Influencer & Inaugural Flights

This would have definitely driven me nuts!

I agree with Diane. A 10 plus hour flight is way too long to have to put up with this.

One of the reasons I choose to pay for premium economy is because the smaller cabin means a quieter flight. This has nothing to do with me trying to control others. It's called respect of your fellow passengers.

The annoying vlogger should have discreetly done the filming quickly and then shut up and take notes. Add the voice over to the video during editing.

I agree with the last post that the influencer should have done voiceover after the flight. I can't stand "influencers", to be honest.

I usually don't join tours because I like to explore on my own, but I did join a small (12 people) group last year to visit various cities in Morocco. And behold, there were FOUR influencers on that group (two couples). One couple was very respectful of everyone's time and made sure to ask permission when filming segments that would show other participants of the tour ("Do you want to be part of this video./photo, if not, do you mind just stepping aside for a little bit?"). But still an inconvenience. But at least they tried. And many times they would just disappear and explore on their own and be back at the bus on time.
But the other couple, oh my! They would delay the bus, ask to be seated at a separate table to film the food, stand forever in front of a specific area to take a photo/film while so many others waiting. One breakfast at a Riad (where they bring all food onto a commune table) they made the staff prepare a separate set of food for them and seat them at a separate table. That delayed our bus departure from Marrakech.

While in Fez, our group had to seat together using 2 large tables in a busy restaurant. We watched the whole making off of their lunch (which they barely ate). "Cut at the center, take a bite now, look at the camera, turn the plate my way". And then they would talk about the food. It was SO ANNOYING! They each took a bite of each plate and didn't really eat. Someone else in my group asked them if they could keep it quiet for once (he was more annoyed than me) and their response was "I am sorry but this is our job". I think they should then pay for a private tour and not bother others.
The other couple split their time between eating and filming around the restaurant but didn't disturb their table.

Vent over.

Influencer is an annoying word and person. Also laughable and pathetic

Personally I find the entire concept a delusion of adequacy.

As WC Fields said “ go away son you bother me!”

Edit: last year an Influencer emailed me a video regarding the London neighborhood of Canary Wharf. I LOL’d because her pronunciation was like Cannery Row in Monterey California ( yes she was an American). I called her on it asking why she hadn’t bothered to learn the proper pronunciation of Canary Wharf. Her reply was a 2 word explicitive and to mind my own business. I replied her reply was harsh and that I would share her details with the Forum.

Funny as she disappeared online as a“ influencer”

If I read my novel out loud on a plane, I assure you a flight attendant would tell me to stop. Hopefully this influencer issue of disturbing others inflight or on tours will soon be addressed by the travel industry.
Regarding the expectation of travelers to be considerate of other paying participants...
Last fall I was on an excursion offered by and paid to Oceania Cruises to tour an Italian vineyard. When the vineyard owner began her presentation, the local guide, contracted by Oceania, rushed up to tell the vineyard owner to wait on some guests with canes and wheeled walkers. We waited and we waited. Finally the owner told the local guide that she had other tours scheduled after ours and that she would not be able to give us the entire presentation and vineyard tour. The excursion description was clear about walking through a vineyard, yet an Oceania representative led us, including the guests using canes & wheeled walkers, from the ship to the tour bus for our excursion departure.
My experience with other tour operators is that usually slower guests are considerate and will tell the guide to go ahead, to not slow the pace or skip parts of the excursion, and that they will catch up with the group.
This occured on several excursions from this (my first) Oceania cruise. I will not be touring with Oceania again.
For this and other reasons I choose tours/excursions based on my physical limitations.

Wow Joy. Huge ethical lapse.
Had they informed the tour company that this was a "work trip"? Were the other tour participants owed a partial refund for the inconvenience? This story has so many sides to it that it could be a huge debate.
What courtesy do we owe these self-employed people who are inconveniencing us by their money-making schemes?
I could well imagine certain people, blowing these parasites out of the water on the first day and then the battles begin.
My head is spinning with this story!

@Elizabeth - I have a feeling the annoying couple was comped by the tour agency (it is a small tour company from Lisbon with reps in Morocco). Because everything that couple posted online about the trip was tagging the tour company which then reshared (I follow the tour company on Instagram, not the couple). And their videos were so over the top and not genuine at all - I saw it close by and the final version online.

We did speak with the guide about making sure people were not late for bus and respectful to other people's time. Guide tried to make that announcement before we got off the bus when visiting places, and I remember guide speaking directly to the couple when we were at the mosque in Casablanca (since next stop was the airport).

