Very Good Points is moving homes, as of now, I will be blogging from Frist2board.com 

I would like to thank Boarding Area, and most especially Randy, for everything they’ve done to help VeryGoodPoints grow over the last year+. I have enjoyed being a part of Boarding Area, have learned a ton from all my fellow bloggers and look forward to my next adventure.

Thank you for all your support of VeryGoodPoints on Boarding Area and I look forward to seeing you on my new site www.first2board.com

Best,

Stacey

 

 

On my recent trip to WDW we spent 1 and 1/2 days at the Magic Kingdom. I think Disney should invent happy pills. Something all children (and some adults too) are required to take before entering the park. Screaming children have to go to The Tower of Terror. Perhaps they should add nap rooms for over tired children who are on the verge of a tantrum. Hey, I'm allowed to dream right? Isn't one of their slogans where dreams come true?

The day before I headed to Orlando my mom told me it would be cool and I'd need a light jacket or fleece. So I packed light weight long sleeved shirts, pants and a hoodie. Arrived in Orlando, walked outside and thought – phew, it's a little steamy! Turns out the highs were around 86 degrees. So needless to say I own a whole new selection of Disney Ts.

February is one of the Florida resident months and so a few of us were able to get discounted rates. Typically, Florida resident months mean smaller crowds, however, not this time. Seems like all of New Orleans came to Disney to escape Mardi Gras.

We decided to head straight to the New Fantasy Land in hopes of avoiding some crowds. That was a smart move. There were 5 kids with us all under age 6. They really liked the new area.

The new part of Fantasyland lies just beyond the remaining part of Fantasyland just behind Cinderella Castle. The new area offers two parts, the Enchanted Forest and Storybook Circus. In addition there are two new castles: Beast’s Castle, representing “Beauty and the Beast,” and Prince Eric’s Castle, representing “The Little Mermaid.”

The Enchanted Forest showcases the tales of “Beauty and the Beast” and “The Little Mermaid” and has tons of Disneyesque landscape with waterfalls, greenery, grottoes, bridges and of course, the forests.

An area focused on “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs” is under construction and will open in 2014. You can take a sneak peak into the area but all you really see is a big hole and lots of construction equipment.

The Little Mermaid ride transports guests below the ocean’s surface to see Ariel and her friends, an adventure that recreates scenes from the 1989 animated movie and includes some of its memorable songs. Fast Passes! Next door, Ariel’s Grotto offers guests the chance to meet Ariel in the flesh – and take tons of photos (there were as many grown men as kids taking photos!)

Across a stone gargoyle bridge from Ariel’s home is the Beast’s Castle, the site of Be Our Guest Restaurant. Be Our Guest offers quick-service dining for lunch and table-service dining for dinner. I wrote a review of Be Our Guest previously.

Belle’s Village has a small collection of buildings housing shops, but the focal point is a bronze statue of Gaston. You might even find Gaston in the town square, eager admirers waiting for photos with him. He left just as we arrived.

Gaston’s Tavern, decorated like a hunting lodge, has LeFou’s Brew. The no-sugar-added frozen apple juice has a hint of toasted marshmallow, and is topped with all-natural passion fruit-mango foam. Didn't sound or look good to me.

Storybook Circus bring the big top to Magic Kingdom and features the “Dumbo” movie characters. Storybook Circus is the new home Dumbo, the Flying Elephant, ride. The kids seemed to love it and it looked like it got a much needed renovation.

Another “Dumbo” are is a Splash ‘N’ Soak Station. The play area is based on the train from the movie, and circus animals in train cars squirt and spray water at guests. The day we visited that area it was pouring so we didn't even notice the water!

The Barnstormer Featuring the Great Goofini, is a kiddie coaster. The ride is very short and gentle, my 3 years old nephew met the height requirement to ride it! Fast Passes!

Pete’s Silly Sideshow offers a character meet-and-greet with Minnie Mouse, Goofy, and Donald Duck. You can meet the characters, pose for photos and receive autographs inside the air-conditioned bit top. The downside, there are no fast passes for these characters.

All in all, this was a great area for the kids, provided a little downtime for the adults and looks really great! Can't wait for the rest to open!

