Steve Hart: Sharing the details of your holiday plans

COMMENT

Protecting our privacy is becoming harder. It seems we can no longer travel with even a modicum of anonymity. Not only are our travel details frequently shared, but our personal information is, too.

A majority of airlines and travel firms, it seems, just can't wait to tell us of their next big offer by email (as if there wasn't enough junk pouring through our inboxes already).

In addition to the marketing activities of some airlines, governments are also going to great lengths to find out about you. There are no prizes for guessing America is leading the way in this regard.

In fact, one airline made it a little too easy for US officials last month. JetBlue, an airline operating out of New York, handed over millions of their customers' personal details to a Pentagon contractor working on a new software program. The program will be able to tap into computer databases to pull together information about people using US airlines. The data will grade each passenger on a "risk" scale. It really could be that one day you will be refused a flight because you are deemed a risk to security.

JetBlue's website privacy policy says: "personal information collected on this site is not shared with any third parties ... "

The company has since apologised to its customers for promising one thing and doing another.

But it is not just security threats that are causing, or even forcing, our travel plans to be shared with all and sundry. Increasingly, information we leave behind on travel websites is being used, shared, sold and transferred - to whom we don't know.

After hearing about JetBlue's antics, I decided to look at the privacy statements of some of the airlines operating here.

Certain information is needed to complete transactions such as booking and paying for flights online, we understand that.

Cathay Pacific is open about what it intends to do with your personal information. Its online privacy statement starts out well by saying: "we are committed to protect your personal data and privacy". Excellent.

But then says it "limits" the collection of data so it can, among other things; "offer various opportunities that may interest you". To me "opportunities" means junk mail.

Thankfully companies often provide an option to 'unsubscribe' from unwanted emails, but by then your information may have already been passed on.

Air Pacific says information supplied by customers is never given out to third parties for any reason - unless legally obliged to do so.

Singapore Airlines uses your information for promoting Star Alliance products and services, and shares your details with its "business partners" of which there must be many. Singapore Air's website says, with no obvious irony intended, that it will "ensure" that the companies it gives your details to only uses the information in the same manner that it does. i.e.; they (too) can give your details to business partners.

Air New Zealand says it will not share information without customers' agreement.

As we start to routinely turn to the internet to search for holidays, book flights, accommodation and use our credit cards online, so we have to increasingly place our trust in companies not to pass on our details.

We should expect to retain our privacy. What we do and where we go should be nobody's business but our own.

And every time information about us is transmitted down a phone line (or from country to country by satellite), there is a risk of it being intercepted.

So what can you do to protect your self? It's not easy. But the first thing to look at is the privacy statements of websites before you start using them. If the statement doesn't offer much in the way of privacy then you might decide not to use that site.

See if there is any mention of "cookies" - tiny bits of computer code placed in your computer by the websites you visit. Don't give out your details just to enter a contest or to send info to a friend's email address.

* Hotel managers in Australia are not happy - many have lots of empty rooms as the expected rush to see the All Blacks didn't happen.

Wotif.com's chief executive Graham Wood says many hotels have cut room rates by up to 60 per cent - shaving hundreds of dollars off the cost of a night at some of the better hotels.

Despite earlier predictions, there is no shortage of accommodation for people wanting to see the early matches he says. The independent traveller should be quids in.