Sorry to deviate from the OP plane discussion. I think airlines should intervene if a passenger is disturbing others by filming and speaking out loud. As for the window, I agree that whomever sits there has "control" but a common sense is always important. We always get window for child but taught her from early on that we keep it closed (most of the way) if light bothers others like when sun is on that side.

A short that landed 6 days ago - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OgO8Hl_OhvU
And here is the video that hit today about 1pm or so my time - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bow_-sRxXNQ

The 787 uses electronically dimmable windows, rather than the pull down shades. They can be dimmed or brightened at the seat and there is a master switch.

The 787 uses electronically dimmable windows, rather than the pull down shades. They can be dimmed or brightened at the seat and there is a master switch.

I experienced that window last year on my Air France flight from Detroit to CDG. I was in Premium, not first class! I thought it was so cool and hope Delta picks up on it. I think it was new Airbus.

VAP, I watched a couple of minutes of your second link. The influencer either timed it perfectly, getting on first, with nobody else on the plane to get in his picture … or somehow erased everyone in the background, and dubbed out any extraneous sounds. Or did each filming team get exclusive access to the plane for “X” amount of time, to do their thing, before the next person got on to do their “influencing?”

Interesting that the United plane is primarily “upgraded,” pricier seating. Maybe that’ll start becoming the flying norm, with the few “downgraded” seats at the back for us relative cheapskates. I’d still prefer to have money left over once reaching the vacation destination, as opposed to a big splurge for the 10 or 11 hours flying there.

And Joy’s experience in Morocco…Wow! Two “influencer” teams, one not horribly intrusive, and the other exceedingly needy and obnoxious! That second group, with their bespoke meals and inconsideration, had no right pirating a group tour. If what they were doing was allegedly their job, they needed to book a private business trip, and not tag onto a group trip. That would start to influence people to not take tours from any company that allows that kind of thing.

Imagine if Rick Steves’ next filming project was linked to one of his group tours, with the paying clients watching and waiting while he and the film crew got their food shots just right? And waiting further while they refilmed scenes to fix Rick’s outtake bits (one of the more enjoyable parts of each show, at the end)?

And here is the video that hit today about 1pm or so my time - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bow_-sRxXNQ

@VAP, I would have died if I was sitting in the middle seat next to the guy in Premium. Maybe I would have just talked louder or pretend to snore loud to interfere with his recording (if my request for quietness didn't work).

That would start to influence people to not take tours from any company that allows that kind of thing.

Cyn, I only joined this tour because it was the safest and most economical way for me to travel alone around the country. I joined primarily for the transportation, and coordination for the night in the Sahara. The tour was well organized, all the hotels were great, transportation, met some great people, but having those influencers was an annoyance for sure. And it will make me think twice (or ten times) next time I join a tour.

To Claudia's definition I'd add pretentious, egotistical and wholly unnecessary. The only influence they have on me is to elicit the gag-and-flight response. Like the movie title, far and away. Thank you, no. I'll think for myself.

Joy, If I understand correctly, you think the couple was compted the tour in exchange for the publicity. It is a common practice for travel agents, but this takes it into another realm. Since the travel agency was complicit in the inconvenience, it would have been nice if the agency reps had tried to make it up to the paying customers: extra activities or special meal or …? That might have left a better memory.

I’m guilty of occasionally using the “points guys” travel site and YouTubes to see their reviews of routes, airlines, planes and so forth. I’m a bit of an uneasy flyer so I look for planes with higher pressurization and certain amenities. Their reviews are informative.

I would have never thought of the points guys as influencers but rather as travel reporters. But then I’m not sure where the lines are any longer between travel reports, vloggers, bloggers, social media superstars and influencers.

I know I’d be annoyed sitting next to someone filming the whole flight.( I’d be annoyed if they were loudly talking, putting on nail polish, gargling, singing, chewing loudly or waving Pittsburgh steeler terrible towels. )

Being respectful of your fellow travelers— is it too much to ask? I think not.

Maybe I should stop reading the points guys.

Happy travels.

Elizabeth, you are correct. A few of us on tour realized at least one couple (the obnoxious) was comped in exchange for publicity. And your point is valid that we should have received some benefit. And now that I think of it, the tours were usually about 22 people but ours was maxed at 15 (I think one group of 3 cancelled last minute due to flight issue). But we still got a standard/large bus for our comfort so we could spread out. I bet it was to get better reviews from the influencers.

I think tour agencies should ensure influencers still abide my the courtesy rules of a tour. But again, the last time I had joined a tour was when I was 18 (30 years ago) before social media.

