American Airlines discloses personal data

Another one caught with their pants down. You'd think the airline would have
learned from other airline's experienced and decide to protect passenger privacy.

http://biz.yahoo.com/rb/040409/airli...privacy_1.html

##
American Air: Passenger Data Disclosed
Friday April 9, 9:20 pm ET

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - American Airlines' passenger names and travel
itineraries were released to four research companies vying for contracts with
the U.S. Transportation Security Administration, the airline disclosed on Friday.
##

1.2 million reservation records were released to a company which in turn
released it to 4 other research companies.

Maybe I'm just missing something, but I don't get what the big deal is? I'm
sure some Scumbag-ACLU-Card-Carrying-lawyer somewhere is salivating.

Matt

"nobody" wrote in message
...
Another one caught with their pants down. You'd think the airline would
have
learned from other airline's experienced and decide to protect passenger
privacy.

http://biz.yahoo.com/rb/040409/airli...privacy_1.html

##
American Air: Passenger Data Disclosed
Friday April 9, 9:20 pm ET

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - American Airlines' passenger names and travel
itineraries were released to four research companies vying for contracts
with
the U.S. Transportation Security Administration, the airline disclosed on
Friday.
##

1.2 million reservation records were released to a company which in turn
released it to 4 other research companies.

Matt wrote:
Maybe I'm just missing something, but I don't get what the big deal is? I'm
sure some Scumbag-ACLU-Card-Carrying-lawyer somewhere is salivating.

It means that your government is unable to garantee data security. This type
of leak has been uncovered 3 times already, how many times has it actually
occured ?

Remember that they want more than name and flight. They want your credit card
info so that they can match your other expenses (they have already
commandeered hotel reservation information for instance). They also know your
FF number, meal preferences, and whith whom you are travelling.

So if you have a mistress, make sure she travels on a totally separate
reservation paid with a different credit card, otherwise the government will
know and your real wive may end up with the data at her place of work.

It also means that if you ask for a mulsim meal, the government may put you on
a watch list where all our trasactions are examined because they'll suspect
you are helping terrorists.

Americans should rebel and all pay cash for their airline tickets. They'd be
forced to drop that silly "if you pay cash, you are given the 3rd treatment
search" policies since there is no way they could do it for all passengers,
and the government would then lack any usable data to cross match your airline
purchase with everything else.

Matt wrote:
Maybe I'm just missing something, but I don't get what the big deal is? I'm
sure some Scumbag-ACLU-Card-Carrying-lawyer somewhere is salivating.


The only people that need access to the data I give the airline are the
people at the airline that need to process it to get me on the flight,
and the credit card people that need to have their bill paid. The
government and would be government bidders are not entitled to it. Sure,
it might help in the fight against terrorism, so would having an agent
tailing every citizen. Thousands of people die every year in the US from
automobile accidents caused by drunk driver's. Eliminating alcohol
and/or automobiles would fix that problem. What are you willing to give
up for "safety". The biggest threat to homeland security is Homeland
Security.

mtravelkay wrote:
The only people that need access to the data I give the airline are the
people at the airline that need to process it to get me on the flight,
and the credit card people that need to have their bill paid.

More importantly, the credit card people don't get your full reservation
details, just the airline name/location, your identification including card
number (and possibly address/telephone number) and the amount.

And if you are using multiple credit cards, each credit card company see only
their transactions. But the bush regime gets to link both credit cards because
they'll see all your personal information and easily link all your credit card
with the FF number for instance.

obody wrote:

mtravelkay wrote:

The only people that need access to the data I give the airline are the
people at the airline that need to process it to get me on the flight,
and the credit card people that need to have their bill paid.


More importantly, the credit card people don't get your full reservation
details, just the airline name/location, your identification including card
number (and possibly address/telephone number) and the amount.

And if you are using multiple credit cards, each credit card company see only
their transactions. But the bush regime gets to link both credit cards because
they'll see all your personal information and easily link all your credit card
with the FF number for instance.

I also see the ticket number on my AMEX bills, but it does make sense to
tie the charge to a ticket number. However, the information in AA's case
didn't go directly to the government, but that is the general plan of
the current administration. The government doesn't have a right to
gather data on all of its citizens for the purpose of finding someone
that might commit a crime. They are free to look at my records if they
have a reasonable reason to suspect me of criminal activity.

I still don't get it. Why would you care if the government or some sub
contractor knows that you flew from city X to city Y on date Z? Not like
they are giving out your credit card #s or Social Security numbers. It's
just a travel itinerary. Of course there are limits on what kind of
personal information I want being spread around.....so save the weak
slippery slope argument.

So, how exactly does it harm you if someone knows or keeps track of your
travel itinerary?