Part 3 of my WDW Vacation – the rest of the Magic Kingdom

On March 1st I will be moving to a new home at First2Board.com. Please come visit me there.

 

Last week I had the opportunity to spend a few days with my entire family and some friends at WDW. My family are Disney Vacation Club Members and the Bay Lake Towers at the Contemporary is a Vacation Club resort (however anyone can stay at the Bay Lake Towers based on availability.)

The benefit of the Bay Lake Towers and the Contemporary Hotel is both the proximity to the Magic Kingdom and that it's on the Magic Kingdom Monorail line.

The room type we had at the Bay Lake Towers is called the 3-bedroom Grand Villa with a theme park view. The alternative view is of Bay Lake and the pools/activity area. The first floor of the room has a full kitchen, living room, laundry room, master bedroom with master bath and a second full bath in the living area. The second floor has 2 bedrooms and each has a full bath and double beds. There's a loft area on the second floor with a sleeper sofa.

[caption id="" width="360" align="alignnone" caption="Courtesy Disney Vacation Club"][/caption]

The views from the room were spectacular because there were floor to ceiling windows. The view from our room looked onto the Magic Kingdom and you could see iconic figures like Cinderella's Castle and Space Mountain.

The room was really comfortable.

[caption id="" width="383" align="alignnone" caption="Kitchen"][/caption]

One of the best parts of the room in my opinion was the perfect view of the fireworks from the park. I love fireworks, I hate crowds. From the room you could sit on the balcony and enjoy the show.

I really enjoyed the Bay Lake Towers and even as a non Disney Vacation Club member I would stay at the Contemporary Bay Lake Towers if I was visiting The Magic Kingdom.

Part 2 of my Disney Vacation review: The New Fantasy Land

 

It's Thursday, what better day to do a Thai Travel Giveaway! I spend a whole lot of time in Thailand. In fact, that's probably an understatement! On February 2nd I had the chance to fly Thai Airways from Bangkok to Rome in First Class. Here was my mini-suite.

 

During the flight we were given Thai Pajamas and a Tumi Amenity Kit.

So I'm giving away the PJs and the Tumi Amenity Kit. The kit does not have the original products inside – TSA'S made me dump them as they were 4.5 oz each. But I've refilled it with some of my favorite travel amenities from Starwood! A very similar Tumi bag sells in stores for $45! So the Tumi alone is a cool prize. The PJs are an XL size but would likely fit someone who wears med-large.

So, how can you enter? You have two chances to win.

First, comment about anything on this post here on Boarding Area. Then, for a second chance to win, follow @First2Board on twitter.

The deadline to enter is 11:59 pm ET on Feb 24, 2013.

• Void where prohibited by law
• You must be 21 years of age to enter
• You must comment with your real name and last initial (i.e., Stacey S)

 

You should all know the classic poem, If I Were In Charge of the World by Judith Viorst. We read it as kids, a lot…and dreamed about being in charge. Ive written my own verse called If I were Doug Parker in Charge of New AA World. Enjoy….

 

If I were Doug Parker in Charge of the New AA world

I'd cancel US Air catering ASAP and call Guy Fieri!

I'd ban 5 am Monday Morning flights

There'd be brighter nights lights, that wouldn't look like the flight attendant light.

 

You would have bedtimes on overnight flight (shhhh!)

The no smoking sign would be replaced with a sign,

Don't kick the seat back one more time!

 

If I were Doug Parker

You wouldn't have chatty seat mates

Everyone would sit up straight

Luggage travels free

Babies? Sorry, there's a fee

 

If I were Doug Parker

The safety video would feature JayZ

Chocolate chip cookies would be free

And no one would dare show “Flight” in air

And a person who sometimes forgot to brush,

And sometimes forgot to flush,

Wouldn't be allowed in the cabin

 

If I were Doug Parker

Flight Attendants would be perfume free

And hand out deodorant when need be

The planes would be fresh and new

And you'd never have to worry about a late crew.

 

If I were Doug Parker in charge of the New AA World

I'd listen to frequent flyers.

I'd let AA run the social media team

I'd keep the best of both programs and put the competition to rest!

 

My regular readers will know that my primary hotel chain is Starwood, however, it's next to impossible to stay at a Starwood all the time. Every frequent traveler, in my opinion, needs a secondary hotel chain you can rely on.

