anyone seen the new FA app?
#31
Suspended
Join Date: Mar 2015
Location: Newport Coast, CA
Posts: 498
Pray tell how would FA access to MM/DD birthdays and city/state (as noted on your OP account) lead to identity theft? One needs the year and the actual address to do anything else.
Based on the specifics that the FAs know, this provides no concern for this traveler. Actually, many here would also expect the join date of MP as well as "closeness" to MM be tracked.
Based on the specifics that the FAs know, this provides no concern for this traveler. Actually, many here would also expect the join date of MP as well as "closeness" to MM be tracked.
No, it's not that. I expect the companies that are taking the information to have the appropriate security in place to safeguard from hackers. I get the feeling that any 'outrage' is more about FAs having access to personal information, not out of any security concern. That is why I am indifferent to the outrage...theoretically, any worker at any company you have done business with could find this information (or more).
The point is this is entirely UNNECESSARY. We have all these cool devices to save 4 seconds of time while surrendering our privacy. United FAs don't NEED this info, and customers are better off if they don't have it. If you want to give up your privacy and information, fine. But I should have the right to say HELL NO.
#32
Join Date: Jul 2014
Location: BOS
Programs: 1MM, UA 1k
Posts: 526
Calm the worries..
Birthdays are only shown If it is on the day of travel, occurred yesterday, or will occur the day after the flight.
It will appear as Bday+1 for birthday tomorrow, Bday for birthday today, and Bday-1 for birthday yesterday .
To see a customers itinerary, you need to have an active live connection. At the moment, they can not rebook IRROPS. Once in the air, it uses cached data, onboard Wi-Fi doesn't work because company-issued devices are currently not able to bypass the customer pay firewall. But that will change in the future.
Birthdays are only shown If it is on the day of travel, occurred yesterday, or will occur the day after the flight.
It will appear as Bday+1 for birthday tomorrow, Bday for birthday today, and Bday-1 for birthday yesterday .
To see a customers itinerary, you need to have an active live connection. At the moment, they can not rebook IRROPS. Once in the air, it uses cached data, onboard Wi-Fi doesn't work because company-issued devices are currently not able to bypass the customer pay firewall. But that will change in the future.
Do you know how easy it is to hack handheld devices? And once into the system (and there will be a connection to a mainframe somewhere) do you know how easy it is to get all the data you want?
*snip*
The point is this is entirely UNNECESSARY. We have all these cool devices to save 4 seconds of time while surrendering our privacy. United FAs don't NEED this info, and customers are better off if they don't have it. If you want to give up your privacy and information, fine. But I should have the right to say HELL NO.
*snip*
The point is this is entirely UNNECESSARY. We have all these cool devices to save 4 seconds of time while surrendering our privacy. United FAs don't NEED this info, and customers are better off if they don't have it. If you want to give up your privacy and information, fine. But I should have the right to say HELL NO.
Doesn't UA already have this info already on their mainframes?
#33
Join Date: Apr 2015
Programs: United Global Services, Amtrak Select Executive
Posts: 4,068
The point is this is entirely UNNECESSARY. We have all these cool devices to save 4 seconds of time while surrendering our privacy. United FAs don't NEED this info, and customers are better off if they don't have it. If you want to give up your privacy and information, fine. But I should have the right to say HELL NO.
#34
Join Date: Jul 2013
Location: MRY - CNX - TXL
Programs: UA 1K / *G / Marriott PE / Expedia Gold+ / Hertz PC
Posts: 7,058
#35
Suspended
Join Date: Mar 2015
Location: Newport Coast, CA
Posts: 498
Has United announced to their customers that this is now in play? How will people know what info is at risk if United won't tell?
Last edited by WineCountryUA; Aug 20, 2015 at 7:05 pm Reason: merging consecutive posts by same member -- please use multi-quote
#36
Join Date: Jul 2005
Posts: 2,324
#37
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: where lions are led by donkeys...
Programs: Lifetime Gold, Global Entry, Hertz PC, and my wallet
Posts: 20,315
Do you know how easy it is to hack handheld devices? And once into the system (and there will be a connection to a mainframe somewhere) do you know how easy it is to get all the data you want?
See above. All the info will be accessible, as those devices are simplicity itself to hack, and once in, they will have your life.
