments via email. For example, I post a comment. John replies to it and I get an email notification. Instead of going back to the site to reply, I can hit reply in my email program and shoot a message back
  • Improving site loading times and minimizing webpage size. The site still scores quite poorly on Google’s PageSpeed Insights and I’m sure there are easy fixes

  • Making full use of page width. In the current theme there’s a lot of white space on either side of posts and this also compresses pictures so they’re harder to read

  • Improving the current comments system to make it easier for people to converse in real time, maybe like a chat (I thought of creating a forum but do we really need another? HWZ and Flyertalk should be sufficient for most miles chasers in Singapore)

This list is of course not exhaustive and I’d really value your input here.

So let me know what can be done better, what needs to get fixed, and I’ll put together a list and engage someone who knows what he or she is doing

Thanks
Aaron

Updates

Tune in to Class 95 on Thursday to hear The Milelion and win some Nakiryu ramen!

15 Comments

Hello from Tokyo-

I’m in the process of putting together reports on JAL’s Sky Suite III plus the Qantas and BA lounges in Singapore, but in the meantime I thought I’d update you on how the Great Ramen Hunt is going on.

Well fine, it’s not so much a hunt per se in the sense that I already secured 11 cartons of these

But once I loaded up my bags I realised I could easily fit in more. A lot more. That’s what you get for thinking small. So I went out to hunt for additional units

And found that Nissin Nakiryu ramen is the ultimate rare pokemon.  I’ve visited maybe 50 7-Elevens, Family Marts, Lawsons and half a dozen supermarkets and have come to the conclusion that either (1) stock sold out a long time ago and no new stock is forthcoming or (2) a more enterprising individual than me has moved in on my operation and is, as we speak, on the phone with Sosa, snorting ramen powder and telling him “don’t worry about it”. It’s probably a bit of both.

But if you’re still hungry for ramen, I have some good news to share– The Milelion will be appearing on Class 95 this Thursday 7th September at 8am on the Muttons in the Morning show to talk travel hacking, ramen, and my views on postmodern feminist theory. And since that’s not enough for some people, I’ll be bringing a few of these to give away-

You want some of this (to be read in a non-suggestive voice)? Then be sure to tune in!

For those of you who don’t know what a radio is, the show will be broadcast on Facebook Live too (whatever that is), on the Muttons in the Morning Facebook page. Which means I’ll need to wear pants. I thought one of the perks of radio was that you could show up for work without pants, but apparently the times, they are a changin’.

Hope to take your (tasteful) questions on air this Thursday!

Updates

The Milelion Directory has been updated for August

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Hello everyone

The Milelion Directory has been updated for August. Check out our latest take on the best credit cards for airport limo and airport lounge access, how playing the miles game affects your credit score, whether you should be trying to time your credit card sign up bonuses, a showdown of the $120K credit cards and much more this month.

You can always find the latest edition of the Milelion Directory here.

Happy reading!
Aaron

Airline Programs

Credit Cards

Hotels

Rental Cars

SIM Cards

Reviews of Flights and Hotels (Trip Reports)

Other useful stuff

[Last updated: [21 Aug 17]]

 

Updates

The Milelion x Worldvision campaign is complete

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One year ago, The Milelion started a campaign to raise $5,000 for World Vision Singapore.

World Vision is a Christian relief, development and advocacy organisation dedicated to working with children, families and communities worldwide to reach their full potential by tackling the causes of poverty and injustice. Working in nearly 100 countries around the world, World Vision serves all people, regardless of religion, race, ethnicity, or gender.

This campaign was funded by both The Milelion and its readers. The Milelion would donate money raised from advertising, sponsored posts, affiliate links and referral links (eg Shopback). Readers who found The Milelion useful were invited/guilt-tripped into giving as well.

When I started the campaign, $5,000 was an arbitrary figure I just sort of plucked from the air. It seemed achievable, but given that the site was at the time generating just $35 of adwords revenue a month, it was clear that there was some work to be done.

But over the past year The Milelion has been blessed with tremendous growth. At the time the campaign started, the site was drawing about 30,000 visitors a month. This month we’re set to hit 70,000. Readership and media coverage have grown, and with that has come more opportunities for collaborations.

So TL;DR, I’m very happy to announce that we have hit our target of $5,000, and we didn’t even need to start a webcam show. Nor put up annoying “please disable your adblocker” popunders. Nor promote financial products of dubious benefit.

The final split of funds raised was

  • Milelion Revenue-$3,465
  • Reader Contributions- $1,535

But in reality, all the money is from you guys. It’s your visits that create ad revenue. It’s your interest in our materials that create webinar opportunities. It’s your clicks on our credit card links that generate affiliate income. And of course, it’s your contributions through the comments and emails that keep me learning more about the great game that we call miles.

So thank you everyone for supporting this project. 1,000 Milelion points for everyone! (come the IPO you’ll be thanking me).

1 Cor 3:7- So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth

Updates

The Milelion Directory has been updated for July

8 Comments

Hello everyone

The Milelion Directory has been updated for July. Exciting times afoot, as Mileslife launched in Singapore,  Citibank offered an insane miles buying bonus for existing Premiermiles Visa cardmembers, and DBS announces how it will replace the ANZ card portfolio. Also have a read of my take on the need for proper sponsored post disclosure. 

You can always find the latest edition of the Milelion Directory here.

Happy reading!
Aaron

Airline Programs

Credit Cards

Hotels

Rental Cars

SIM Cards

Reviews of Flights and Hotels (Trip Reports)

Other useful stuff

[Last updated: [17 Jul 17]