'Know Me' initiative
Jul 5, 2012, 9:05 am
#31
Join Date: Jun 2012
Location: England
Programs: Executive Club Silver
Posts: 711
Haha searching passangers names on Google images. It's a long time until April fools day....
Any company serious of this would have a database with a photo in rather than using Google images.
It does sound like a waste of time, instead they could include catering or IFE etc...
Any company serious of this would have a database with a photo in rather than using Google images.
It does sound like a waste of time, instead they could include catering or IFE etc...
Jul 5, 2012, 9:21 am
#32
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: London, England
Programs: BA Exec Club, Virgin FC
Posts: 443
'Know Me' initiative
I see that this has hit the Evening Standard today..."BA flies into privacy storm over Google checks on passengers"....page 25 of tonight's Standard if anyone gets a chance to have a look....
Jul 5, 2012, 9:52 am
#33
Suspended
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: UK
Programs: Mucci, BAEC (Silver), FlyBe
Posts: 1,649
I too share my name with a minor celebrity. My face does not appear on Google Images (thankfully).
But here's the thing: if BA asked for a photo of me I'd probably give it to them...
But here's the thing: if BA asked for a photo of me I'd probably give it to them...
Jul 5, 2012, 9:54 am
#34
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: UK
Programs: BA Silver, EK Silver, ABP ;)
Posts: 1,631
If you publish your picture on facebook, linked in or other social sites and email me the Social Connector will automatically show me you picture and latest post
Its a reminder to check you privacy settings!
Its a reminder to check you privacy settings!
Jul 5, 2012, 10:58 am
#36
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: France
Programs: MUCCI, BA LTG/GGL/CCR, AF PLAT, ETHIHAD AND LH USELESS PLASTIC
Posts: 2,063
If the information (ie pictures) are already out there in the public domain then I see no problem with it. However unless the person is a known 'in front of camera' celebrity, it takes time to cross-reference data to make sure the photo you have is definitely of the person you want the photo for. It is rare for a name to be a one-off. I have a fairly unique name and it is still shared with a young man in the UK who sadly died recently in a car accident (according to his memorial film on youtube) and a couple of people in the US. I would not want someone at BA tasked with correlating my file with a picture sourced online to put his face on my profile though because they hadn't thoroughly researched the person and worked out he was actually no longer alive for example.
If you know it is me you are looking for because of the job I do then it is not a problem finding me as my profession puts me in the media spotlight on a far too-regular basis. I suppose I should be thankful that this so far has been for the right reasons
But my overriding point is that BA, YOU HAVE BETTER THINGS TO DO WITH YOUR LIMITED RESOURCES... such as improving all the things highlighted in my recent trip report.
Don't get me started on the constant and life-long task of making ba.com work properly, ALL the time, training T5 staff properly on lounge access rules, making ba.com pick up on original booking miles and TPs even when you have MFUd, transferring ALL ticketing slowly but surely to a user-friendly passenger-accessible online system. I wasted two hours yesterday making a simple change to a forward A-class booking because my assistant in the UK was asleep and I feared the Olympics would put pressure on seats... TWO HOURS while GGL / YouFirst / American Airlines all sent me back to one another because they said the other had to re-issue the ticket and no one would take responsibility for the fact that a clueless BA agent at T5 the other day had made an incorrect change within the booking which had screwed up the ticket. Then one quoted 9000 dollars change costs and the next said there was no cost as the ticket was (I told them this at the beginning!) fully flex!
This is not the first time. Please, oh please, oh please just make the 'cancel or change date of my flight' on ba.com JUST WORK EVERY TIME!!!!
Rant over.
I'm sensitive to the fact that only 20 years ago none of this online travel world would even have been vaguely possible and so I don't expect change overnight... but time and effort should be put into this. Not searching for people's photos online
If you know it is me you are looking for because of the job I do then it is not a problem finding me as my profession puts me in the media spotlight on a far too-regular basis. I suppose I should be thankful that this so far has been for the right reasons
But my overriding point is that BA, YOU HAVE BETTER THINGS TO DO WITH YOUR LIMITED RESOURCES... such as improving all the things highlighted in my recent trip report.
Don't get me started on the constant and life-long task of making ba.com work properly, ALL the time, training T5 staff properly on lounge access rules, making ba.com pick up on original booking miles and TPs even when you have MFUd, transferring ALL ticketing slowly but surely to a user-friendly passenger-accessible online system. I wasted two hours yesterday making a simple change to a forward A-class booking because my assistant in the UK was asleep and I feared the Olympics would put pressure on seats... TWO HOURS while GGL / YouFirst / American Airlines all sent me back to one another because they said the other had to re-issue the ticket and no one would take responsibility for the fact that a clueless BA agent at T5 the other day had made an incorrect change within the booking which had screwed up the ticket. Then one quoted 9000 dollars change costs and the next said there was no cost as the ticket was (I told them this at the beginning!) fully flex!
This is not the first time. Please, oh please, oh please just make the 'cancel or change date of my flight' on ba.com JUST WORK EVERY TIME!!!!
Rant over.
