Back in 2018, I made the decision to go full time on The MileLion. Till today, I’m not quite sure what possessed me to do it. For someone who might best be described as “pathologically conservative” (both politically and in terms of ice cream choices), blogging for a living wasn’t exactly where I saw myself ending up.
But with every year that passes, I’m more and more convinced it was the right decision to make. 2022 marked the fourth year of full-time MileLioning (and the website’s 7th anniversary), and I feel just as excited to wake up every morning and get to work as I did at the start. In an age where quiet quitting is all the rage, that surely can’t be taken for granted.
So, on the eve of CNY, it’s time once again for my annual reflections for 2022 (you can find 2019, 2020 and 2021’s linked here).
2022 year in review
While 2022 started with some trepidation due to the Omicron scare, it turned out to be a charmed year for travel. By the time Christmas rolled round, most people were flying like it was 2019, and even long-time holdouts like Japan, New Zealand, and Taiwan finally got with the programme and reconnected with the world.
This meant a bumper year for The MileLion, as the site powered to 12.7 million annual pageviews.
| 🦁 MileLion in Numbers: Posts & Audience | ||
| Year | Posts | Pageviews |
| 2015 | 89 | 60K |
| 2016 | 268 | 705K |
| 2017 | 409 | 2M |
| 2018 | 641 | 3.8M |
| 2019 | 515 | 5.1M |
| 2020 | 768 | 6.2M |
| 2021 | 810 | 7.6M |
| 2022 | 742 | 12.7M |
That’s staggering for me, considering the website was launched on an intra-office email thread of maybe one dozen people. I know little to nothing about SEO, servers, web design, or the thousand other things you’re supposed to do to run a successful website, so this serves as a constant reminder that every click, every page view, every dollar of revenue is not the result of my own efforts, but graciously provided by God.
Thanks to the lifting of border restrictions, 2022 was also a bumper year for trip reports. I managed to complete a whopping 13 this year, with reviews of 13 cabin products, 16 hotels, and 23 airline lounges. In fact, I’ve written 17 post-COVID trip reports, more than the entire volume produced pre-COVID!
| 🦁 MileLion in Numbers: Trip Reports | |
| Year | Trip Reports |
| 2016 | 2 |
| 2017 | 5 |
| 2018 | 3 |
| 2019 | 2 |
| 2020 | 1 |
| 2021 | 4 |
| 2022 | 13 |
Oh, these were fun indeed. I was among the first to visit New Zealand, Taiwan and Japan, to bid farewell to Thailand’s tedious Test and Go programme, to spend a whole day at the newly-opened The Private Room. There was even time for a good old fashioned mistake fare to Bahrain.
I do suspect I’ll be slowing down a bit in 2023, though. It’s partly because I’m one year older, and I feel less physically capable of doing crazy multi-city itineraries where I change hotels every night and review every lounge in the airport (I can’t tell you how tired I was by the end of my 17 hours in San Francisco report).
More importantly, however, it’s because travel by and large has returned to normal. 2021 and 2022 were special times in human history, when you needed an instruction manual just to board a flight. Now there’s no pre-departure testing (well, unless you’re going to India), no more pesky forms to fill, no contact tracing apps to install, no isolation on arrival. When I visited South Korea in November 2021, the trip was justified because the byzantine regulations and cumbersome arrivals process really warranted writing about. Now? Maybe for a holiday, but certainly not from a content-generation perspective.
This means that in 2023, the focus of trip reports won’t be so much on post-COVID rules and regulations (what rules and regulations?), but rather on exploring new lounges, hotels and cabin products. This year, I’m planning to review:
- Emirates A380 First Class (shower videos exclusively for OnlyFans subscribers)
- Emirates B777-300ER New First Class (booked before the insane no-notice devaluation they pulled earlier this month)
- KLM B777-300ER Business Class (a cheap Business Class fare on the fifth freedom flight to Bali)
- Qatar Airways A350-900 Business Class (finally, QSuites!)
- Qatar Airways B787-9 Business Class (a unique cabin product created specially for this aircraft)
- Qatar Airways Al Mourjan North Business Lounge in the newly opened Orchard section of Doha Airport (which Singapore, like, totally stole from Qatar)
- Singapore Airlines B737-800NG Business Class (yes, I’m probably the only person in the world who would actively redeem this)
- JW Marriott Maldives Resort (full disclosure, hosted invite)
- Conrad Osaka (and perhaps the Hilton Tokyo, if I find it noteworthy enough)
More on this in an upcoming post.
Since the day I started The MileLion, one principle has been sacrosanct: providing impartial, objective analysis of all things miles and points related.
To that end, I regularly turn down sponsored posts, hosted stays or other collaboration requests because there’s nothing here I’d personally find exciting as a miles chaser. And if I see a bad product, I’m going to speak my mind on it. There are companies which hate that, and there are others which accept or even encourage it.
While it won’t silence all the critics, I’ll simply state the facts:
- Of the 742 posts written in 2022, nine were sponsored. Sponsored posts make up just over 5% of the site’s total income, and are always declared upfront
- Of the 16 hotels reviewed in 2022, only one was an invited stay (a further one was paid by HoteLux, though I had free choice of hotels, and the hotel was not involved in the review)
- All airline reviews were self-paid
- I do not maintain direct relationships with advertisers; all the ads you see on the website are handled by an intermediary agency
Ultimately, the key asset of this site is its reputation (you thought I was going to say “friendship”, didn’t you?). I’m in this for the long-haul, so it makes little sense to sacrifice it for short-term gain.
Is it still fun?
One question I get asked a lot is whether I still get excited about travelling when it’s basically become a job. That depends. Some trips are more stressful than others, depending on what kind of content I’m planning to write.
Take an airline review, for example. Since all my tickets are self-paid, each one of them represents an investment (whether in points or money) which needs to culminate in a high quality trip report to be worthwhile. If I screw up by not getting the right photos or the details I need, that’s resources down the drain.
