travel blog

[emirates777]

After my ill fated idea to start up a home based travel agency, more here and thanks for the feedback - http://www.australianfrequentflyer....p-travel-agency-home-80245-2.html#post1567256

I decided to instead start a blog and post any airfare deals with direct links I found. Initially I just promoted it within facebook (and to my friends only) and feedback has been great. Now I like to promote this outside that circle and also seek any feedback.

The blog address is http://happytravel.blog

My intention with this is to post deals and also differentiate it from other deal websites by adding a bit more about the airline/aircraft/airport/city where I can (my attempt to add value to the reader). Appreciate the comments and also the follow (there is a facebook page as well). Additionally if anyone here is familiar with blogging, I am all ears as to how I can increase my daily visitor count and improve the site.

thanks

 

[Strategic Aviation]

Tips For Becoming A Travel Blogger - One Mile at a Time

Here's What I've Learned About How to Grow a Blog and Make Money Online - View from the Wing

 

[MEL_Traveller]

If you're wanting to add value perhaps some of the deals could use a little more analysis. For example this deal: https://happytravel.blog/2017/01/21/beijing-from-268-syd-return/ mentions a onehour transit in Shanghai if flying China Eastern. In fact this is a stop in Nanjing (not Shanghai). Of interest to the reader would be the transit formalities in Nanjing. A one hour transit would not ordinarily be sufficient time in China to make a connection... but researching flightaware (or similar) shows this flight regularly leaves SYD on time, arrives Nanjing early just before 7pm, but can then wait anywhere from 2100 until 2300 before departing for PEK. (Times based on summer time, flights one hour earlier in winter.)

So yes they seem to hold the flight for transferring pax, but with an arrival anytime up until 1am.

 

[Skyring]

Not what I'd call a travel blog, to be frank. A series of adverts. Travel blogs generally promote and share the experience of travel, rather than just offering up flights to a bunch of places using photos lifted off the internet.

I doubt that anyone will chip you for using a .blog domain rather than a .com, but it sends a bit of a mixed message.

 

[moa999]

It's a blog by design and layout..
But id term it a cheap fares blog rather than a travel blog, where I'd be expecting hotel/airline reviews, but it's just semantics.

I'd also think the OP is better putting in some intro spiel about the intended audience (can help in rankings)

If it's too remain Aus focussed (as it appears) - which differentiates it from something like say secretflying

Then I'd also consider a name change to say
Austraveldeals.com or similar

 

[emirates777]

Thanks for the feedback.

I wouldnt say these are adverts. I am not affiliated with any travel agency and most of the deals i post are ones that everyone can find on a general travel search engine like momondo. I am just highlighting cheap flights for those who are interested.

I like the tip about adding more info regarding transits. If you notice of my recent posts i have tried to include this. But i can see more to add in this regards. I will keep tinkering.Thanks!

I agree its not a blog and yes its mainly australia centric (also with the odd nz deal thrown in). But right now blogging is the best platform for me as its cheap and easy to use and carries no advertising (unfortunately the drawback is using cheap images of google, but then again the focus is on cheap flights. Not pictures). My focus atm is just to build support and numbers. Maybe later there might be an option to transfer to a .com site and yes better images to use!

Thanks for your support and hope people find this useful and keep visiting or subscribe via Facebook or email!

 

[Steady]

Thanks for your support and hope people find this useful and keep visiting or subscribe via Facebook or email!

What name do I find your FB page under?

 

[emirates777]

Happy travel. Hopefully should be easy to find. If noy let me know

 

[Steady]

Happy travel. Hopefully should be easy to find. If noy let me know

Doesn't show up in my search for "Happy travel"

 

[emirates777]

hmm. Try clicking on the facebook link on the top right hand side of the site (its next to the linkedin, twitter links). That should take you straight there.

If that doesn't work, try typing in 256952348050639 in the facebook search field . The number given is the page ID number. It will highlight some posts on the same FB page and from there you backtrack to the front page.

happytravel.blog

 

[Steady]

hmm. Try clicking on the facebook link on the top right hand side of the site (its next to the linkedin, twitter links). That should take you straight there.

If that doesn't work, try typing in 256952348050639 in the facebook search field . The number given is the page ID number. It will highlight some posts on the same FB page and from there you backtrack to the front page.

happytravel.blog

The FB link at the top right just takes me to my own news feed. 2

56952348050639 got me to a post and I backtracked.