A friend who joined a tour in Egypt with another small Portuguese company said owner/guide was very strict with so called “influencers” and that was even a question when registering for the tour. So her tour handled that much better.

would have never thought of the points guys as influencers but rather as travel reporters. But then I’m not sure where the lines are any longer between travel reports, vloggers, bloggers, social media superstars and influencers.

I agree with you David. I have watched their videos about plane seats to see if an upgrade to Premium or Comfort would be worth it. But it is also hard to distinguish what is a reporter vs “influencer”.

The big difference between a reporter and an influencer......a true reporter doesn't take anything for free so they can give honest reviews.

An influencer seeks freebies in return for positive reviews.

Under US law, if you receive something for free or you make money from a link, you are supposed to tell your audience. Most don't.

Honestly, if I'd been on that Morocco tour and heard them say that my response would have been "I just started a new job, and it is to ruin every video you try to take"; just make it impossible for them to work.

https://thepointsguy.com/advertising-policy/

I also read a reddit post on the company.

I'm not quite sure how to read all of this but I think they don't take free travel. They shill for credit cards. Their writers are free lancers who get paid for their work. They definitely do promo stuff -- but I don't think that includes the actual airlines.

None of this is to forgive acting horribly while traveling. And after a quick gander at the reddit posts, I'll think twice about reading their reviews from now on.

Ultimately, if a reporter is paid directly by the subject they are
covering to write a positive story, they are a publicist or
influencer. If they are paid by a media company that happens to make
money from those subjects, they are a niche reporter with a complex
business model.

Happy travels.

Influencers on holiday are so annoying. I’ve come across them twice on different trips and for me the problem that I’m on holiday and they’re treating my holiday space as a work environment. So at the breakfast buffet they take one of everything to spread all over the table and photograph, they pose next to the muffin stand, they lark about in ridiculous outfits. One had a professional photographer with her who was unpacking cases of equipment all over the guest lounge area. I hate it!

And Frank, UK law is very similar. If you are given money, goods or services in return for publicity then your post has to marked as an advert. Very few influencers do this consistently.

My critique of Alessandro Passalalpi's article is that it truly seems to have simply been a Reddit-scraping of a single Reddit post. I'm left wondering if there was an actual interview and did he go in with a journalists skepticism? Is Passalalpi’s piece a lazy aggregation of unverified internet gripes? I'm more troubled with the the vitriol and ease that "influencer" is thrown around as a slur while worshiping...When people use influencer as a slur, it's to weaponize it against younger creators and the new media like YouTube while giving a pass to "establishment" figures who are doing the exact same thing -- on oh let's say PBS. ...Rick Steves, is an OG influencer.

Under US law, if you receive something for free or you make money from a link, you are supposed to tell your audience. Most don't
UK law is very similar. If you are given money, goods or services in return for publicity then your post has to marked as an advert. Very few influencers do this consistently.

That is fair criticism and some need to get in trouble to it.

Established media pay to be able to shoot in a location. Influencers, for the most part, show up, unless they've made a deal with the owners of a business. Then, as with any publicity being filmed, the owner needs to consider the other customers.

BTW, in France, too, it's the law to reveal that one is receiving something in exchange for the recommendation. Has anyone seen if the Franco-American married couple on YouTube who recommend hotels, restaurants, tour guides and much more ever posts if there is a compensation of some sort? They post some very useful videos for travelers to Paris, in addition to all the recommendations.

This would have sent me over the edge on a long-haul flight.

I won a short international trip last fall as part of a Delta promo. The flight was chartered and 50% of the plane was winners, 25% influencers invited to promo the experience, and 25% Delta and other staff.

It was very interesting to see the influencers doing their work up close. Most of them were very professional and discreet and considerate of the other travelers, although it was strange to see people by themselves doing bizarre dances randomly in the middle of public spaces, etc.

One couple, however, were consistently disrespectful. They would ignore what the tour guides were saying and trail along at the end, taking pictures and holding up the group. During seated presentations, they would randomly get up while the speakers were talking and walked basically right in front of them and just start shooting pictures of random things in the room, completely disregarding what the person was saying. The couple was absolutely beautiful to look at, extremely stylish, but didn’t even really seem to like each other, and they certainly had no respect for the local experts that Delta had carefully cultivated for us, nor their fellow travelers.

So even on an experience where it was free for me, and I had no expectations (it’s free! Woohoo!), and influencers were a big part of the promo (although to be fair, this was not communicated to the “regular” winners in advance, but again it was free so who cares), this sort of behavior can be really disrespectful, not only to fellow travelers but mainly to the “regular” people who are just trying to do their jobs with dignity. Most people don’t do their jobs with entitlement; I don’t know why some influencers think they are the exception.