The Points Guy has long been a resource for individuals looking to understand and maximize credit card points and airline miles. Now, with a new feature that would let users connect multiple points and miles accounts through The Points Guy's website, American Airlines says TPG is going too far and has sued to block the feature citing an anti-hacking statute. 

• American is claiming that, by granting access to user log-in info to The Points Guy (an unauthorized third-party), their internal servers are being breached. Moreover, TPG's display of American Airlines's logo constitutes copyright infringement.

• The Points Guy is “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,” Brian Kelley, founder of the site, told The Verge.

Struggling To Take Off

Airlines have been struggling to maintain their loyalty programs during the pandemic, as frequent fliers suddenly found themselves flying much less frequently. American Airlines lowered minimum miles requirements for their various tiers, and streamlined the branded credit card so it would earn members a single sum of points, notes the New York Times. These measures are done to maintain loyalty programs, which are sometimes worth more to airlines than the entire market capitalization of their company.

The Verdict

With the airline industry still reeling from the pandemic, American seems to be very touchy about its loyalty program, its relationship with its customers, and who has access to its user data.