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.

Photo: Phil Dengler in Peru / 2019

Phil’s Travel Preferences & Stats

Seat Preference: Aisle

Home Airport: PHL

States Visited: 17

Trusted Traveler Memberships: Global Entry

Last Completed Domestic Trip: Rocky Mountain National Park

Last Completed International Trip: Ecuador and Peru

Next Booked Trip: Glacier National Park in Montana

Favorite Credit Cards: Chase Sapphire Reserve, Chase Freedom Unlimited, Discover It

Phil’s Current Travel Goals

Phil visited his first national park in early 2019 and was hooked from the start. In August of 2019, he climbed the famous Half Dome cables at Yosemite National Park in California. In October of 2019, he admired the beautiful Acadia National Park in Maine from the top of Cadillac Mountain. In September of 2020, Phil will visit Glacier National Park in Montana. 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.