Right. Target wasn't hacked, Sony wasn't hacked, the IRS wasn't hacked. I'm sure United is on top of things.
The point is this is entirely UNNECESSARY. We have all these cool devices to save 4 seconds of time while surrendering our privacy. United FAs don't NEED this info, and customers are better off if they don't have it. If you want to give up your privacy and information, fine. But I should have the right to say HELL NO.
See above. All the info will be accessible, as those devices are simplicity itself to hack, and once in, they will have your life.
Right. Target wasn't hacked, Sony wasn't hacked, the IRS wasn't hacked. I'm sure United is on top of things.
The point is this is entirely UNNECESSARY. We have all these cool devices to save 4 seconds of time while surrendering our privacy. United FAs don't NEED this info, and customers are better off if they don't have it. If you want to give up your privacy and information, fine. But I should have the right to say HELL NO.
#38
Join Date: Mar 2013
Posts: 363
Sorry I did not read thru 3 pages of posts here...
On my flight NRT IAH, the Int'l IFSM came to our seats with her phone, glanced thru that and greeted us by names. So I guess, in the simple procedure, she did not have to read it off from the printed manifest. What else did she see, I forgot to ask the friendly, chatty FA.
#39
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: where lions are led by donkeys...
Programs: Lifetime Gold, Global Entry, Hertz PC, and my wallet
Posts: 20,315
I think BA already does this. Not sure if they have been hacked as yet but I guess it is only a matter of time.
#40
Join Date: May 2003
Location: Redwood City, CA USA (SFO/SJC)
Programs: 1K 2010, 1P in 2011, Plat for 2012,13,14,15 & 2016. Gold in 17 & 18, Plat since
Posts: 8,824
Curious thing I've noticed in my business, re: Customers and sensitivity to giving personal information.
Those paying with cash never seem to have an issue if we ask for their name. It's almost always those paying with credit cards. And when the credit card is run, we have their name.
You might ask why we'd want a customer's name? Not for marketing; that would be an option, for which we'd ask for their email. The advantage having their name in the system is if there's a return (they don't need to keep track of their receipt), and if they want to buy the same thing they bought a year or two ago, but don't have the particulars. For example, a tube for their kid's bike. Whatever they bought before worked.
Not all information gathering is related to nefarious purposes.
Those paying with cash never seem to have an issue if we ask for their name. It's almost always those paying with credit cards. And when the credit card is run, we have their name.
You might ask why we'd want a customer's name? Not for marketing; that would be an option, for which we'd ask for their email. The advantage having their name in the system is if there's a return (they don't need to keep track of their receipt), and if they want to buy the same thing they bought a year or two ago, but don't have the particulars. For example, a tube for their kid's bike. Whatever they bought before worked.
Not all information gathering is related to nefarious purposes.
#43
Join Date: May 2009
Location: EWR
Programs: UA .5M, Vistana 1-Star owner
Posts: 992
United Airlines Link app
Very easy, just a mere matter of time before we see like how China was inside UA's system for years & UA merely doesn't say anything about it to avoid any PR disaster by eliminating press knowledge. Genius. Yet, dumb in the long run.
#44
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: New York, NY
Programs: UA, AA, DL, Hertz, Avis, National, Hyatt, Hilton, SPG, Marriott
Posts: 9,425
We've no clue precisely what info they had before or after so I don't know how we can say they had the what info for what time.
The itinerary information is valuable though. I can't tell you how many times I've been seated near a frantic passenger inquiring to a flight attendant about their connection, and the F/A simply can't offer any actionable assistance. OTOH, on many of those occasions, I've been able to pull out the app and offer directions to a gate, reassure them about making the flight or even assist with rebooking, if necessary... and I'm just a random guy. If a flight attendant is able to discreetly help a customer in the same manner, then that's a great opportunity for the company to build some brand loyalty.
Totally, just imagine the problems, most of which are stated above. The data provided is useful, I have to admit, we do want to be recognized so I suppose this was the lowest cost way to do so. In cybersecurity, most are reactive instead of proactive.
Last edited by EWR764; Aug 21, 2015 at 8:33 am
#45
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: near to SFO and LHR
Programs: BA Gold, B6 Mosiac, VS, AA, DL (and a legacy UA 2MM)
Posts: 2,271