BA is facing the largest group claim over a data breach in UK legal history following a 2018 incident that exposed details of more than 400,000 of its customers. More than 16,000 customers have joined the case ahead of a March deadline to sign up to the action, according to PGMBM, the lead solicitors in the group litigation case. The update comes after BA indicated it was prepared to settle claims in a letter filed with the court last week. The breach exposed the personal and financial data of more than 400,000 customers, and led to a GBP20m fine from the UK’s data protection regulator in October, down from an initial fine of GBP183m. The lawyers said victims could each be compensated up to GBP2,000, based on previous court rulings, leaving BA facing a total bill of more than GBP800m if every victim came forward. “We continue to vigorously defend the litigation in respect of the claims brought arising out of the 2018 cyber attack,” BA said. “We do not recognise the damages figures put forward, and they have not appeared in the claims,” it added. The Information Commissioner’s Office said the attacker potentially accessed sensitive information of BA customers, including names, addresses, payment card numbers and CVV codes. It pointed to measures the airline could have taken to reduce the risk, such as the testing of its cyber-defences. Still, it noted that BA had “considerably” improved its cyber security since.<br/>
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JetBlue Airways and American Airlines Group will refrain from "certain kinds of coordination" in some cities, where they are substantial competitors to each other, the carriers said on Tuesday. The move follows a regulatory review of their previously announced strategic partnership to boost flying options in New York and Boston, allowing the two airlines to sell each other’s flights and link frequent flyer programs.<br/>
Unions claim Qantas has underpaid many of its workers more than $10,000 each by subsidising their overtime payments with the government's JobKeeper scheme. The Australian Services Union, Transport Workers Union and Flight Attendants' Association of Australia are among a coalition that will on Wednesday seek leave to appeal a landmark court judgment on how JobKeeper works to the High Court. The case has broader implications for the government’s JobKeeper scheme because it could force some companies to pay staff more in overtime and penalty rates. The unions won their legal challenge to the way Qantas applied JobKeeper payments in the Federal Court in September before the case was overturned on appeal last month. The Business Council of Australia – which lobbied the government to change the JobKeeper rules after Qantas unions won the initial case – said December's appeal win had been a "great relief to many businesses across the economy" that paid JobKeeper according to ATO advice. "It is disappointing that these arrangements have again been thrown into uncertainty by this appeal [to the High Court]," a BCA spokesman said. Story has details.<br/>