Travel docs in WestJet profile
Nov 21, 2018, 10:38 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: The World
Programs: WS Platinum, Marriott Titanium, DL Gold, UA Silver
Posts: 1,478
Travel docs in WestJet profile
Something doesn't seem to be working right...
Some time ago, WS added the ability for Rewards members to add passport and NEXUS card details to their online profile -- so that the info wouldn't need to be re-entered every time you checked in for a flight.
I don't know if anything's changed recently, but the system doesn't seem to work as it should.
I have all of my info (passport details, NEXUS, residency, DOB, etc) loaded in my profile, against my WestJet FF account. Same with Mrs. FlyerJ. And same with the two little FlyerJs. Each of us has our own WestJet Rewards account, and all of our travel docs and key info are loaded onto each individual profile.
Whenever we book a flight as a family (i.e. when it's more than just me on the reservation) we obviously enter every individual's FF number on the reservation.
But whenever I go to check-in for an international flight, either via the app or the web-site, the only travel docs that automatically populate are mine. For everyone else, I need to enter them all of that info from scratch during the check-in process. Even though everyone else has their FF numbers on the reservation, and their accounts contain all of their travel doc details.
My hunch is that's because I'm logged in to my profile (either on the web-site or via the app) -- and their system therefore only pulls in my passport and NEXUS info. But the WS system clearly already has - via our FF numbers and profiles - the passport/NEXUS info for everyone else on the same reservation. Yet it's all blank for everyone except for me. (I don't recall when I first started seeing this, but it's definitely been the case for all of our recent international flights.)
Anyone else seeing this? Am I doing something wrong, or is it a glitch in WS's system?
Some time ago, WS added the ability for Rewards members to add passport and NEXUS card details to their online profile -- so that the info wouldn't need to be re-entered every time you checked in for a flight.
I don't know if anything's changed recently, but the system doesn't seem to work as it should.
I have all of my info (passport details, NEXUS, residency, DOB, etc) loaded in my profile, against my WestJet FF account. Same with Mrs. FlyerJ. And same with the two little FlyerJs. Each of us has our own WestJet Rewards account, and all of our travel docs and key info are loaded onto each individual profile.
Whenever we book a flight as a family (i.e. when it's more than just me on the reservation) we obviously enter every individual's FF number on the reservation.
But whenever I go to check-in for an international flight, either via the app or the web-site, the only travel docs that automatically populate are mine. For everyone else, I need to enter them all of that info from scratch during the check-in process. Even though everyone else has their FF numbers on the reservation, and their accounts contain all of their travel doc details.
My hunch is that's because I'm logged in to my profile (either on the web-site or via the app) -- and their system therefore only pulls in my passport and NEXUS info. But the WS system clearly already has - via our FF numbers and profiles - the passport/NEXUS info for everyone else on the same reservation. Yet it's all blank for everyone except for me. (I don't recall when I first started seeing this, but it's definitely been the case for all of our recent international flights.)
Anyone else seeing this? Am I doing something wrong, or is it a glitch in WS's system?
Nov 21, 2018, 1:04 pm
#2
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: Calgary
Posts: 1,444
Something doesn't seem to be working right...
Some time ago, WS added the ability for Rewards members to add passport and NEXUS card details to their online profile -- so that the info wouldn't need to be re-entered every time you checked in for a flight.
I don't know if anything's changed recently, but the system doesn't seem to work as it should.
I have all of my info (passport details, NEXUS, residency, DOB, etc) loaded in my profile, against my WestJet FF account. Same with Mrs. FlyerJ. And same with the two little FlyerJs. Each of us has our own WestJet Rewards account, and all of our travel docs and key info are loaded onto each individual profile.
Whenever we book a flight as a family (i.e. when it's more than just me on the reservation) we obviously enter every individual's FF number on the reservation.
But whenever I go to check-in for an international flight, either via the app or the web-site, the only travel docs that automatically populate are mine. For everyone else, I need to enter them all of that info from scratch during the check-in process. Even though everyone else has their FF numbers on the reservation, and their accounts contain all of their travel doc details.
My hunch is that's because I'm logged in to my profile (either on the web-site or via the app) -- and their system therefore only pulls in my passport and NEXUS info. But the WS system clearly already has - via our FF numbers and profiles - the passport/NEXUS info for everyone else on the same reservation. Yet it's all blank for everyone except for me. (I don't recall when I first started seeing this, but it's definitely been the case for all of our recent international flights.)
Anyone else seeing this? Am I doing something wrong, or is it a glitch in WS's system?
Some time ago, WS added the ability for Rewards members to add passport and NEXUS card details to their online profile -- so that the info wouldn't need to be re-entered every time you checked in for a flight.
I don't know if anything's changed recently, but the system doesn't seem to work as it should.
