US: Schumer: Airlines want to ‘Big Brother’ your fares

Major carriers are plotting to collect the personal data of every passenger and use it to set personalised prices that could mean big increases for some and discount coupons for others, senator Chuck Schumer said Sunday. The so called “micro-target pricing” would use information, such as how rich someone is and what web sites they frequent, to set airfares. It’s a spy-and-fly plan that Schumer denounced as a major invasion of privacy. “This is ‘Big Brother’ meets ‘Big Business’ and it is frightening combo for already-price badgered airline travellers,” the Schumer said. Schumer called for the FTC to investigate this new pricing platform, which he fears could spread to other industries. “Consumers and travellers should never have to worry that their private information is being used to increase their personal costs,” Schumer said. <br/>