Therefore, I tend to get very anxious before boarding, since I know I have only one shot at getting unobstructed cabin photos at the start of the flight. This means being that annoying guy who hovers around the gate well in advance of boarding being called, and sprinting down the jet bridge as fast as possible knowing I have at best 30 seconds to take all the photos I need before other passengers show up and give me the side-eye for shutterbugging.
It means being perpetually switched on throughout the flight as I run through my mental checklist: the vintages on the wine list, the number of English-language movies, the brand of toiletries in the lavatory, the speed of the inflight Wi-Fi. How long did the crew take to start meal service after take-off? Are they pouring champagne seatside, or from the galley? Are they greeting passengers by name?
It also means prioritising the review over all else, even what my body is telling me. I remember my Gulf Air flight to Bahrain. The flight was delayed by two hours, and only pushed back close to 11.30 p.m. I was exhausted by this point, and wanted nothing more than to sleep. But that would mean skipping the dinner service, and it wouldn’t be much of a review without that. So even though I wasn’t hungry, I forced myself to stay awake as the crew ploughed through a full two-hour service.
Now, before AsiaOne cooks up some BLOGGER COMPLAINS ABOUT HAVING TO FLY BUSINESS CLASS story, I should emphasise that these aren’t gripes. This is part and parcel of the job, and a dream job it is by any measure. I just wanted to give an idea of the behind-the-scenes work that goes on; it’s not just about boarding and getting drunk straight away.
So, short answer: yes, it’s still fun. I wouldn’t be doing it if it weren’t. But it’s not always what the glossy Instagram fairy lights photos suggest.
Can your experience be considered “typical?”
This is a tricky question to deal with, but important to address nonetheless.
I’ve seen people questioning whether my flight and hotel experiences can be considered “typical”, because it’s inevitable that as readership grows, someone might recognise me and provide a level of service or perks that others may not receive.
The honest answer is I don’t know.
I do my best to fly under the radar, but some of the things I do in the course of the job, like snapping photos of everything, will invariably draw attention. And sometimes, that attention can be downright awkward. I had a hotel stay where it was very clear what was going on. Every time I walked through the lobby, sat down at the lounge, or went to the restaurant, someone from the management team would introduce themselves, give me their card and ask for feedback. They obviously didn’t have any bad intentions, but it was incredibly stressful because I felt like I was being watched all the time.
On the other hand, it’s also clear that some places are completely clueless. I’ve had very bad stays or flights where, after the review was published, someone from the PR team would reach out saying “oh I wish you had let us know you were coming.” That’s…kind of the point.
Most of the times, it’s just hard to tell. If I get an upgraded room, is it by virtue of my elite status, or because someone at corporate put a note in my reservation? If a staff member goes the extra mile, is he/she just an all-round superstar, or am I getting special treatment?
I hate to think that every good review I write is tainted in someone’s mind because they think “well, he only got that because of who he is”, and I especially hate it when I post a good review and someone says in the comments “my experience was bad and because it’s inconceivable that a hotel can have good days and bad days, you must have been paid to say that”.
But frankly, there’s not a lot I can do about it, short of wearing a wig and booking reservations under a fake name (or getting super ripped because who would believe it was The MileLion then?).
What I can do is pay my own way and report things as I see them, and regular readers will know that I never shy away from it, not even on hosted stays (I’m sure some hotels have regretted inviting me).
Internet rage
At the risk of a “water: wet” headline, it needs to be said that the internet is getting angrier and angrier. Or, as the great warrior poet Mike Tyson put it: “social media made y’all way too comfortable with disrespecting people and not getting punched in the face for it.”
I realise it’s a by-product of the website getting bigger, but over the past year I have noticed an increase in the number of toxic comments aimed my way, either in the comments or via email.
Some of these are no big deal. From the early days I’ve been used to receiving a regular stream of “bloggers ruin everything” hate mail, basically accusing me of violating the “sanctity of the miles program” (actual quote) by doing what I do.
It’s gotten to the point where I chuckle a little every time I get one of these. Like, what’s the sender expecting to happen? That I’ll turn off the servers tomorrow and say “due to an anonymous message, I’ve decided to shut down The MileLion for good?”
I mean, I don’t know how to tell you this, but I have no intention to stop sharing hacks, tricks and loopholes to help people travel better for less. It’s kind of what we do here, and if you don’t like that, you’re not going to have a very enjoyable time on this site.
The ones that are more difficult to deal with are those which allege dishonesty or some sort of maleficence on my part. Like the guy who complained that I “scammed” him into applying for an AMEX True Cashback Card because it could no longer be used to get cashback on CPF top-ups (never mind he earned free vouchers in the process, or that the article was updated the moment it was nerfed!). Or the meltdown this dude had because he thought a promotion was targeted when it really wasn’t. There are, unfortunately, more examples of these, but I’m not about to waste my time searching through the comments to find them.
I do, however, want to talk about one particular incident that got me thinking.
Back in November, I published an updated offer for the AMEX HighFlyer Card. I really didn’t think there was much to it. Yes, the sign-up bonus had been scaled back, but that was always inevitable given how generous the previous offers had been. There was still the option of a first-year fee waiver, it still earned miles on GrabPay top-ups, and you still got two lounge visits plus an Accor Plus membership with a free hotel night thrown in- surely that’s a good deal?
Well, not in the opinion of one commenter, who went on a rant about how this was a rubbish deal, how I was getting referrals “at the expense of my readers” (ironic, since I’ve taken lower pay-outs on cards in the past just so the offer for readers could be higher), and questioning my honesty in writing about this. That’s…a lot to take in.
Now, my default response to trolls is to either ignore them, or attempt de-escalation: explain the facts, wish them well, and offer to meet up to chat over a drink if they’d like. That may sound strange to some, but I really don’t see the harm. I don’t think there’s any particular danger in doing so, not in Singapore, not if we meet in a public place outside. Besides, my years of military service have dramatically honed my ability to curl up into a little ball until they stop kicking you.
Sadly, it didn’t help. Instead, it just seemed to infuriate him further, as he accused me of pretending to be the bigger man yet deleting his comments at the same time (which was very confusing, since they were all appearing nonetheless) and generally getting nastier and nastier.
