Airlines have your personal data, and they’re using it

Airlines are really good at some things—like people movement, aircraft maintenance, and keeping passengers safe. They’re also experts at collecting vast mountains of customer data, including what sorts of credit cards and computers you use, how often you fly, and where and how much you spend on all the extras. The industry has long envisioned a day when it could make use of all that information. That data has traditionally been segregated in various IT systems, but now many airlines are gradually funnelling it into a customer service strategy. But as they probe these new capabilities, some carriers are confronting a nettlesome question: How much personal data can be used to enhance customer service before slipping into the “too much information” realm, where a traveller may feel uncomfortable? <br/>