Matt

"mtravelkay" wrote in message
om...
Matt wrote:
Maybe I'm just missing something, but I don't get what the big deal is?
I'm
sure some Scumbag-ACLU-Card-Carrying-lawyer somewhere is salivating.


The only people that need access to the data I give the airline are the
people at the airline that need to process it to get me on the flight,
and the credit card people that need to have their bill paid. The
government and would be government bidders are not entitled to it. Sure,
it might help in the fight against terrorism, so would having an agent
tailing every citizen. Thousands of people die every year in the US from
automobile accidents caused by drunk driver's. Eliminating alcohol
and/or automobiles would fix that problem. What are you willing to give
up for "safety". The biggest threat to homeland security is Homeland
Security.

Matt wrote:

I still don't get it. Why would you care if the government or some sub
contractor knows that you flew from city X to city Y on date Z? Not like
they are giving out your credit card #s or Social Security numbers. It's
just a travel itinerary. Of course there are limits on what kind of
personal information I want being spread around.....so save the weak
slippery slope argument.

So, how exactly does it harm you if someone knows or keeps track of your
travel itinerary?

Why does the government need to know my travel itinerary in advance of
me being suspected of a crime? Perhaps I don't want them to know I have
a habit of flying to cities where pro or anti fill in the blank
meetings are being held. Maybe I don't want them to know that every 4
years I always fly to the city of the fill in the blank National
Convention is being held, during the same time period of the convention.
After all, they might draw the conclusion that I belong to the fill in
name Party. They don't need to know what library books I check out, or
what foreign languages I am learning.

"nobody" wrote in message
...
Matt wrote:
Maybe I'm just missing something, but I don't get what the big deal is?
I'm
sure some Scumbag-ACLU-Card-Carrying-lawyer somewhere is salivating.

It means that your government is unable to garantee data security. This
type
of leak has been uncovered 3 times already, how many times has it actually
occured ?

Did you even read the article? The government had nothing to do with it.
Duh.


Remember that they want more than name and flight. They want your credit
card
info so that they can match your other expenses (they have already
commandeered hotel reservation information for instance). They also know
your
FF number, meal preferences, and whith whom you are travelling.

Again, you obviously didn't even bother to read the article because you're
just making stuff up that wasn't even in the article.


So if you have a mistress, make sure she travels on a totally separate
reservation paid with a different credit card, otherwise the government
will
know and your real wive may end up with the data at her place of work.

Now that's really a stretch. First of all, if your wife is going to find
out, it's going to be from the credit card statement that gets MAILED TO
YOUR HOUSE!!! Second, do you think anyone in the government really cares
enough about your relationship with your wife that they would inform her
about your misdeeds? Is this really the worst worse-case-scenario you can
come up with?

It also means that if you ask for a mulsim meal, the government may put
you on
a watch list where all our trasactions are examined because they'll
suspect
you are helping terrorists.

Do they even have Muslim Meals?? Again, the article clearly states that the
only data released was passenger name and itenerary. Even if they did
release information on what type of meals were ordered, who cares? The
government is not going to put every Muslim in the United States on a watch
list.

Americans should rebel and all pay cash for their airline tickets. They'd
be
forced to drop that silly "if you pay cash, you are given the 3rd
treatment
search" policies since there is no way they could do it for all
passengers,
and the government would then lack any usable data to cross match your
airline
purchase with everything else.

You still haven't provided one rational reason how an airline releasing a
passengers name and itenerary can harm you.

Also, I'm not a lawyer, but I seriously doubt the kind of information that
was released is protected under privacy laws.

Matt

"mtravelkay" wrote in message
om...
Matt wrote:

I still don't get it. Why would you care if the government or some sub
contractor knows that you flew from city X to city Y on date Z? Not
like
they are giving out your credit card #s or Social Security numbers.
It's
just a travel itinerary. Of course there are limits on what kind of
personal information I want being spread around.....so save the weak
slippery slope argument.

So, how exactly does it harm you if someone knows or keeps track of your
travel itinerary?

Why does the government need to know my travel itinerary in advance of
me being suspected of a crime?

I don't have a problem with the government and airlines using an itenerary
and other factors to determine if a passenger
should get extra screening or not. If a passenger shows up at the Beirut
Airport and pays cash for a one way ticket to Washington DC, then I'm sorry,
but that guy should get some extra screening. Obviously you don't agree, so
we will just have to disagree on that point.

Perhaps I don't want them to know I have
a habit of flying to cities where pro or anti fill in the blank
meetings are being held. Maybe I don't want them to know that every 4
years I always fly to the city of the fill in the blank National
Convention is being held, during the same time period of the convention.
After all, they might draw the conclusion that I belong to the fill in
name Party. They don't need to know what library books I check out, or
what foreign languages I am learning.


Seriously......are you really truly worried about that happening to you??

Matt