I was rather dumbstruck by all the vitriol a seemingly innocuous post could generate, and even got a bit tetchy with The MileLioness when she interrupted me while I was composing a response. Then I thought: this is beyond silly. Here I am, thousands of miles away on vacation with my wife, getting annoyed by someone hiding behind a keyboard.
When situations like these arise, I can tell you the temptation to send an equally nasty reply is strong. I mean, they started it, right? And if you let that sort of thing go unchecked, won’t people assume it’s true?
But this overlooks two things. First, that arguing on the internet is dumb. Second, that arguing on the internet rarely produces the kind of fruit befitting a transformed life.
In a way, it’s a litmus test for me. 1 Peter 3:9 makes it very clear what God’s expectation is: “Don’t repay evil for evil. Don’t retaliate with insults when people insult you. Instead, pay them back with a blessing. That is what God has called you to do, and he will grant you his blessing.”
So the question is this: am I willing to obey what God says, even when every instinct I have wants to do the opposite? Or do I only pay lip service to the idea? And if you think that’s hard, chew on this: not retaliating is just the tip of the iceberg; the call is to go beyond ignoring the insults to actively loving and forgiving!
That’s a huge ask, but I think back to the Parable of the Unforgiving Servant. At the end of the day, these slights or insults are trivial compared to the slights and insults I’ve committed against God. If I’ve been forgiven all that, how can I not then show the same forgiveness for much, much smaller things?
It’s not easy, but if I wanted an easy life, I probably chose the wrong religion. That’s why the “let’s have a drink” offer always stands (though, curiously, no one’s taken it up so far).
Still, dealing with situations like this has raised a conundrum I’m not quite sure how to deal with. On the one hand, I think comment moderation (beyond naughty words) can be a slippery slope. On the other, I don’t believe I’m obligated to provide a platform for anonymous individuals to post toxic comments.
Over the past year, I did consider several options, like requiring all comments to be manually approved, or requiring a Facebook sign in to comment. However, my conclusion was that the added inconvenience would penalise everyone, just for the sake of reigning in a few (who, if determined enough, would find a way to circumvent the measures anyway).
It’s something I’ll need to think about more, but in any case, I’m convinced all the problems we have with online interactions stem from anonymity. If there were a real-name policy, the interweb would be like this.
As it is, it’s more often like this.
“What’s in it for me?”
I sometimes get messages or see comments which say, in so many words, “you’re earning X per referral, you should be sharing some of that with me”.
It’s disheartening to read, insofar as it means the sender doesn’t value what you’re doing. This isn’t Carousell, after all, where people post referral links with offers to split the bonus because at the end of the day they don’t add any value.
Running The MileLion and its community is a big commitment on my part (not to mention the opportunity cost, since I’m doing this full-time). It takes time and money to research, write and publish the content here, whether it’s the various how-to guides for travelling to different countries, the sordid history of the messy divorce of Singapore Airlines and Malaysia Airlines, or what a sexcation in Singapore looks like.
Referrals are what funds all of this, and more importantly, keeps the site free. If the articles have been useful (or at least given you a good laugh), then one free way of supporting their continued production would be to use the links when applying for products.
Ultimately we get the internet we’re willing to pay for, whether explicitly through subscriptions and paywalls, or implicitly through affiliate links. I’d much rather have the latter, quite frankly.
Expanding to other areas?
From what I gather, there’s two main things that people would like to see on The MileLion.
The first is video content. I’ve been told time and again that some people don’t like reading 2,000 word articles, and by making one-minute YouTube (or, god forbid, TikTok) clips I could reach a whole new audience.
That may be so, but making video content is not as easy as it looks. There’s filming, storyboarding, editing, captioning, and other things I am woefully ill-equipped to do. I’ve heard it takes about 5-6 hours just to make one minute of video, and that’s a theory I’m not willing to test.
What’s more, it takes a certain kind of personality to make video content. I’ve mentioned how uncomfortable I am even taking still photos in a cabin, so I doubt I’d be the type to walk up and down the aisles with a GoPro. Goodness me I don’t even know how to make an Instagram Story, so as much as I appreciate the ideas, I’ll leave the video for someone else.
The second is cashback content. Now, contrary to popular belief, I don’t have some ideological opposition to cashback. I just think that miles make more sense for my current station in life. In fact, I do write about cashback cards now and then, but usually in the context of GrabPay top-ups, or only if there’s a drop dead sign-up offer you’d be silly not to take.
More fundamentally, however, it boils down to interest. Cashback cards just don’t get me very excited, and I believe that would inevitably show in the final content. So it’s a pass for me. If you want cashback content, there are other bloggers out there much better equipped to provide it.
Funny emails I get
What would a reflections post be, without sharing some of the hilarious emails that end up in my inbox?
First, the customary I-am-not-an-airline/bank/PCR test provider/hotel PSA.
Second, SME bosses out there, please don’t outsource such tasks to your PA if they’re just going to outsource them to me.
Third, I can’t believe I have to repeat this year after year, but please, please do not send me your full credit card number.
And finally, at least you know I’m not cheating on my taxes.
In summary
So that’s a wrap on year 4 of full-time MileLioning! I want to thank each and every one of you for your continued support of the site, and it’s been really fun meeting so many of you in real life: at the lounge, on the plane, while running through the terminal (sorry I didn’t have time to chat), at the Google Singapore canteen, on the tennis court via Rovo, even crossing the overhead bridge at Corro.
I love hearing all your stories, about the great trips and memories you’ve been able to make with family and friends thanks to miles, about the insane routings you’ve flown, about the stares you’ve gotten for geeking out over an airline seat. It lets me know I’m not the only weirdo out there.
I’m ever thankful for the support of my family (who are still at a loss to explain what exactly I do) and The MileLioness (who never complains when I ask her to siam the hotel room so I can get photos). Thanks also to the Telegram admins, who have thus far refrained from filing an MOM complaint about their shoddy working conditions and illusionary bonuses, and to Matthew for the story tips and sleuthing (someone once asked if we were “more than friends”, and I said “less, actually”).