I have all of my info (passport details, NEXUS, residency, DOB, etc) loaded in my profile, against my WestJet FF account. Same with Mrs. FlyerJ. And same with the two little FlyerJs. Each of us has our own WestJet Rewards account, and all of our travel docs and key info are loaded onto each individual profile.
Whenever we book a flight as a family (i.e. when it's more than just me on the reservation) we obviously enter every individual's FF number on the reservation.
But whenever I go to check-in for an international flight, either via the app or the web-site, the only travel docs that automatically populate are mine. For everyone else, I need to enter them all of that info from scratch during the check-in process. Even though everyone else has their FF numbers on the reservation, and their accounts contain all of their travel doc details.
My hunch is that's because I'm logged in to my profile (either on the web-site or via the app) -- and their system therefore only pulls in my passport and NEXUS info. But the WS system clearly already has - via our FF numbers and profiles - the passport/NEXUS info for everyone else on the same reservation. Yet it's all blank for everyone except for me. (I don't recall when I first started seeing this, but it's definitely been the case for all of our recent international flights.)
Anyone else seeing this? Am I doing something wrong, or is it a glitch in WS's system?
I don’t think this will get any easier due to EU-GDPR data privacy regulations and the likelihood that Canada will strengthen PIPEDA to align with them, there is a lot of legal complexity on what and how personal information can be shared, even with family members.
Nov 21, 2018, 3:38 pm
#3
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: The World
Programs: WS Platinum, Marriott Titanium, DL Gold, UA Silver
Posts: 1,478
Huh. Interesting. Makes sense, sort of — but that kind of defeats the purpose - negates the convenience - unless you’re travelling on your own.
I say “sort of” makes sense because I’m not sure I follow how there’s risk of a privacy breach. I don’t need or want WestJet to tell me or show me my wife’s passport number or date of birth or Nexus number. That doesn’t need to show up anywhere when I’m checking her in for a flight. I’d just expect that WestJet’s system attach her info to her reservation and her boarding pass. But definitely don’t display it anywhere or make it accessible to the user who’s checking her in. I don’t need or want the info. WestJet needs it.
For what it’s worth, I don’t even think I can see my own travel doc details when checking in with WS. The info populates from my profile, but I’m pretty sure at least part of the passport number, KTN number, etc are X’d out or redacted in some way.
Air Canada lets users save other travellers’ details in their own individual profiles. I guess that’s how they get around any potential privacy issue ... I’d have to know someone else’s travel doc info in order to load it into my profile in the Air Canada app, rather than having it pulled from another user’s personal profile.
Is is that type of functionality on the “to do” list for WestJet ... ie the ability to save other travellers to my profile?
I say “sort of” makes sense because I’m not sure I follow how there’s risk of a privacy breach. I don’t need or want WestJet to tell me or show me my wife’s passport number or date of birth or Nexus number. That doesn’t need to show up anywhere when I’m checking her in for a flight. I’d just expect that WestJet’s system attach her info to her reservation and her boarding pass. But definitely don’t display it anywhere or make it accessible to the user who’s checking her in. I don’t need or want the info. WestJet needs it.
For what it’s worth, I don’t even think I can see my own travel doc details when checking in with WS. The info populates from my profile, but I’m pretty sure at least part of the passport number, KTN number, etc are X’d out or redacted in some way.
Air Canada lets users save other travellers’ details in their own individual profiles. I guess that’s how they get around any potential privacy issue ... I’d have to know someone else’s travel doc info in order to load it into my profile in the Air Canada app, rather than having it pulled from another user’s personal profile.
Is is that type of functionality on the “to do” list for WestJet ... ie the ability to save other travellers to my profile?
Nov 21, 2018, 6:41 pm
#4
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: Calgary
Posts: 1,444
I’d just expect that WestJet’s system attach her info to her reservation and her boarding pass. But definitely don’t display it anywhere or make it accessible to the user who’s checking her in. I don’t need or want the info. WestJet needs it.
.....
Is is that type of functionality on the “to do” list for WestJet ... ie the ability to save other travellers to my profile?
.....
Is is that type of functionality on the “to do” list for WestJet ... ie the ability to save other travellers to my profile?
There are already compliance consultants who act as ambulance chasers who test companies such as airlines, telcos and banks by seeing how their own profile info is managed, if it doesn't meet the legislation they complain to the privacy commissioner, then use that public exposure to sell their services to other organisations "or else this could happen to you" (I have been the IT technical expert on the defence side of a couple of these 'incidents').
This is a surprisingly complex area now laden with legislative minefields that have a different and sometimes conflicting requirement depending on country, I think you will see more restrictions on convenience and more rigourous privacy data management as time goes by and more companies fall foul of the legislation.