In the latest escalation in a dispute between American Airlines and The Points Guy, the two brands are suing each other over The Points Guy’s frequent flyer mile management tool.
The lawsuit is in motion because American Airlines claims that TPG allowed frequent flyers to manage their miles outside the carrier’s website. Accusing TPG of providing customers with a chance to track and manage their airline miles, American alleges that it incorrectly implies that the companies have a relationship, which prompted the case for the top US airline.
The app provides users the chance to connect different frequent flyer accounts. The Points Guy app prompts users to enter their Advantage number, password and last name. According to the lawsuit, by encouraging users to enter this sensitive data, it is a breach of terms since data is handed over to an unauthorized third party.
The lawsuit was filed in response to American Airlines requesting that the app cease and desist from syncing miles data of AAdvantage customers to The Points Guy App.
In an emailed statement to The Verge, Andrea Koos, American Airlines representative said that The Points Guy and parent company Red Ventures “is accessing AA.com and AAdvantage customer account data in a way that does not comply with our standards for use of confidential information.”
Brian Kelly, Founder of The Points Guy said in a statement “We are choosing to fight back against American Airlines on behalf of travelers to protect their rights to access their points and miles, so they can travel smarter. We’ll continue to advocate because we believe the consumer has the right to choose whether you share your loyalty balances with a third party app that will make your life easier.”
American Airlines is requesting a permanent injunction against The Points Guy alongside damages and legal fees.