Here’s to a great 2023, with miles making merry memories.
Happy Lunar New Year!
happy cny to you and yours!
Thanks Milelion and huat for 2023!
thank you sir! happy cny
Congrats on another year and always striving to be honest with your readers. My request for you is that you make very clear if a post is paid for right at the top, even for referrals so that your editorial integrity is beyond reproach. Your catchall “Purchases made through any of the links …” at the bottom is not best practice.
sponsored posts (those which are paid for) area always disclosed upfront. re: catchall at the bottom, the issue with google is that it looks at the first paragraph to determine what a post is about, so if the standard disclaimer goes there then it would mess up stuff.
unless i figure out how to code it as something that google does not pick up (which given my level of competence is unlikely), that’s the best solution for now.
Personally, I think it’s obvious to readers he earns referral from the links lah. I mean, the site’s free and there’s not so many ads. Since it’s a full time job, he must have got to get his cut somewhere. For me, I don’t really care if he earns from referrals since I am just here for the good deals and tips.
But I agree with you that it’s good to highlight at the start instead of the end if it’s a paid post. Just that I can’t rmb if he writes at the top or bottom. If it’s at the bottom, then probably changing to the top’s a good idea.
Oh ya, happy CNY all! Looking forward to more tips in 2023!
at the top! i made the same point here: https://milelion.com/2017/06/03/everything-wrong-with-motherships-sponsored-uob-krisflyer-post/
I personally would like to thank you for sharing all the travel hacks and how best to get miles out of spending which have allowed my wife and myself to travel on J to at least 3 different countries till date.
Don’t understand all the hate but there are tons of weird people around. Just don’t let them affect you. Wishing the best for you in 2023. Not easy to just give up a day job and do this full time. So mad respect to that.
Happy CNY
happy CNY! let’s increase that 3 to 30 soon.
Happy CNY!
happy cny to you and yours too.
Thanks Aaron, for doing what you do. I, for one, am totally grateful. Your work has raised the quality of life for me and my 4 children. Even my domestic helper now flies business class!
Have a great 2023!
aww that’s awesome. so glad you can share the love with your helper too, she must be thrilled
I am living my dream life vicariously through you. Keep it up! Never stop believing!
thank you sir. happy cny to you and yours
Great one Aaron. Really kudos to your passion. Passion of earning miles and then finding great deals on how use the miles.
I think we all appreciate what you’ve contributed to the community from you blog to singaver and moneysmart articles and beyond. It’s not an easy feat and one anyone of us would be capable of and willing to take the leap like you have.
Thank you for all your hard work and a great Lunar New Year ahead.
Try not to lose too much mane this year. Huat Ah
thanks alian! happy new year to you and yours. no promises re: the mane.
less hair more miles more babies
it’s nice that more miles can increase the chance a less hair man can make more babies. there’s a life lesson somewhere in there.
Hi Aaron, just wanted to encourage you to keep doing what fulfills you. You’re never going to be able please everybody. Fact, even the Good Lord Jesus who could do everything could not accomplish this. Personally, I can’t tell you how many times I’ve looked up milelion articles for reference right before a meal/ insurance/ flight payment. I for one have definitely benefited from your sharing and what you are putting out in the world. Regarding your offer for a drink, I’ll take you up on that! Happy Chinese New Year to you and yours!
thanks jarrod! hopefully we can restart the monthly miles meetups in 2023…still working to solve some logistical issues
Cheers Aaron, Happy CNY! 🙂
happy cny!
congrats, many more good years to come!
thank you! happy CNY to you and yours
I read to the end of your article. I find your reviews always helpful and make it a point to check your site before travelling, just in case there are things a cheapskate should not miss from a particular hotel or lounge or flight. Credit cards are less of an interest now, since the gloss of $120k cards is nothing to shout about, and there is nothing between that and those $500k pa or by invitation cards with super expensive annual fees. Maybe you could scale back on the biblical quotes; I am sure LKY quotes would go down well with less religious readers. But thank you once again for keeping us informed and entertained, and I am not referring to your hair photo which, frankly, I found very disturbing.
thanks chris! faith is something very core to me, and this being a reflections post, it’d feel weird if it didn’t feature. have a great 2023!
I hate you! (Please respond with offer for free drinks …). Just kidding. Anyways – best Singapore blog for pints and miles. Thanks for the good work!
shhhh….i can only afford so many cyanide-laced proseccos.
thanks for all the posts, and appreciate all the hardwork over the past eight years. Just to state the obvious, because i think it might not have been pointed out enough times, yr detailed TRs and reviews serve as useful reference for me – and i do believe for a few more pple out there – when i plan for trips, airfares and accomm. personally i believe that, the fact pple like me return to yr site for travel tips (or just entertainment from yr self depreciating humor) points to our sanity and sensibility in deciphering whether yr posts are complete advertorials or reviews to the best of yr objectivity. And for those who have a problem with this, i say – vote with one’s feet (or fingers) or live with it. Tldr – thanks for the eight years, xnkl wsry.
thanks james. encouraging to hear that, because i sometimes get frustrated with all the hours that go into making a TR only to see that a 10 min post about grabpay gets wayyyyyy more views. but it’s a labour of love i guess, and i’m glad there are at least a handful of people who find it usefu.
Thank you for all those hours of work that go into making such a site and compiling all those reviews. Very much appreciated by many of us. Never mind the incidental troll, try to ignore them. Wishing you happy travels for the Year of the Rabbit!
thanks michael! more reviews coming your way soon
Aaron, I always look forward to your Annual Milelion Full time blogpost because it’s like an annual performance review and yet so relatable. Keep up the good work!
thanks chris! it always takes a long while to come together but i’m glad when it finally does.
I love your site. It is literally life changing. Thank you.
PS: referring to your W Sentosa meat restaurant and also really how useful ur site is. And yes. I did sign up DBS Vantage because of you. And then also Amex Highflyer which I love.
