AA, Delta, United and Southwest: TPG frequent flyers duke it out over who's best
The TPG team tends to spend a considerable amount of time on the road, so, naturally, we have some very frequent flyers in our midst. And, since we love to strategize when it comes to every possible aspect of travel, frequent-flyer status is not only achievable but for many of our writers and editors an absolute must — the driving force behind airline loyalty.
Today, I invited three TPGers to join me for a very special edition of the Miles Away podcast: a full-fledged battle to defend their preferred airline, with:
- JT Genter (American Airlines)
- Scott Mayerowitz (Delta)
- Benet Wilson (Southwest)
- And me, Zach Honig (United)
We debate the in-flight product (things like the seats, fleet, catering and service), airports and lounges, frequent-flyer perks, and more. We'll be digging into each airline and program individually tomorrow on the site, but in the meantime, I highly recommend listening to our spirited 30-minute chat.
You can listen to this episode of Miles Away above, or listen and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts, including:
Acast
Apple Podcasts
Google Podcasts
Spotify
Stitcher
Overcast
TuneIn
If you have any questions, thoughts or topics you'd like the team to cover on the Miles Away podcast, please send us an email at milesaway@thepointsguy.com, tweet me at @zachhonig or find me on Instagram — I'm @zachhonig there as well. And please don't forget to subscribe!
TPG featured card
at American Express's secure site
Terms & restrictions apply. See rates & fees.
| 3X | Earn 3X Miles on Delta purchases. |
| 1X | Earn 1X Miles on all other eligible purchases. |
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Cons
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- Other Delta cobranded cards offer superior earning categories
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- Terms Apply.
- See Rates & Fees


