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02-05-2024
MELBOURNE: Australian airline Qantas says it is investigating a privacy breach on its app that left customers with access to others’ personal details.
Some users reported seeing several boarding passes and flight details belonging to strangers, including their names and frequent flyer information.
Qantas said it fixed the problem about three hours after it was discovered, and apologized to customers.
There was “no indication of a cyber security incident”, it added.
“Current investigations indicate that it was caused by a technology issue and may have been related to recent system changes,” it said in a statement on Wednesday.
Earlier, it had urged those affected to “please be aware of social media scams at this time”.
Customer Josh Withers told media that another passenger’s name and details appeared when he opened the app on Wednesday.
“It said: ‘Hi Sam’ and I instantly noticed (that) Sam had a lot more Qantas points than I did,” he said.
Withers said that each time he re-opened the portal a new customer’s details would appear including their frequent flyer points and scheduled flights.
Other passengers told local media they appeared to have the ability to cancel another passenger’s upcoming flight to Europe.
Speaking to media, technology journalist Trevor Long said that in the space of 15 minutes he could “capture at least 8-12 different people’s details including valid boarding passes”.
The airline has recommended that users log out and then log back into the app to try and fix the issue.
It said it was “not aware of any customers travelling with incorrect boarding passes”.
Social media has been flooded with criticisms of the carrier and posts from people claiming to be affected.
Users on X, shared screenshots of the glitch and alleged phishing attempts. Some appeared to show accounts posing as Qantas customer care agents asking for people’s personal information in order to assist them.
Meanwhile, Australia’s newest budget airline has gone into voluntary administration, after abruptly cancelling all of its flights on Tuesday.
Bonza’s financial woes have left thousands of passengers stranded around the country.
Operating since last year, the carrier had been the first to launch in Australia since 2007.
Aviation remains one of the nation’s most concentrated industries, dominated by Qantas and Virgin Australia.
“We apologize to our customers who are impacted by this and we’re working as quickly as possible to determine a way forward that ensures there is ongoing competition in the Australian aviation market,” Bonza said in a statement.
The company has appointed Hall Chadwick as voluntary administrators for its operating and holding company, according to documents filed with Australia’s corporate regulator.
Bonza’s eight planes, a Boeing 737 Max fleet were repossessed by creditors on Tuesday, according to local media. The airline has not confirmed the claim.
Passenger Mel Watkins, who was due to fly to Launceston for a family holiday, told media that she was “absolutely shattered” by news her flight had been axed. (Int’l Monitoring Desk)