I'm sensitive to the fact that only 20 years ago none of this online travel world would even have been vaguely possible and so I don't expect change overnight... but time and effort should be put into this. Not searching for people's photos online
Jul 5, 2012, 11:04 am
#37
Join Date: Mar 2012
Location: Canterbury, UK
Programs: BA Gold, IHG Diamond + Ambassador, Accor Gold, Avis President's Club, Heathrow Rewards
Posts: 2,471
But my overriding point is that BA, YOU HAVE BETTER THINGS TO DO WITH YOUR LIMITED RESOURCES... such as improving all the things highlighted in my recent trip report.
Don't get me started on the constant and life-long task of making ba.com work properly, ALL the time, training T5 staff properly on lounge access rules, making ba.com pick up on original booking miles and TPs even when you have MFUd, transferring ALL ticketing slowly but surely to a user-friendly passenger-accessible online system. I wasted two hours yesterday making a simple change to a forward A-class booking because my assistant in the UK was asleep and I feared the Olympics would put pressure on seats... TWO HOURS while GGL / YouFirst / American Airlines all sent me back to one another because they said the other had to re-issue the ticket and no one would take responsibility for the fact that a clueless BA agent at T5 the other day had made an incorrect change within the booking which had screwed up the ticket. Then one quoted 9000 dollars change costs and the next said there was no cost as the ticket was (I told them this at the beginning!) fully flex!
This is not the first time. Please, oh please, oh please just make the 'cancel or change date of my flight' on ba.com JUST WORK EVERY TIME!!!!
Don't get me started on the constant and life-long task of making ba.com work properly, ALL the time, training T5 staff properly on lounge access rules, making ba.com pick up on original booking miles and TPs even when you have MFUd, transferring ALL ticketing slowly but surely to a user-friendly passenger-accessible online system. I wasted two hours yesterday making a simple change to a forward A-class booking because my assistant in the UK was asleep and I feared the Olympics would put pressure on seats... TWO HOURS while GGL / YouFirst / American Airlines all sent me back to one another because they said the other had to re-issue the ticket and no one would take responsibility for the fact that a clueless BA agent at T5 the other day had made an incorrect change within the booking which had screwed up the ticket. Then one quoted 9000 dollars change costs and the next said there was no cost as the ticket was (I told them this at the beginning!) fully flex!
This is not the first time. Please, oh please, oh please just make the 'cancel or change date of my flight' on ba.com JUST WORK EVERY TIME!!!!
Jul 5, 2012, 1:02 pm
#38
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: From ORK, live LCY
Programs: BA Silver, EI Silver, HH Gold, BW Gold, ABP, Seigneur des Horaires des Mucci
Posts: 14,209
Could they perhaps spend their development resources on making the booking system a tad more resilient, permitting UUA on TA bookings, and/or a replacement for the geriatric IFE?
Jul 5, 2012, 1:21 pm
#39
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: Netherlands
Programs: KL Platinum; A3 Gold
Posts: 28,722
Jul 5, 2012, 1:53 pm
#40
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: Thames Valley
Programs: BAEC, LHM&M, and even a dusty KLFB!
Posts: 893
Originally Posted by dark_horse:18874720
I too share my name with a minor celebrity. My face does not appear on Google Images (thankfully).
But here's the thing: if BA asked for a photo of me I'd probably give it to them...
But here's the thing: if BA asked for a photo of me I'd probably give it to them...
Jul 5, 2012, 2:20 pm
#41
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: London
Programs: BAEC, AA, Emirates, Hilton, Hyatt, Taj Hotels
Posts: 2,343
You have my support on this too.
If BA is going to do this, I suggest they keep this sort of thing 'under their hat'.
Regulars here know all too well there's better things they should be spending their resources on .....like mouthwash in CW washbags. There's my 'Starter for Ten' FWIW (pet annoyance of the week)
If BA is going to do this, I suggest they keep this sort of thing 'under their hat'.
Regulars here know all too well there's better things they should be spending their resources on .....like mouthwash in CW washbags. There's my 'Starter for Ten' FWIW (pet annoyance of the week)
Jul 6, 2012, 1:49 am
#43
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: UK
Posts: 10,709
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/arti...-software.html
The Daily Mail version.
British Airways has been dragged into a privacy row over a scheme which uses Google to create dossiers of passenger information.
Jul 6, 2012, 1:52 am
#44
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: UK
Programs: Mucci. And BA Gold – previous awards - Gold 11, Silver 7, Bronze 4.
Posts: 4,233
P.S. The LCY route could of course not be operated by a 747 but would required the immediate purchase by BA of a number of 318's in order to meet the needs of the discerning cornish traveller.
Jul 6, 2012, 3:54 am
#45
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: UK
Programs: Virgin Flying Club Red, Emirates Skywards Blue, BA Executive Club Blue, Amex BA
Posts: 2,377
BA in privacy row as passengers face being profiled by staff with iPads
Staff will use Google Image search to identify passengers before they board
Privacy campaigners hit out at BA and say measures could be illegal
Staff carrying iPads will have customer data available immediately
British Airways say they want to create a 'more personalised service'
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/arti...#ixzz1zpoqLYp8
Privacy campaigners hit out at BA and say measures could be illegal
Staff carrying iPads will have customer data available immediately
British Airways say they want to create a 'more personalised service'
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/arti...#ixzz1zpoqLYp8