Nuster

Called the gold line to upgrade a TA booking as I have done many times. Gave the usual identification information and the PNR. However as it was a TA booking I needed to give my passport number and expiry date. I could not remember the expiry.

At this stage I had provided name, address, date of birth, passport number, email address, Exec club number and PNR but the agent would not proceed without the expiry number. This was because of "data protection".

I asked the agent what he meant when he said "data protection"? Was it legislation? He confirmed that the government had told BA to introduce this measure to combat fraud. 🙄🤔😂

This was not India who usually try to put up obstacles to doing anything. I had a good mind to ask for verification from the agent that I was in fact on the gold line.

Another unsatisfactory interaction with a once excellent airline.

UKtravelbear

Was asked this a couple if weeks ago when I had a problem selecting seats on BA flights but it was an AA booking / ticket.

Has no issue with it at all. I saw it as a sensible precaution to protect my booking.

Anonba

No its not due to the government BA decided to operate with stricter guidelines for passing data protection specifically for travel agency bookings. The agent was 100% correct and followed the new guidelines as they should. Ultimately it is to protect yours and everyone else privacy.

corporate-wage-slave

This started on 1 September 2017 and came about as a result of people stealing Avios to do upgrades (and some related activities). I don't think we need to spell it all out, but if you add up some of the separate events reported elsewhere in FT over recent months, I'm sure you can get a pretty good guess as to what has been going on and why the airline has had to intervene, in the genuine interests of all of us. This extra set of requirements did get a brief airing on FT before, though admittedly it was due to a misunderstanding of the new requirements and probably one off.

[In a sense it is a government requirement, in that HMG is fairly keen not to encourage criminals! More specifically, I think it's fairly obvious that those who need to make money via criminality often do so to finance appalling things that can't be paid for legitimately. Plus the DPA does have a general onus on organisations to handle person data correctly. But I accept this is at a tangent].

So for certain operations, very specifically upgrades from TA, you will now be asked for passport number and expiry date. This will be easier for the denizens of this website than remembering your address, dare I suggest! So I'm surprised the OP struggled on that one. I don't think it's an example of the company going to the dogs however.

sxc

When you make a booking it’s not mandatory to enter give your passport details upfront is it?

corporate-wage-slave

No, not always. But most BAEC travellers will have it in their profile to populate API.

Nuster

Not sure I follow given I had already provided name, address, date of birth, passport number, email address, Exec club number and PNR.

I must have missed the email telling me to have my passport with me when I call BA. And I don't think I inferred the agent did not follow BA guidelines - but the government telling BA what to do, is quite clearly fabricated for an audience of 10 year olds.

What is this trying to protect? I could do anything with non TA bookings without the expiry date anyway. I do not actually follow how a criminal can benefit by calling up, getting into my BAEC club account anyway and quoting a booking within that account; all so that the criminal can upgrade using avios a booking for the stranger. In fact I wish that type of criminal would regularly target me so that I don't have to look up expertflyer myself.😜

I think your italics paragraph to justify the simple statement made by the agent is simply specious.

And yes it would be easier but it is not either/or but in addition to all the other questions made harder by the travel agent having the wrong expiry date.

Agree. I did not even know the TA had given my details even if incorrectly.

corporate-wage-slave

I think you may have missed the point: the scenario that we saw during the summer was someone using your BAEC details on their booking. If you're OK with upgrading assorted Chinese hackers selling on your details, then it would be quicker to donate your Avios direct to Mr Kim Jong-un, who doubtless would be very grateful. Ah, you say, Mr Kim could look at or even change your passport details in your BAEC profile: well, go and see what now happens if you try to update any of your Personal Details.

duvin

So how am I supposed to know which passport's information they are requiring? What if that passport happens to be at a consulate with a visa application?

corporate-wage-slave

The one on your BAEC account. So long as you know the passport number and expiry date it doesn't matter where the passport is physically located.

duvin

Fortunately there is a "clear APIS"-button. I would hate to create and manage a new note on my mobile phone detailing all of my passports and making them hackable by Mr Kim.

Richmond_Surrey

So is clearing API a solution to this? Most people don't carry their passport with them and not everyone calls from home.

simons1

I don't understand why BA can't just be honest and say 'we have upgraded our security'.

Surely preferable to another lie?

1Aturnleft

It may either be something BAEC should have been doing for a while and hasn't or is unused functionality that has recently become live at BAEC.
I've encountered similar requirements when transferring avios between Iberia Plus - Avios and Avios - BAEC (being part of a family account I'm excluded from doing so directly IB-BA on Ba.com).
The problem I now have is the data check they make uses my old expired passport number so I have to give this in order to pass their security hurdle and neither team are certain about updating.

corporate-wage-slave

You telling me there are actually people around who don't know their passport details and expiry dates??????? No, I think that will just get the response that you need to get your passport details into BAEC, then kindly call us again.

OK, more pragmatically, I think it is sensible for people to have this information around with them anyway (what if your passport is lost?) but FTers need be aware and so this is a good thread for y'all to take the necessary steps....