Thank you pal. You rock.
thanks patrick! highflyer has gotten me so many free miles for tax payments. just a shame what grabpay did to axs
Please keep doing what you are doing. I am an avid reader and your site has always been the first site for reference regarding anything travel. My partner wasn’t really a “believer” at the start. However, over the years she has started to appreciate your content and she now ensures that I check your website first before booking any flights or hotels.
the milelioness used to complain that it was so troublesome to remember to use this card for this and that card for that. then for our honeymoon we flew CX F to the USA. strangely, the complaints stopped after that…
As a newby to this site in mid 2022, I have enjoyed your efforts. As an Australian resident not all posts are relevant but I still read most. All the best for 2023. Live your way.🙂
thanks steve! pointshacks is a great resource for those down under, as is executive traveller.
That you for your willingness to sacrifice your hair in return for great content for us all! It’s been 7 years and I still enjoy your writing and I hope there is many more years to come.
thanks raymond! yes, I used to have a resplendent head of hair before spending too much time in an airplane cabin
Your content is always helpful, from new to experienced miles chaser. I’m also one that prefers written articles over videos, and so will be looking forward to more of your content!
thanks YCL!
I think your articles are the most well written travel articles on th einternet. You obviously take into consideration that not everyone is an expert on the particlar program or credit card or a redemption expert. I love the way there is always detailed instructions. The articles you choose to write are ones that would appeal to many readers. I am sure you have readers from all over the world and it would be interesting for you to add which countries contributed to your wonderful statistics if you have that info. You have also helped my travel become better and written about deals that I have been able to take advantage of. I hope everyone that applies for a product uses your links as anything you may earn is fully deserved and most of us are aware that the costs must be substantial for you to be able to do all the trip reports, hotel reports. I hope you contnue your blog for a long time. Congratulations and your wenpage numbers validate the trust people have in your articles and integrity
thanks susanne! About 80% are from Singapore, 10% from the USA, and the rest a mix of Australia and ASEAN.
Thank you Aaron for the work you put in, and for blessings us with insights and tips we would have likely not been privy to! God bless.
Thanks Joseph. Have a great 2023!
Thanks for all your hard work Aaron.
Thanks for your support! Have a great 2023
Take some Finasteride for your hair loss./thinning It really works.
If you were to expand, I think you could write about financial advice?
Maybe I can become spokesperson for yun nam
I started reading mile lion in the middle of the pandemic as i was travel starved and looking for ways to plan for my next trip or earn for my next trip as my regional job have come to a stand still. Milelion articles help a lot and provided great information. and entertainment. I totally appericate the articles n effort put in to the research and thought. Without it i wonder how would i navigate my credit card journey. So keep it up and wish you the best and finding ways to make it commercially viable. happy 2023 ahead to you n family.
happy 2023 to you and your family too! I’m very happy to hear you find the content useful
Amazing content. Also, please no video content! 1 of the main reasons I browse the site (obsessively) is that everything is in text form where I can read/re-read whenever and wherever I want and then share relevant sections to my friends. No one has the time nor the patience to sit through a video clip! We have Netflix shows waiting on the back burner for that!
yeah, and besides the camera adds 10 pounds.
Happy Chinese New Year, Aaron. I appreciate your candor and humor. I wish you many more Huat and beautiful travel memories ahead.
thanks Timothy! More fun to come in 2023
Aaron, while you receive nasty comments or complaints, I believe these are the minority of positive feedback and comments which you’ve received so far. I mean you can’t please everyone and sometime people just see things differently than you do (or most other people). I started following your posts everyday (like Shopee daily check-in LOL) on COVID related travel information and I’m always excited to see what good deals/offer to share with the community. You have no idea how much value it creates for people implementing the strategies to earn free holidays. I’m definitely one of the people out there and I’ve learnt so much. One more thing to mention – this is one of the rare site where I can trust the information posted. Really appreciate your perseverance to keep this site going!
Thanks Gladys! Very encouraging to hear that. If you don’t mind daily check-ins you would have liked the Mileslife check in feature, back in the day when they were around. Ah, memories.
Happy CNY, Aaron! Your articles always make for very enjoyable reading (informative yet humorous!). Thanks for all the hard work behind-the-scenes, and, don’t be discouraged by the occasional negative comments/emails.
Thanks Vanessa! Hope you have a great 2023 lined up.
Best miles blog in sg hands down. Truly appreciate the details that go into each post. Real mile chasers appreciate all these!
thanks Leo! have a great 2023 ahead
Thanks so much, Aaron. I definitely managed to rack up a nice collection of miles thanks to your work.
Do you also plan to spend some/more time this year on awards redemption? It seems like this is a hot topic for all of us…
as in do i find awards harder to redeem now? definitely. i have the flexibility to travel on short notice so i dont feel it as acutely, but if you’re working with fixed leave windows and what not, then you’re definitely going to feel the pinch. my hope is that this is just a temporary phase, since airlines are still in the process of ramping up capacity.
Hi Aaron,
I wanted to thank you for all the work that you have put in. I have personally benefitted a lot from your experience and sharing, and managed to redeem enough miles to fly Biz Class for the first time in my life. I am really grateful to you for that.
I also recognise the quality of your work through the website.
I would just say – ignore the trolls. Engaging them is like watering weeds.
thanks Justin! first and hopefully not the last time- and hopefully 2023 will have a First Class redemption lined up somewhere? (CGK?)
Hi Aaron!
Just want to say a personal thank you to you for your content. It’s indeed a blessing to enjoy / love what you do, and it’s great to see God’s faithfulness reflected in your sharings!
Keep doing what you’re doing, and may He bless you and your family with another amazing year of abundance and love!
God bless and happy CNY 🙂
thanks Jon. Have a blessed 2023 ahead
Happy LNY Aaron!! I hope you continue to have the energy to contribute to the flying community. Haters hate. Love triumphs hate.
Thanks! Not as easy to charge down a jetbridge with a roll on bag now as it was 5 years ago!
Happy new yewr. Thanks for all the hard work maintaining this blog.
happy CNY to you and yours!
