UA initiates Account Security Update (Security Q&A authentication added 2016)
Feb 12, 16, 10:32 am
#46
Moderator: Midwest, Las Vegas & Dining Buzz
Join Date: Jun 2001
Location: Chicago, Illinois
Posts: 17,900
Totally agree with this. I doubt that I'll remember the answers if asked, even if I had the list of what the available answers were.
Feb 12, 16, 10:32 am
#47
Join Date: Apr 2006
Location: LIS/ATL/other
Programs: UA 1K, Avis PC, Hertz PC, Sixt Plat, Marriott Gold, HH Silver
Posts: 1,979
I hope they keep the 4-digit PIN for the phone operations, such as redemptions of awards and upgrades. Otherwise it would be too difficult and just as insecure to say passwords by phone.
"lowercase eff, uppercase tee, ampersand, three, backslash, tilde, lowercase cee, percent, uppercase zee"
"Can you say that again slower and louder, please?"
"lowercase eff, uppercase tee, ampersand, three, backslash, tilde, lowercase cee, percent, uppercase zee"
"Can you say that again slower and louder, please?"
Feb 12, 16, 10:34 am
#48
Join Date: Dec 2011
Location: DSM
Programs: UA 1K, AA EP, DL PL, HH Dia, Marriott Gld, National Exp
Posts: 714
I also swear they're different in the app vs online, or maybe they've already changed some of them. Last night I distinctly recall one of the questions being "What color was the house you grew up in" and the one mentioned in this thread about the first major city you visited, but when I go to manage profile I see neither of these.
Feb 12, 16, 10:41 am
#49
Join Date: Apr 2004
Posts: 126
These questions are incredibly dumb. I actually had trouble coming up with 5 of them that I knew were strong enough preferences that I'd remember them 2 years from now when I forget my password.
I also swear they're different in the app vs online, or maybe they've already changed some of them. Last night I distinctly recall one of the questions being "What color was the house you grew up in" and the one mentioned in this thread about the first major city you visited, but when I go to manage profile I see neither of these.
I also swear they're different in the app vs online, or maybe they've already changed some of them. Last night I distinctly recall one of the questions being "What color was the house you grew up in" and the one mentioned in this thread about the first major city you visited, but when I go to manage profile I see neither of these.
Feb 12, 16, 10:44 am
#50
Join Date: Mar 2012
Programs: Mileage Plus 1K; Marriott Platinum; Hilton Gold
Posts: 6,354
The questions are definitely randomized for different accounts...my wife received different options than me. Lots of griping about these questions but it looks like they hired a data scientist to design them to me...the weirdness itself is what makes them useful security questions, yes?
Feb 12, 16, 10:59 am
#51
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: Canada
Programs: Star Alliance G*, Marriott Bonvoy PLAT, NE Gold
Posts: 3,475
Meanwhile, over at spg.com, I self selected my fav Sheraton property as a security query? The WEB site requires 100 % accurate recall. Did I say Sheraton Toronto? Toronto? Sheraton Centre? I gave up and changed the security question!
Seriously, a pull down menu of options removes most, if not all, of the stress of not remembering the answer.
In general, I find UA's WEB site and technology second to none. Much better than AC - where they recently introduced a 4-digit PIN. How retro is that?
Feb 12, 16, 11:00 am
#52
Join Date: Apr 2004
Posts: 126
Should we sticky what we know about this?
* You have to update your account but you dont have to right away
* Not everyone answers the same questions
- If not everyone gets the questions the same way are the answers different too?
* What is the lock out when forgetting your password ? Does anyone know?
* What are all of the questions?
* Also can UA Insider comment on my idea that they will turn this into a question based secondary log in like my bank uses? That seems like the logical next step to me.
* You have to update your account but you dont have to right away
* Not everyone answers the same questions
- If not everyone gets the questions the same way are the answers different too?
* What is the lock out when forgetting your password ? Does anyone know?
* What are all of the questions?
* Also can UA Insider comment on my idea that they will turn this into a question based secondary log in like my bank uses? That seems like the logical next step to me.
Feb 12, 16, 11:01 am
#54
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Las Vegas
Programs: DL Diamond, UA Platinum, AA Lifetime Gold, Hilton Diamond, Marriott Titanium, Radisson Gold
Posts: 6,557
I can't log in at all right now through united.com. It's not recognizing my MP #. This after I updated the security questions. What gives?
Feb 12, 16, 11:02 am
#55
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 1999
Location: Ewa Beach, Hawaii
Posts: 10,774
I hope they keep the 4-digit PIN for the phone operations, such as redemptions of awards and upgrades. Otherwise it would be too difficult and just as insecure to say passwords by phone.
"lowercase eff, uppercase tee, ampersand, three, backslash, tilde, lowercase cee, percent, uppercase zee"
"Can you say that again slower and louder, please?"
"lowercase eff, uppercase tee, ampersand, three, backslash, tilde, lowercase cee, percent, uppercase zee"
"Can you say that again slower and louder, please?"
Feb 12, 16, 11:07 am
#56
Join Date: Jul 2013
Location: TPA
Programs: UA Gold
Posts: 339
Hallelujah. Finally this 1980's era 4 digit pin is on it's way out. Trips, Credit Cards and Passport data finally has BASIC security.
The dropdown answers to security questions is non-standard to say the least, and some did feel a little Big Data. I just picked random answers, or ones that made me chuckle a little bit. Stored them in my password manager along with everything else.
I was momentary jilted out of my normal habit when I got the failed to log in screen a couple of times, then finally read the error message. Password I had in my password manager successfully logged me in. Lucky I wasn't on the road, otherwise I would be in trouble.
Time to update my mobile devices now.
The dropdown answers to security questions is non-standard to say the least, and some did feel a little Big Data. I just picked random answers, or ones that made me chuckle a little bit. Stored them in my password manager along with everything else.
I was momentary jilted out of my normal habit when I got the failed to log in screen a couple of times, then finally read the error message. Password I had in my password manager successfully logged me in. Lucky I wasn't on the road, otherwise I would be in trouble.
Time to update my mobile devices now.
Feb 12, 16, 11:08 am
#57
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Las Vegas
Programs: DL Diamond, UA Platinum, AA Lifetime Gold, Hilton Diamond, Marriott Titanium, Radisson Gold
Posts: 6,557
Oh, THAT's why. So why didn't they tell me I could no longer use a PIN and need to do a "Forgot password?" This is going to leave a ton of people confused.
Feb 12, 16, 11:09 am
#59
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Las Vegas
Programs: DL Diamond, UA Platinum, AA Lifetime Gold, Hilton Diamond, Marriott Titanium, Radisson Gold
Posts: 6,557
That's absolutely ridiculous that they would require us to change the passsword without actually giving us the opportunity to change it without us hitting the "Forgot Password?" button.
Another United fail.
Another United fail.
Feb 12, 16, 11:12 am
#60
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: Houston, TX
Programs: UA 1MM Premier Gold, AA Gold, HHonors Gold, Marriot Rewards Gold
Posts: 605
Whomever is in charge of those changes in UA did a sloppy job. I tried to log in after filling the security questions, it wouldn't let me in. Called in, she said it must be a problem on my end (easy to blame..) and that I need to delete cookies. I didn't. I asked her if this is a common issue since they've implemented the new security update - she said no. UA have not sent an email in this regards, have no implemented troubleshooting protocol.. I solved it by adding a password instead of the PIN. I wish someone could think outside of the box there...but hey - now we have Stroophwafel...
