Globaliser

Has anyone tried this?

If I were advising BA (which I'm not), I would point them in the direction of some exemptions that could be relied on, that mean that this commercially sensitive information would not have to be disclosed.

The Saint

That exemption does not apply to data protection act requests, it applies only to requests for information under the Freedom of Information Act. The exemptions from the subject access provisions of the Data Protection Act ("DPA") are much narrower, in summary:

• national security
• crime and taxation
• health, education and social work
• regulatory activity
• journalism, literature and the arts
• some other miscellaneous exceptions (none of which would apply in this case)

As such, if information is collected about you from your flying/spending patterns and then reduced into some sort of "Gold Code" you are entitled to know what code they have applied to you and what it means. If you think it is wrong, you can apply to have it corrected.

All of this makes me somewhat suspicious as to whether this information is kept at all. BA very well knows what its obligations would be under the DPA. It has already been discussed on another thread that BA discourages the use of NSFU markers on the bookings precisely because that information could be susceptible to a DPA subject access request.

Someone should try it, then we will know once and for all. It only costs Ł10 to make a request.

Alternatively, perhaps Lesley (our BA EC lurker) could confirm whether there is such a code and what it means, lest BA be deluged with DPA requests from FT members.

fraisse10

Deluged? Why? Why would you bother? What good would it do you to know?

PhilH

Nope, this will not work. The CCV information is not "personal data". This is defined as

The CCV score itself would not lead to the identification of the individual. It is a corporate measure by which BA measures the value of certain customers based on their purchasing habits. You can only request access to "personal data", which would not include your CCV and other commercially sensitive information.

Globaliser

Surely, if for no other reason, it would definitely fall into the "any expression of opinion about the individual and any indication of the intentions of the data controller or any other person in respect of the individual" category? The CCV score is linked to the Gold's name, therefore it's all personal data.With respect, I think it's highly arguable that they'd fall within one or both of the following miscellaneous (Schedule 7) exemptions:-That's what I'd point BA towards if they wished to avoid disclosing the CCV under the DPA. It might not work, but they may have had advice to this effect.

Hence, I'm interested to see if anyone's tried it.

Land-of-Miles

Maybe everyone is too worried it would have a negative effect on their CCV score It also might upset anyone who has "moved" to the EU for a lower Gold threshold, since presumably this would be irrelvant to commercial value, and thus a bog standard marginal UK Gold BAEC member would always be more valuable than a bog standard marginal EU Gold member. Maybe this is what they are so sensitive about?

Brian_1

Chaps you're all getting a bit hot under the collar again about something which most BA staff have no clue about.

Trust me (and I mean trust me) when I say almost all the staff you come into contact with won't have access to your ccv details.

steadman

I seriously don't believe that a scoring value is going to come under the Data Protection Act.

The Gold (and Silver and Blue and Black) cards are really for the esteem of the traveller - BA staff don't need to know your card colour to work out your commercial importance to the company and it would be ridiculous to think they did. You have to accept that they have a special category for the 2K per annum Gold travellers out there just as there is a special category for those that spend 200K and that they will know this if required the moment they start tapping to keyboard.

S.

The Saint

Compare and contrast

and

steadman

Just my opinion and I am not knowledgeable about these things, but I'm pretty sure if called upon the customers commercial importance can be brought up. All sorts of situations can be explained by BA differeniating between customers of the same "level" - maybe it's just more noticeable on the JFK route I travel where most of the premier cabins are Gold.

S.

Brian_1

Yes if called upon................but most staff don't have access (and more importantly, a full working knowledge) of ccv details.

I do hope none of you are having sleepless nights over this.

To be honest the majority of staff at the airport are too busy to worry about ccv details. And don't forget, Gold is Gold.............you are still a valuable and respected customer.

flyclub

Ahhhh, how touching..... you've made me feel all warm inside..... ^

norodnik

From page 1:

I flew Concorde 28 times over a 4 year period. I did get letters during the grounding telling me what was happening etc but I was never invited to any special re-launch parties or offered cards etc.

I have no idea what "Gold grade" I am but I have noticed on the manifest that VIP still appears by my GOLD comment line. It seems not to appear on most others. I think this is a throw back to some years ago when I really did fly a lot.

Finally, I once had the timerity to ask about a prem card having just run up over 10000 tier points. Was generally fobbed off or told they would ask but never with any answer. Mind you, I was, am still am, a US Exec card member, so maybe that's why ??

spotwelder

As for the how important a Gold are you, try being an Aussie resident but flying BA most of the time. I guess this tier point year I will bash off about 7500 one world tier points with at least 5000 BAEC equivalent on BA. Where does that put me on the list for upgrades? Below BA Silver card!

It is my choice to list as Aussie resident, I could fake elsewhere (Crawley!) and then have the option of BAEC and in the old days I use to have both BA and QF cards when commuting every week between UK and Oz. My time to renew both cards at BA Gold equivalent got down to 17 days one year.

I get a little cheesed off with flying BA so much but appearing to get 1W emerald scum status behind a European registered Silver. However, we plod on regardless. Ever tried using an upgrade point award on QF on the Kangaroo route. Ah rocking horse manure is the probability of that one working.

Oh well, back to Blighty with no sign of scurvy amongst the crew. Next stop Manchester on the tier point collection of life.

Brian_1

Geez will you guys stop going on about this.