Hi Aaron,
Usually a lurker but just wanted to give a quick thank you for the content you’ve been putting out on travel hacking and use cases beyond just glitzy J/F travelling. I’ve taken your tips and managed to get Y tickets at decent CPM ratio during super peak periods and used points to pay for rooms who were otherwise going for obscene rates during peak festival periods (halving the cash outlay I would’ve needed and paying at a rate which would’ve only gotten you a hostel bed with shared facilities *shudders*) Once again, cheers and have a great CNY ahead!
That’s awesome to hear- miles game isn’t all about champagne and caviar (though that’s the most fun bit!), sometimes my redemptions can be quite utilitarian indeed (hello Y to bangkok)
Hi Aaron, Thanks for all the articles, hacks, and most importantly, making sense out of the arcane and maddening UOB credit card T&Cs!
Ah, UOB. pattern like badminton.
Congrats on having a fruitful year in your journey.
I have been a follower year of your website since it started. In fact, your site is one of the first site I check for updates, prior to checking corporate email.
It’s like “milelion opium”. Cannot don’t check.
Indeed, I share your sentiments on traveling Business/ First class using miles.
Since understanding the miles game, I always try my utmost to fly business for long haul flights. With miles, I managed to fly SQ first class 3 times, with my then-gf, now wife. Absolutely agree with you on “making hay when the sun shines”. Back in 2017, in our first class suite flight to Sydney, my wife and I were the only passengers in Suites. We literally used 3 cabins: 2 for sleeping, 1 for dining, face-to-face.
Your early post on The Private Room inspired me and I made sure we arrived at least 6 hours before the flight departure at Changi to fully utilize the Private Room.
On credit cards, I never paid a single cent on annual fees. Calling the CSO could do the job, if the automated system does not waive the fees. There is only 1 exception: The Amex charge card.
Your various posts on Amex card allowed me to fully understand the benefits and at join the 1712 club, for a year, at least.
With passion, continue to do what you are doing. There are many people out there who you shall inspire.
Happy New Year!!
thank you! i’m so glad to hear you find the stuff here useful. hope you’ve had a chance to try the new TPR as well.
Continue doing your best!
There are people who appreciate what you are doing and have similar interests!
Happy lunar new year of the rabbit – may it be a prosperous one for all of us!
happy new year! thanks for reading and supporting the site!
You and the Milelion are beautiful my friend. Don’t ever change.
I now exclusively sign up cards thru your referral links, to date the Amex Charge and HSBC Revo. One day the Centurion when you’re big time!
Thanks Xin! Appreciate the support. As for Centurion, let’s see what sign up bonus they offer 😉
I have been a ‘passive reader’ of your blog for >5 years now (We actually met for drinks in a whiskey lounge years ago)
It’s been a real pleasure reading you and you are always my go-to ressource regarding crédit cards and miles.
Thank you for keeping us all informed, I’m very grateful for your work!
Thing with comments online is they are very polarized: I am sure tons of people are similarly super happy about your work, but don’t necessarily post about it.
Keep on doing a great job!
I remember that actually! It was under Chillax at the time. Funny story, my wife is really into whiskey (much more than champagne at least) so I’ve been forced to learn too.
Happy CNY Aaron and well done on an amazing year. Don’t underestimate how much people looked to your blog through lockdowns to travel vicariously and then as the world opened up, as a source of truth on how to navigate the myriad of forms, tests and conditions. Keep it up.
Thank you! Happy new year to you and your family
I’ve enjoyed your articles for many years, even before it became a full time job for you. Congratulations on hitting 12m views! I even make it a point to click through your links for credit cards, because your articles are da best. Unfortunately, it’s gonna be hard to travel with an infant, so I’ll have to switch camp to cashback cards (the horror!), so it’s unlikely I’ll be contributing referral fees to you. Will still be an active reader though!
thanks Candy! no worries, we all go through different seasons in life. just because it’s all cashback and cots now doesnt mean it cant change in the future!
Thanks for being my go to guide these few years.
Hope you huat more!!
thanks stan! happy CNY
Happy CNY Aaron, I am so glad I found your website 8 years ago, learned to play the miles game, and have redeemed so many trips with my family. By using DBS WWMC, UOB Lady’s Solitaire, HSBC Revolution, Citi Rewards consolidating my family spending easily earning close to 300k miles per year. Here’s to more good years ahead! Cheers
thank you! looks like you got all the crucial cards (where’s the PPV?)
Would like to thank you so much for all the insiders and the tips about all the miles game. Love reading it. And now it became like a new hobby!
And have a great Lunar New Year ahead!
it’s an addictive hobby isn’t it? happy LNY!
Thank you for doing what you do! It’s been really helpful and I truly appreciate your reviews. Happy CNY!
thank you! happy CNY to you and yours!
Thanks to you, getting frequent flyer tips no longer requires trawling through SQTalk and FlyerTalk and getting flamed by snooty oldtimers whenever they feel like dissing someone less experienced
sqtalk and FT have their uses, but yeah, they can be intimidating towards noobs. happy cny!
Thank you Aaron for your articles! There are really some weird self-centered folks out there; but thank you for making the travels for the majority of us a better one!
thanks for your support Jacen! have a great 2023
Thanks Aaron. For you, I disable my adblock. For you, I drink one extra cup of champagne when I fly sq premium economy. Ever since I graduated and started working and read your blog on which credit card to sign, I see the value in always trying to reward my own spending. May God continue to bless you, for you have blessed many, including myself. Cheers, and happy cny
Thank you! So glad that they brought back champagne in py…
Its been an absolutely great 2022 and I had followed your site on a daily basis. Thank you so much for sharing like you always did and you were always my reference whenever I had to make a big purchase.
Do ignore the negative(and really amusing) posts and continue the great work!
Thank you! Keep those miles rolling in for 2023!
Please do luxury train reviews and hacks too. I’d love to know how to get onboard the luxury train with the most affordable option.
Trains are an interesting one, but unless there’s some way to earn it with your credit card spend….
QF points can be redeemed on The Ghan and Indian Pacific 😉
But wouldn’t call that real luxury trains and probably not the best use of points.