I've tried Marriott over the years, going from Platinum to Silver status. I've tried Hilton off and on without much success. I enjoyed Kimpton, but I'm international now and Kimpton isn't.

So towards the end of last year I was given Hyatt Platinum Status through the purchase of a MilePoint Premium membership. With Platinum status I thought I'd give a Hyatt a spin. Now, the key is that Hyatt's are often out of my per-diem, but the Hyatt Regency Incheon was just under my budget.

The hotel is located just off of the airport property and offers a free shuttle bus. It took about 3-4 minutes to get from the airport to the hotel. The lobby was packed with people checking in, but there were plenty of staff on hand directing people to the appropriate check-in location.

Check-in was easy and I was very quickly off to my room. I had a Club Deluxe King room which was on the floor with the Regency Club lounge. The lounge served Continental breakfast, evening cocktails and hors d'oeuvres, high tea. As a Platinum member I had complimentary wifi access and late check out.

I arrived super late and so I ordered room service and it was delivered very quickly. The food was good too. When I was in my room someone came with a bottle of wine and chocolates. I don't drink, so I asked if I could get something else and they happily replace it with several bottles of sparkling water.

The room was comfortable and spacious. The bathroom had a ton of amenities including a toilet with more buttons and switches than I've ever seen.

Anytime I'm in Seoul or have a layover at Incheon Airport, I will stay at the Hyatt!

 

 

 

 

If you were flying USAir or American this week as the merger was announced you undoubtedly heard all sorts of chatter. From flyers to employees, everyone had an opinion, including me.

I was at the airport and struck up a conversation with a gate agent. As we were chatting (not about the merger) I noticed that he had pinned a set of AmericanAirlines wings above the USAir logo on his shirt. He was very excited about the merger, all the new routes that would open up to USAir flyers and the positive changes that were sure to come.

I heard from a pilot who was excited as well because he's based in an American Airlines hub city and the merger might mean less shuttle flights for him.

Onboard the airplane I noticed all the flight attendants were wearing a pin I hadn't seen before, or at least never paid attention to. I asked one flight attendant what the pin signified. She told me it was their union pin and they were wearing it in protest of the merger.

One particular flight attendant on my flight was none too happy about the merger and took every opportunity possible to mention it. Dear Flight Attendant, the wall between you and the customer in row 1 is not sound proof. We can hear hear you! This crew member must have said “I'm way too old for this” about 5 times. That didn't really instill a sense of security in me. If she's too old for a merger, is she too old for an emergency landing?

Once the flight took off she literally sat in her jump seat and read her Kindle the whole flight. Even when the passengers were told to turn off electronic devices. If I had been one of the other flight attendants I would have made an official complaint about her (and as a side note, I did email the Chairman Liaison with her name, flight # and other pertinent information)

There was a woman sitting next to me who was a Platinum Divedend Miles Member who was very unhappy about the merger because she hates flying through Dallas/Fort Worth. Seemed like an odd reason to dislike the merger, but ok, she's entitled to that opinion.

The gentleman sitting across the aisle from me was thrilled that the New American would be in the OneWorld Alliance.

Me, I'm mostly excited and there's only a few things I'm slightly sad about. I'm a little bummed that I'll lose out on Star Alliance awards with airlines like Singapore, Asiana, Lufthansa and Thai. But that's it. There are way more things that I'm excited about. As a US Airways Chairman, I'm happy to see the great communication from US Air and the resources online for additional information.

Later in the week I'll share a post called “If I were Doug Parker” outlining what I'd love to see happen for frequent flyers.

While there are lots of opinions and emotions running on high, I am excited to see what the future of The New American Airlines holds.

 

I can't remember the first time I heard about TSA's Pre-Check…feels like forever ago. Since domestically I primarily fly US Airways it took a lot longer for the program to be implemented in airports I fly through. To this day I still haven't had a boarding pass that was approved for Pre-Check.

Last week I read a post by The Military Frequent Flyer and realized that I had missed one very important fact about Pre-Check. I learned that I could go through the Pre-Check lane anytime and have them scan my Global Entry Card. It doesn't matter if my boarding pass was approved or not, if I use my Global Entry card I have a 90% chance or higher of being approved.

