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Scott's Cheap Flights: Growing a small side project into a booming business

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Re: Scott's Cheap Flights: Growing a small side project into a booming business

#191

Post by petercooper »

exclusiv wrote: post #139
jwong_ wrote: post #95

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Thanks for putting my feelings into words. And their partners are extremely spammy at best. They're all trying to force engagement and word of mouth. Here's an excerpt from one of the intro e-mails I got: > Welcome to the #SkimmLife! Here's how it's going to work: > We'll meet you back here, in your inbox, bright and early tomorrow morning (PS If it's Friday or a weekend, > you'll get theSkimm on Monday). We're a com…

Yeah further down they note: "We only try to partner with high quality companies. For example this Tokyo one were running right now is with journy, ProductHunt, theSkimm, The Wirecutter, and Conde Nast Traveler" I looked at theSkimm and can't figure out how it's related either. Just seems like an email acquisition bartering scheme.

That's basically what it is.

People who want to grow lists quickly all get together. The smaller lists pay for the prizes, the bigger lists pay with exposure. They all pitch a sweepstakes to their subscribers, all entrants end up subscribed to all lists.. everyone wins (allegedly).

Re: Scott's Cheap Flights: Growing a small side project into a booming business

#192

Post by sgroppino »

chrisballinger wrote: post #64

Something I've noticed that's lacking from most aggregators like Kayak and SkyScanner (my current fave), is the ability to increase the price of the ultra-budget carriers by adding their carry-on baggage fees and whatnot. I don't care about checked bag fees, but some of the carry-on fees are ridiculous ($60 per overhead item?). These budget carriers are cheating the system by looking like the cheapest option, when in…

What is the general policy on the so-called 'Ryanair jacket'? Can you get in trouble by packing 20kg of stuff in your coat?

Re: Scott's Cheap Flights: Growing a small side project into a booming business

#193

Post by petercooper »

RepressedEmu wrote: post #124
jpindar wrote: post #116

OK, so how many of us are wondering what other kinds of products this would work for? I've seen similar newsletters for books, for Amazon Subscribe & Save, and for low cost Amazon items.

what is the one for low cost Amazon items? I've been thinking about starting a daily store of weird items but this seems like a good idea also. Like sub $20 gift ideas/wacky items

Might not be it, but https://camelcamelcamel.com tracks the biggest price drops on Amazon each day.

Re: Scott's Cheap Flights: Growing a small side project into a booming business

#194

Post by goldenkey »

sgroppino wrote: post #192
chrisballinger wrote: post #64

Something I've noticed that's lacking from most aggregators like Kayak and SkyScanner (my current fave), is the ability to increase the price of the ultra-budget carriers by adding their carry-on baggage fees and whatnot. I don't care about checked bag fees, but some of the carry-on fees are ridiculous ($60 per overhead item?). These budget carriers are cheating the system by looking like the cheapest option, when in…

What is the general policy on the so-called 'Ryanair jacket'? Can you get in trouble by packing 20kg of stuff in your coat?

Have fun sweating your ballz off Fred

Re: Scott's Cheap Flights: Growing a small side project into a booming business

#195

Post by winterismute »

OkGoDoIt wrote: post #168
chrisballinger wrote: post #64

Something I've noticed that's lacking from most aggregators like Kayak and SkyScanner (my current fave), is the ability to increase the price of the ultra-budget carriers by adding their carry-on baggage fees and whatnot. I don't care about checked bag fees, but some of the carry-on fees are ridiculous ($60 per overhead item?). These budget carriers are cheating the system by looking like the cheapest option, when in…

I 100% percent agree with you. But on a practical note, some advice for those traveling on these budget airlines: if you pack your carry-on in a backpack rather than a suitcase, every budget airline in Europe and the US that I have flown on will not give you a hard time about it. I personally use a very large backpack that holds at least as much as a carry-on suitcase, yet the fact that it is in backpack form means t…

I have been doing exactly the same thing for years! But personally I think it also depends on, well, your physical attributes: being tall/big makes the backpack seem always small, and also makes it kind of invisible to the people in front of you (who are the ones that will eventually decide whether to check if your backpack fits into the limits or not). I think the same trick would not work for shorter/smaller persons. But I might be wrong of course.

Re: Scott's Cheap Flights: Growing a small side project into a booming business

#196

Post by HillaryBriss »

jmarbach wrote: post #72

Disclosure: I built a competing tool for finding cheap flights, https://concorde.io . I think the secret of Scott's success is his incredible writing ability. Finding the cheap flights is the easy part. Communicating with users in a way that consistently wins over their hearts and minds takes a high level of consideration and creativity. This writing ability combined with his co-founder's understanding and applicatio…

confused. none of the flights are supersonic.

Re: Scott's Cheap Flights: Growing a small side project into a booming business

#197

Post by ambicapter »

mdns33 wrote: post #131
SSilver2k2 wrote: post #104

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I have gotten messages from all of these, and they are complete spam. I'm glad I know it's your fault. What's done is done, I've unsubscribed.

Oops. One customer lost. Nice way to market your company.

I haven't gotten any spammy messages (or gmail has caught them). I've only gotten emails from theSkimm, which is not in my interests but it looks like they put a decent amount of effort in their email. This one guy's terrible terrible experience is not necessarily indicative of anything.

Re: Scott's Cheap Flights: Growing a small side project into a booming business

#198

Post by whistlerbrk »

dragonwriter wrote: post #186
OkGoDoIt wrote: post #168

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I 100% percent agree with you. But on a practical note, some advice for those traveling on these budget airlines: if you pack your carry-on in a backpack rather than a suitcase, every budget airline in Europe and the US that I have flown on will not give you a hard time about it. I personally use a very large backpack that holds at least as much as a carry-on suitcase, yet the fact that it is in backpack form means t…

> I personally use a very large backpack that holds at least as much as a carry-on suitcase, yet the fact that it is in backpack form means they count it as my personal item and don't give me a hard time. Interesting; they always officially state that the “personal item” must fit under the seat in front of you, which clearly a large backpack won't. No airline's ever enforced it that I've noticed, but then I've never…

A full backpacking pack at 60L+ will not. But a stuffed 35L pack will most likely fit.

Re: Scott's Cheap Flights: Growing a small side project into a booming business

#199

Post by [deleted] »

dragonwriter wrote: post #186
OkGoDoIt wrote: post #168

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I 100% percent agree with you. But on a practical note, some advice for those traveling on these budget airlines: if you pack your carry-on in a backpack rather than a suitcase, every budget airline in Europe and the US that I have flown on will not give you a hard time about it. I personally use a very large backpack that holds at least as much as a carry-on suitcase, yet the fact that it is in backpack form means t…

> I personally use a very large backpack that holds at least as much as a carry-on suitcase, yet the fact that it is in backpack form means they count it as my personal item and don't give me a hard time. Interesting; they always officially state that the “personal item” must fit under the seat in front of you, which clearly a large backpack won't. No airline's ever enforced it that I've noticed, but then I've never…

[deleted]

Re: Scott's Cheap Flights: Growing a small side project into a booming business

#200

Post by nojvek »

wyclif wrote: post #190
dreamrider wrote: post #176

Earlier quoted context omitted.

And the worst of this is in Vegas. You wouldn't use any of their amenities and there they are collecting resort fee from you and then you end up spending another shit load of money gambling.

It's because Vegas is for suckers, and they know this. The entire purpose of Vegas is to separate tourists from their money.

Vegas is only fun when you have money to blow. My trip in Vegas all I thought was, why the fuck is this so expensive?

Not my idea of a vacation

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