Dear Aaron, lemme help with your hair loss, before it’s irreversible. Try Regaine hair spray 2x per day. Available from Guardian, sometimes with bonus packaging. Use the original, not generic minoxidil. Meanwhile, go to any JB pharmacy and buy Proscar. Cut each tablet into 4, and eat a quarter tablet daily. Promise you will have a full head of hair in 6 months ! From your fan, CK Khoo, the gynae !
Boss. Tried already. I am resigned to my fate.
Happy Chinese New Year !!
Thanks for the gift back on 2021 🙂
happy cny to you and your family too!
As someone who was lucky enough to be brought up in a family with regular travel, I used to think I knew a lot about travel tips and “hacks.” Until I came across your site – which is now the 2nd in my list of bookmarks in Safari (both mobile and browser).
I can’t even begin to quantify the number of times your articles have made my travel planning that much easier (South Korea’s requirements and processes for vaccination and PCR during the VTL stands out).
Good quality, valuable work should always be appreciated and posts like these remind us that such content should never be taken for granted.
You can’t please everyone; there will always be haters. But far as I’m concerned, you just keep doing you. Happy CNY!
Stood up for you during the Highflyer fiasco! Don’t let them bring you down man. Many of us wouldn’t have had our experiences if not for you.
Thanks for all the good work, you’re a real inspiration. Happy CNY!
Happy CNY to you and your family Kai! Hope 2023 brings more great experiences.
Hey Aaron! Don’t bother about the haters. They will always be. Do what you like to do best! I truly enjoy reading your posts! Each time I open up my ipad, your page is the first for me to read! Jia You in 2023!
thanks Andrew! have a great 2023
short of sounding like the annoying aunt, there cld be an untapped segment of ‘how to milehack as a parent. i wld like to think i’m in your same generation (of more 2000+word articles less tiktok) but reading your reports (1) makes me jealous, (2) makes me wonder how to do the same with kids in tow and (3) realise i can’t and makes me jealous again. anywho, happy lunar new year and safe travelling mileLion!
There was a post on this back in 2018 actually! https://milelion.com/2018/12/07/award-travel-with-infants-tips-and-tricks-for-singapore-airlines/
but yes, point taken. watch this space…
Thanks for all you do Aaron. This site to me is you doing God’s work, you’re helping people like me (who don’t have much) experience more for less.
I hope you have a wonderful 2023, and a great rabbit year.
Thanks Russ! Happy New Year to you and your family too
Thank you Aaron for all those highly informative AND entertaining posts. Great efforts and I am very glad you are able to earn from this work. Tried it myself years back and felt it is too tough to continue (heavy workload and yes, it feels awkward photographing everything)
Happy new year and I hope you are full of spirit continuing this great project!
+1 happy reader
Thanks Markus! 2023 will have some exciting developments- stay tuned!
A hearty Thank You from me, too! It’s great to have such a great, down-to-Earth and respectable miles & points blogger here in SG. Keep up the good work, I’m a big fan!
Thanks WL! Encouraging to hear that. Happy New Year!
I always refer to your blog now and I think you give great tips! Don’t let the trolls get you down and keep giving your best!
Blessed lunar new year Aaron! Do keep the 2,000 word posts coming. Unlike the tiktoker majority, I’m more than happy to have great reading material when I’m on the ‘throne’ 🙂
I know right. 50 years from now and the state of the union address is going to come in the form of a 10 second vine
Great summary/reflection and Happy CNY. Personally love the site and love reading the reviews, I think the site format and humour in your posts reflects that you enjoy what you’re doing – I personally love doing all this too, but I don’t (other than instagram) post about it, and I couldn’t make videos to save my life, so I’m glad others do, and don’t begrudge “bloggers” making a living through affiliate links, referrals, etc. – I’m no use to you from a credit card referral point of view (Aussie) – although I’ll happily take out some SG credit cards if you can convince them to let me!
thank you! shame there’s not too much competition airline-wise down under (can’t believe qantas still charges $ to join the FFP- I know it’s fairly easy to waive, but on general principle…)
Thanks for another year of great general content, quality trip reports & travel updates!
Glad it works still well for you to do this full time.
Hope the financial institutions/regulations in SG stay as generous as they’re now. We’re really having it good here with CC rewards, with certain tricks that work(ed) even better than the US in some ways.
Missing quality analytical blogs like yours or OMAAT in Europe. Probably the economics just don’t work there.
thanks Bruno! i guess the problem in Europe is that interchange is capped, so the rewards cards can’t be very rewarding.
it’s interesting you compare SG and USA, because everyone focuses on the sign up bonuses in the USA, but tends to forget we can earn 4 mpd quite easily in singapore. i can’t think of many cards in the USA that give 4 mpd on virtually all kinds of spending
Well done Aaron. I love it!
thank you! happy CNY!
Been a fan of your writing before you went full-time. Congratulations on everything you have achieved with the Milelion. Very well done.
My family (including a 1 year old infant) have been travelling exclusively J/F for the past year, and that is all thanks to you too.
Saw you mention somewhere below and I had a similar experience: wife stopped complaining about the hassle of credit cards after flying F for the first time. Very curious indeed…
very suspicious right? should form COI to investigate!
Happy CNY From Indonesia
While most credit card articles are next to useless for me, I managed to utilized much krisflyer tricks from you, especially last year, lots of award spaces. Now I only need to try the suite, hopefully by next year😚
Wishing you a great 2023
thanks elbert! sin-cgk is still one of the best routes to try the private room, so hopefully you’ll be able to do that at least!
Oh, tried once just before the devaluation
Great nap room, really serene. And since nobody is using it, you can basically use it until someone wants to use it
the major downside about all sq lounge is… they never announce boarding time
Thank you for all your hard work Aaron! Indeed it’s been quite a year. So glad VTLs are gone (though hearing that acronym still makes me flinch a bit), but thank you for making everything so much easier and comprehendible while that lasted.
Praying for more wisdom in 2023 as you navigate this crazy landscape of the internet and angry difficult-to-deal-with people, with integrity, love, and a lot, a lot of grace. 🙂
Ah, VTLs. so, so many memories (mostly of scrambling to publish posts every time some little thing changed).
thank you for your prayers, it really means a lot to me to know I have brothers and sisters out there!