So this week I decided to take it for a spin. I entered the Pre-Check lane (and ps there was no one else in the line), handed my Global Entry Card and boarding pass to the agent and was cleared!

If TSA determines you are eligible for expedited screening, information is embedded in the barcode of your boarding pass or in you global entry card. If you are cleared, you can:

• Keep Shoes on
• Keep 3-1-1 compliant bag in carry-on
• Keep Laptop in bag
• Wear Light outerwear/jacket
• Keep Belt on

In addition, passengers 12 and younger are allowed through TSA Pre✓™ lanes with eligible passengers. Spouses are not unless they are also qualified and cleared.

I was literally through security in about 5 minutes and on the way to my flight. What a great find! I'm so excited to know that I can just show global entry card and have a very high chance of being cleared.

Pre-Check is available at the following airports through participating airlines – don't forget, if you have Global Entry you can use any of these location.

Alaska Airlines – Chicago O’Hare International, Dallas/Fort Worth International, Denver International, George Bush Intercontinental, Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International, Honolulu International, John Wayne, Logan International, Los Angeles International, Miami International, Minneapolis-St. Paul International, Orlando International, Portland International, Ronald Reagan Washington National, Seattle-Tacoma International and Ted Stevens Anchorage International airports

American Airlines – Charlotte Douglas International, Chicago O’Hare International, Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International, Dallas/Fort Worth International, Denver International, Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International, Honolulu International, Indianapolis International, John F. Kennedy International, John Wayne, LaGuardia, Lambert-St. Louis International, Las Vegas’ McCarran International, Logan International, Los Angeles International, Miami International, Minneapolis-St. Paul International, Orlando International, Pittsburgh International, Portland International, San Francisco International, Seattle-Tacoma International, Ted Stevens Anchorage International and Washington Dulles International airports

Delta Air Lines – Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall, Charlotte Douglas International, Chicago O’Hare International, Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International, Dallas/Fort Worth International, Denver International, Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County, Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International, Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International, Honolulu International, Indianapolis International, John Wayne, LaGuardia Airport, Las Vegas’ McCarran, Logan International, Los Angeles International, Luis Muñoz Marin International, Minneapolis-St. Paul International, Orlando International, Pittsburgh International, Portland International, Ronald Reagan Washington National, Salt Lake City International, Seattle-Tacoma International, Tampa International, Ted Stevens Anchorage International and Washington Dulles International airports

United Airlines – Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall, Charlotte Douglas International, Chicago O’Hare International, Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International, Denver International, George Bush Intercontinental, Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International, Honolulu International, Indianapolis International, John Wayne, Los Angeles International, Luis Muñoz Marin International, Minneapolis-St. Paul International, Newark Liberty International, Orlando International, Philadelphia International, Pittsburgh International, Portland International, Ronald Reagan Washington National, San Francisco International, Seattle-Tacoma International, Ted Stevens Anchorage International and Washington Dulles International airports

US Airways – Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall, Charlotte Douglas International, Chicago O’Hare International, Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International, Denver International, Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International, Honolulu International, Indianapolis International, John Wayne, Lambert-St. Louis International, Luis Muñoz Marin International, Minneapolis-St. Paul International, Orlando International, Philadelphia International, Phoenix Sky Harbor International, Pittsburgh International, Portland International, Ronald Reagan Washington National, Salt Lake International, Seattle-Tacoma International, Ted Stevens Anchorage International and Washington Dulles International airports

 

Earlier in the week I asked you to help me pick a new color scheme for VeryGoodPoints. I asked you to pick from three options:

Option 1 – leave theme black and white

Option 2 – change to white background with 1 accent color (if you choose this option tell me what color you suggest)

Option 3 – other suggestion, you tell me what you think

Boy, was I amazed at the number of responses and how many people had such different opinions. One reader posted this comment

Scott:

If you’re planning to provide the same information as every other travel blogger, then by all means change the theme to look like them, too.

If, on the other hand, you plan to continue to provide a little different perspective, you plan to occasionally remind us to act like we all share this little blue marble floating through the Milky Way, and don’t plan to post credit card referral links, well, that’s a horse of a different color

Please keep the existing theme. It’s unique and it’s a great visual cue when I hit the site that there will be something that I want to read.

