Spooky email glitch from US Airways – I just got another passenger’s personal info!
Normally, I love to see emails like this one in my in-box, because it means I’ve got a trip in the works:
When these came through last night, I have to admit that my initial thought was that someone (hint, hint) was trying to surprise me with a trip but that somehow I got the confirmation emails anyway. I had about two seconds of indecision before curiosity got the better of me and I clicked them open.
Good thing I did, because the receipts were for two people I had never heard of in my life!
The email contained a ton of personal information: names, frequent flyer numbers, confirmation code, and ticket numbers. It also contained their entire itinerary, cost of the ticket, and payment method (although not their credit card info).
I immediately called US Airways to figure out what had happened. Was my information now in someone’s else’s in-box? The customer service rep who answered the phone simply sighed when I told her what had happened. She actually said, “All right ma’am. Thanks for letting us know.”
What??
“Does this happen a lot?” I asked her.
“Often enough,” she said. “If your reservation was the last one on the screen, and the agent doesn’t properly close out of the screen before the next customer’s reservation, the next customer’s information will be sent to you.” She paused. “Is there anything else I can help you with today?”
My mind was blown. I was silent.
“I’ll make sure to send a report to the technical people,” she offered.
“So…has my information possibly been sent to someone else?” I asked.
“Probably not,” she said.
Wow. Still not sure what to say about this one, except make sure to stay on top of your US Airways account.
Has this happened to anyone else?
.
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i got some other passengers itinerary around 1 week ago as well… I called them and they also reacted as if it was a common occurrence.
kg – I’m not sure whether I feel better or worse that this has happened to anyone else!
I WOULD FWD TO THE FTC & FAA AS A SECURITY RISK AND A WEB SECURITY RISK
Cedric – Thanks for your comment and your concern!
That happened to me this summer. I was mailed the wrong itinerary with a lot of private information about another passenger and received a similar response. That, combined with a separate event (US Airways lost my bag on the aforementioned flight and returned it a week later so damaged that one could only assume they had allowed caged cougars to maul it), will make me think twice about ever traveling with the airline again. Any creative suggestions for transferring/converting Dividend Miles, Points Pixie?
Annissa – wow, double whammy! Yes, I do have some suggestions. Look for a future post!
This has happened to me, but not with US Airways. Sometimes people are too dumb to know their own e-mail address, and I’ve received itineraries and check-in info for them in my inbox.
Jonathan – This seems more common than I would have thought!
That is spooky. One could completely change a trip itinerary w confirmation code and last name. I wonder if anyone has experienced w airlines other than US Air