Airlines collect a lot more data than you realize

March 9, 2024

By Kim Komando

The future of flight is here and it’s not jetpacks — it’s in-air surveillance. If you thought the most invasive thing that could happen on a plane was the person in front of you reclining, I have some bad news, friend.

Airlines already collect and track your data, including:

• Booking details, like your name, email address, phone number, passport and payment information. The weight of your bag (and you, depending on the airline) is tracked, too.
• Frequent flyer programs, including your travel patterns, seat selections, meal choices and other preferences. 
• Onboard Wi-Fi usage, primarily the sites you visit and how much time you spend online. 

And if you think that’s where their snooping ends, prepare for turbulence… 

Here’s where they get extra data-hungry

Airlines also track your customer service requests, car rentals and other travel add-ons. Some airports even use facial recognition.

But I’m willing to bet you never thought they’d track:

• What you drink or eat in-flight and when your beverage is empty. This way, flight attendants can come prepared with refills. Nice, right? Airline food is so plane.
• Your flight history (and complaints) for attendants to see if you’ll be a good passenger or not. Yup, you’re entering the judgment zone.
• Your in-flight viewing preferences based on how you use seatback displays to shop, watch shows or get info.

Airlines claim this data collection will provide a better experience for you and me, but is the extra convenience really worth your privacy?

Why so focused on flyer data?

It’s all about cold, hard cash. Airlines save big bucks by rationing out only the food and drinks data tells them passengers want. And it gets even more cutthroat: They can also prioritize frequent flyers and give less to passengers who don’t pay premium prices.

Not to mention, there’s always a possibility an airline or its vendors will repackage your data and sell it to marketers for even more money. Those are not the kind of frequent flyer points I want to earn.

So what can you do?

Secure your digital baggage

You can ask the airlines to remove your data. It’s a complicated, frustrating process, especially if you live outside California, Colorado or Virginia (states that have consumer privacy laws in place). No matter where you live, start by calling the airline’s customer service team and asking them how to delete your data. 

We gathered the real ones for you here. Keep in mind that some airlines need to be contacted via chat first and will give you a support phone number there.

• American Airlines: 1-800-433-7300.
• United Airlines: 1-800-864-8331.
• Southwest Airlines: 1-800-435-9720.
• Delta Airlines: 1-800-221-1212.
• Frontier Airlines: No listed customer service number. Start via online chat.
• Allegiant Air: Start via online chat or you can send a text to 1-866-432-6165.
• Spirit Airlines: Start via online chat or you can send a text to 1-855-728-3555.
• JetBlue: 1-800-538-2583.

You can also reduce your in-flight digital footprint by downloading movies and music ahead of time on your personal devices. Yep, another reason to pack your Kindle.

Pro tip: I never get ice on an airplane. It’s made from the plane’s tap water. That comes from a water tank that’s rarely cleaned — in other words, it’s a bacteria-breeding container. Room temp is just fine, thanks.

🤣 What do you call an airplane that flies backward? A receding airline. Oof, I know.

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