Well Scott (and everyone else who shared similar sentiments) here's a promise: I am not going to provide the same content as every other blogger. I will never post affiliate links and I will remain unique!

So, what did I decide? Well, you may have seen some tweets and buzz about my newest project, First2Board, a new travel blogger community co-founded by LufthansaFlyer, our business manager and me. While our new site officially launches on March 1, I'd love to give you, my readers a sneak peak…and you can also see the color scheme that won out in the end. Here's a little hint…

 

So, who won the $50 Starbucks gift card? Head over to First2Board to find out!

Please follow @First2Board on Twitter or on FaceBook

 

Be Our Guest takes you inside Beast’s Castle from the 1991 film, Beauty and the Beast. Featuring French food, Be Our Guest currently serves Quick Service lunch and Full Service dinner. Be Our Guest is not the first Disney restaurant to have some variation in their serving style throughout the day, but it is the largest to do so. During dinner, between 900-1,000 guests will be served and at lunch, approximately 1,500 guests will be served.

 

The dining rooms for dinner consist of The Ballroom and The West Wing. The Rose Gallery is only open for lunch. The attention to detail is simply amazing. It really feels that you have walked into the same castle from the film. The “snow” you see falling through the windows is the exact same animation used in the film. The faces of the angels you see flying above you in the ceiling have a special meaning. They are either the young faces of Walt Disney Imagineers themselves or of their loved ones.

Although this isn’t a character dining location, you will get to see The Beast! Approximately every thirty minutes an announcement plays as he greets the guests of his castle. He then parades himself through all of the dining rooms and into the Library. In the Library you can take photos with the Beast.

The food is hit or miss. Three people in our party ordered seafood and loved the dishes. The salmon dish and the shrimp and scallops were the best. The Cornish Hen was dry as was the chicken. The children ordered from a kids menu and enjoyed pasta with red sauce and meatloaf, in the shape of Mickey Mouse ears.

Dessert was also surprisingly hit or miss. The strawberry cream cupcake was the best. The triple chocolate cupcake was good and no one enjoyed the cream puffs.

Currently Be Our Guest is booked for dinner through August 2013. They suggest you book six months in advance. You can, of course, walk up and standby for cancellations or no-shows. There are no lunch reservations and we were told the wait can range from 10-30 minutes when the doors open to 90-150 minutes at the peak lunch period. In general, the new Fantasy Land is jammed packed so I suggest getting there as early as possible to avoid lines.

Overall, Be Our Guest is a great experience and worth a visit, if you can get in. Dinner for 5 adults and 2 kids cost $220 without any alcohol or appetizers. So be prepared to spend more than you would in any other Magic Kingdom restaurant.

 

A few weeks back I posted asking for suggestions for a new rental car company because I had decided to leave National Car Rental. I had been a long time Emerald Club member and held Executive Elite Status for the last three or four years. When I posted asking for suggestions for a new car rental company many of you asked why I was leaving National. Now that things are pretty much settled I will share the story.

In mid-November I made a one-way rental from Charlotte Airport to Charleston Airport after my flight had been cancelled. It’s about a 3 to 3 1/2 hour drive and that was better than waiting for 7 hours in CLT for the next flight.

When I got the car from the Executive Aisle I noticed some scratches on the rear left of the car. I drove up to the exit and gave the clerk the rental contract from the dash and told her about the scratches. She said she would note it in the rental agreement. I asked if I got anything noting the damage and she said no. I asked her if she’d at least make a note on the contract I got back. She made a hand written note.

I drove to CHS and returned the car. They immediately noticed the damage and I showed them the hand written note and said the clerk in CLT said she noted it in the rental agreement. The person in CHS asked to keep the contract with the hand written note and so I took a photo of it and gave it to her.

The following week I got a call from someone at National and she asked if I could explain what happened and email her the photo of the note. I did and we exchanged a few emails. The important thing to note here is that we communicated via email.

A week later on November 25th I left for 3 months in Bangkok and Southeast Asia. Bangkok is 12 hours ahead of ET. The second week of December I woke up one morning to see that a call had come in at 3am. I listened to the message from National and they provided no other detail than to ask me to call and left an 800 number. I tried to call the 800 number but it was US only 800 number. I called National customer service and they had no record of who called me, what department called and couldn’t help me.

