In addition to being a co-founder of The Vacationer, Phil Dengler is also the head of editorial and marketing. Previously, he ran a popular holiday deals website where he was a trusted source for all things Black Friday. With The Vacationer, Phil combines his knowledge of deals with his love of travel to help you plan the perfect vacation. Follow Phil Dengler on Twitter, Instagram, or LinkedIn, or send him an email at [email protected].

Photo: Phil Dengler in the U.S. Virgin Islands / 2020

Phil’s Travel Preferences & Stats

Seat Preference: Aisle

Home Airport: PHL

States Visited: 29

Trusted Traveler Memberships: Global Entry

Current Status Levels: American Airlines AAdvantage Executive Platinum, Marriott Bonvoy™ Gold Elite Status, and Hilton Honors Gold Status

Last Completed Domestic Trips: South Dakota and Wyoming. Badlands National Park, Wind Cave National Park, Custer State Park, & Devil’s Tower National Monument. (September-October 2024)

Last Completed International Trips: Europe (England, France, & Spain in July, 2024), Cabo San Lucas, Mexico (October, 2023), Cartagena, Colombia (July, 2023), Azores Islands, Portugal (May, 2023), South Africa – Johannesburg, Kruger National Park, & Cape Town (March, 2023), & Aruba (January, 2023)

Next Booked Trips: Key West, Florida in December, 2024 and Toronto, Canada in February 2025

Next Domestic National Park Trip: Dry Tortugas National Park (December, 2024) / Grand Canyon National Park and Death Valley National Park (July 2025)

Favorite Credit Cards: Chase Sapphire Reserve, American Express Gold Card, The Platinum Card® from American Express

Phil’s Current Travel Goals

Phil visited his first national park a few years ago and was hooked from the start. In a terrifying yet exhilarating experience, he climbed the famous Half Dome cables at Yosemite National Park in California. He admired the beautiful Acadia National Park in Maine from the top of Cadillac Mountain. In September of 2021, Phil visited Glacier National Park in Montana and hiked 100 miles in less than a week. While he still has a ways to go, his goal is to see all 62 national parks.

Phil’s Favorite Travel Splurge

Phil wants to be comfortable when flying. For him, that means an aisle seat in the exit row. That gives him more room to spread out his legs as well as easier access to the aisle for those sitting in the middle and window seats. As exit-row seats are desirable, they always cost more than other seats (unless you are flying an airline with no assigned seats like Southwest Airlines). While getting the best deal on airfare is Phil’s priority, he is always willing to pay a few extra bucks for the comfort of an aisle seat in the exit row.