Dear Sirs/Madam, I would like to make booking to come to Singapore stay at the sofitels for my wife , wife family (father, uncle, mother in law) . Can make the booking through your website sir? I want to use airpoints land at jewel waterfall airport. Please call me now +91 7263 19273. Awaiting your soonest reply.
CAN PLS SEND FRONT AND BACK COPY OF CREDIT CARD AND ALSO TITLE DEED TO HOME
Keep up the great work. Thanks to your Mileliones too.
thanks Rajiv! happy new year!
I want more hotel 81 reviews.
fragrance hotel can?
Dear Aaron
I’ve been reading your site for about 2 years now and I’m hooked. In fact, I look out for your post daily to read your latest articles exactly how I reach out for the Straits Times in the morning with my coffee.
Thank you for this wonderful article and making yourself real to your readers. It’s admirable and it has in many ways made me appreciate and respect more, the work that you do.
You have truly helped me in many ways to navigate the mile chasing pursuit and profit from it abundantly. My family has a lot to thank you for especially our “cheaper” vacations. I have to thank you for making my wife realise I hadn’t completely lost it when I printed for her a “cards to use” list so we could profit from the 4mpd!
The devil is in the details and that’s what you do very well. Your work in simplifying and summarising the T&Cs is so well presented despite of the heaps amount that you must clearly plough though . Hence, I agree with you on shying away from video content. I won’t serve the purpose. Secondly, I love your writing style and nuances between the lines. You’ll never be able to present them on video.
I also agree on focusing on points/miles. Know that at least one of your readers is exactly like you. I too don’t get too excited with cashback!
You clearly cannot do your work well without the support of the MileLioness. So please thank her on our behalf for her support in allowing you to continue at MileLion. Remind her how her support has enriched the lives of many people and families.
Last but not least, thank you Aaron for reminding us with 1 Peter 3:9. It really hit me very hard this morning and this will be my CNY resolution for 2023.
Gong Xi Fa Cai!
Chris James
Hey Chris! That’s awesome to hear- maybe printing a cards to use list isn’t a bad idea; the wife resorts to calling me every time she’s about to pay.
Keep walking close to Him, brother!
Well done Aaron on another year, thankyou for all your reviews and articles. Agree with you about internet anonymity being the main thing enabling aggression and rudeness. A lot of things people can write are not things they’d say face to face to a stranger. Not sure the solution but I think your reflections are apt.
thank you! happy new year to and your family
Happy CNY!
I started reading since your 1st/2nd year as I was trying to find local content of the miles game which I started when reading some US sites.
What a journey it has been!
Miles is also a regular topic with a few of my good friends whom I introduced to MileLion.
By the way, we met once at the Exchange where you hosted your meet-up in the early days and you mentioned you are looking at going full-time. So glad you did and it has became so successful!
Looking forward fo many many years of miles!
Hi Vincent! Happy CNY to you too. I think I remember that Exchange meetup, goodness me it must have been early 2018 or something? Hope you have some great miles memories in 2023
Makes me think – we haven’t had a Milelion meetup in a while. So what you’re saying is, if I insult you with sufficient vitriol, not only there will be a meet up but you’ll be buying?
I like how everyone is trying to find ways of gaming this.
Yeah looks like I wasn’t as original as I thought.
Ok, let me un-game this – do another Milelion gathering and I pay for the ice cream ?
Hi I’ve never commented here before but just wanna say..
1) Thank you for all your useful guides and articles! Was a noob when I started and now I’m advising my friends lol
2) Please stick to articles! Videos are harder to watch on the go
3) Love how you stay true to your faith! Only noticed last Christmas when you mentioned Christ but not many influencers will do that and I applaud you for doing so. Likewise with the nasty comments, I need to learn from you.
4) Second the comment to do more posts with infants and kids! Maybe you can come up with a list of criteria so we parents can submit posts and you decide if it’s good enough to be published?
Have a blessed and peaceful new year!
thank you! Blessed new year to you and your family too
thank you for all your hard work!
thank you! happy new year.
Always take comfort looking towards reading your yearly reflecting, while reading my mind harking back to days where your site was such a simple site with weekly/bi-weekly articles which was also thereabout the time I started the card game. One of the first EOL hacks was Imagine Amex Card, which was so useful tip back then (my first of many hays while it shined).
Secondly stick to blogging, I do read other SG sites and hated that the article straighforth pointed to a YouTube video where I can’t scan for info with eyes, or CTRL+F instead. I’m so very used to your writing style and constantly coming back/googling “keyword”+milelion to recall an article I’ve read from you to recap.
My main reflecting benefit this year was having to refer here for the Covid travel requirements especially for my Korea trip when VTL was lifted. Saved me loads of time on finding cheapest/best testing needs, what docs and registrations to fill, etc.
Lastly, you’re doing a mavelous job keep this up. The internet can be a wild unforgiving place but those are usually the odd ones out. Will continue to always lookout for your articles (admit I don’t read all but most) as always for another 7 years!
Ah, memories. Back in 2015 and 2016, I think I’d be happy if I did one article a week!
thanks for the well wishes, happy new year!
Hi Aaron, let’s have a drink, on me. We have a lot to talk about.
you know where to reach me!
Hi Aaron great reflections and keep going. Attending your workshop changed my life.
thank you sir! have a great 2023
Your blog has been life changing for my hubby and I since I stumbled upon it in 2016. And then I shared your blog with a dear friend, who sadly passed away a few months ago. But he did manage to take two first class and many business class flights before his illness, so I am glad he had that experience and it is all thanks to you!
I would love to see more articles on the different hotel programs like Bonvoy, Accor, Hyatt etc – like a fight club on which hotel programme is the best?
Anyway, have a great and prosperous 2023!
thanks mabel. sorry to hear about your friend.
i’m working on a post like that, stay tuned!
Very uplifting and positive article, and also on your outlook of life!
thank you! have a great 2023 ahead