The same thing happened three days later, a call at 2:30 am with an 800 number that was US only. Nothing I could do. Several days later I got another call at 3:45am with the same 800 number, but this time an actual phone # showed on my caller ID. I called that number back and left a message that I was in Bangkok, it was a 12 hour time difference so they could call me up until 11pm my time or 11am ET. I also left my email on the message and said that would be a great way to contact me.

Weeks go by, and i heard nothing. I start my holiday Vacation and completely forget about National. As my 3 months in Bangkok are about over I needed to rent a car. I tried to log into Nationals website and received a message that my account had been cancelled. I called customer service. The first person I spoke to said she had to transfer me to another department. No one picked up when she transferred me. I called back and got another agent. He was able to tell me that my account had been cancelled and I was placed on the do not rent list. I explained that I was in Bangkok, it was a 12 hour time difference, all the calls I got gave US only 800 numbers. He gave me a number to call and said he was sure it was an international 800 number.

Now, all these calls are starting to add up especially since the wait for customer service can be long. I called the new 800 number he said was international and surprise, it wasn’t. I called customer service back for a third time. Explained the whole story again to an agent and he actually said, “Well they probably don’t believe you’re in Bangkok.” I told him I could send airline ticket itineraries, a hotel bill or anything else. He seemed to be empathetic and transferred me to a supervisor. So for the 4th time I explained the situation again. I told the supervisor that I need someone to call before 11 or email me. I asked that he please note this in my account and explain I’m in Bangkok with a 12 hr time difference. He said someone would contact me within 48 hours.

Forty-eight hours passed and I had no call from anyone at National. I posted my blog and was contacted by someone from any agency representing National. I had worked previously with the agency to run contests for Nationals sister company, Enterprise. The person asked me to explain what had happened and I relayed the story. She said she’d pass it onto National.

Four days later I was back in the US and finally able to talk with someone at National. I will also mention that I had 6 pieces of mail from National when I picked up my held mail from the post office. I was told that I owed National $175 for damage and with admin fees the total I owed was $225. I still maintain that I do not owe anything.

By this time National had turned me over to a collection agency I spoke with my insurance company and they said to pay the $225 and file a claim with them and they would fight National on the issue.

I wrote a letter to the VP of National explaining that here I am, a long time and loyal renter. Never had anything like this occur, ever and I tried on numerous occasions to contact National. I expressed my disappointment that National employees weren’t capable of thinking out of the box to connect with me via email (remember back to the beginning of this story, the first person I dealt with emailed with me.) I did a little research and found that in 2012 spent just under $5,000 with National. In 2011, I spent just over $12,000 and in 2010 I spent about $10,000. I wrote to the VP that $175 in damage and $225 in total is a drop in the bucket compared to what I spend with National. Had I been informed in one of the voice mail messages or had someone emailed me with the detail anytime in November, December or January I could have contacted my insurance company, American Express who I booked and paid for the rental with or have dealt with the issue in a handful of other ways. I did not hear back from anyone at National.

I just got a letter saying I’ve been removed from the do not rent list and I’m welcome to create a new Emerald Club membership. Will they reinstate my Executive Elite status? No. Will they reinstate the 6 free rental credits I had in my account? No.

So, guess how much money I will spend with National Car Rental or its sister companies Enterprise and Alamo in 2013? Zero! I will not be renting from them ever again.

For my first rental in 2013 I chose Hertz. I was able to get a gold plus membership through my company. I called the Hertz corporate rep and explained why I was switching. I booked a car with Hertz for last weekend. Before I arrived I got an email letting me know what stall my car was in and was given the option to upgrade, but I didn’t. When I got off the Hertz bus I discovered that my car was in a Presidents club space and inside was a note welcoming me to Hertz Gold. When I drove up to the booth not only did the clerk wish me a happy birthday, but she said, “I see this is your first rental with Hertz, welcome to Hertz gold.”

So far, I’m off to a nice start with Hertz. I suspect I’ll spend between $5,000 and $7,500 this year with Hertz and I’m sure I’ll earn higher status this year with Hertz.

National could take some notes from companies who provide customer service via email, Twitter, etc…