Cheers

 

[straitman]

After my ill fated idea to start up a home based travel agency, more here and thanks for the feedback - http://www.australianfrequentflyer....p-travel-agency-home-80245-2.html#post1567256

I decided to instead start a blog and post any airfare deals with direct links I found. Initially I just promoted it within facebook (and to my friends only) and feedback has been great. Now I like to promote this outside that circle and also seek any feedback.

The blog address is http://happytravel.blog

My intention with this is to post deals and also differentiate it from other deal websites by adding a bit more about the airline/aircraft/airport/city where I can (my attempt to add value to the reader). Appreciate the comments and also the follow (there is a facebook page as well). Additionally if anyone here is familiar with blogging, I am all ears as to how I can increase my daily visitor count and improve the site.

thanks

For a 'Travel Blog' can I suggest No Set Address which belongs to my daughter who is also a member here. (jakplus1)

This is substantially different to what you are posting so I agree with moa999 that yours is more a cheap fares blog rather than a travel blog.

Does it really matter :?:

NO it does not.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Emirates777 you need to do some more fact checking! Out of interest I checked your blog after seeing more PEK specials. Your deal listed here: https://happytravel.blog/2017/02/08/beijing-return-from-247/ states SYD-PEK is non-stop - it actually has a stop in Hangzhou. The flight on the return (that you have selected) does stop in Nanjing as stated.

However - neither of these are 'technical' stops. Pax will be required to disembark and complete entry or exit immigration respectively before continuing their journey to PEK or return to SYD.

 

[emirates777]

Haha thanks. Its already been mentioned above earlier. I have since paid close attention to this in my following blog entries. But thanks for visiting and please share and spread the word!

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Haha thanks. Its already been mentioned above earlier. I have since paid close attention to this in my following blog entries. But thanks for visiting and please share and spread the word!

Yes, you corrected the Nanjing stopover, but added that the flight is non-stop to PEK (it's not). You imply the stop in those cities is of a technical nature, but in fact passengers they will have to complete all immigration checks during their transit time. Not a hassle free exercise.

 

[emirates777]

Thanks for pointing that out

 

[MEL_Traveller]

You might also want to double check the spelling of your chinese cities - 'Nanking' is no longer used today (but is still used for certain historical events).

 

[emirates777]

Duly noted and updated. Thanks for correcting me.

 

[Skyring]

For a 'Travel Blog' can I suggest No Set Address which belongs to my daughter who is also a member here. (jakplus1)

This is substantially different to what you are posting so I agree with moa999 that yours is more a cheap fares blog rather than a travel blog.

Does it really matter :?:

NO it does not.

Thanks! Had a look at No Set Address - your daughter's a brave woman. No surprise there, I guess! Looks good.

Emirates777, from a technical point of view, no, it's not important, and to be honest, you're providing a useful service. Still, if you want to grow a following you have to give people a reason to come back.

"Happy Travels" and a .blog TLD implies something other than what you are providing. Did you have some happy travels of your own? Of course you did. Tell people about them. A few posts about places to go or tips for travellers will make a difference.

If you want more exposure, there are groups of travel bloggers who share posts, comments, retweets, follows and so on. A little tacky, but it gets the numbers up and all benefit from the rising tide.

We Travel We Blog, for example.

Good to see another member with a travel blog. Josie Wanders and Our World in Review are based out of South Australia and are excellent.

 

[romney]

Good to see another member with a travel blog. Josie Wanders and Our World in Review are based out of South Australia and are excellent.

Thanks Skyring for the shoutout! My little blog needs all the help it can get!

For those interested, Josie Wanders will be covering my year-long adventure starting in April. It will begin with my first F flight on Singapore We are flying to Oslo, then spending the next year travelling through Europe, the Middle East and Asia to get back to Australia. We're only planning the first month or so then will see how it goes from there. I have plenty of points that I hope to use for any long flights we do, but the shorter flights will be on all sorts of cheap airlines! The most obscure one I have so far booked is with Transavia - who I had never heard of before! - from Amsterdam to Paris. I will try to include mini-reviews on these as well.

Oh, and since Skyring is being shy, here's a link to his blog so that you can see he's practicing what he preaches. A Thousand Flights - Postcards from the world Schedule