With the increasing rise in air travel around the world, the stakes for airlines couldn’t be higher. Security and efficiency are top concerns, and ensuring passengers have a frictionless experience has become an imperative.
But there’s a hidden vulnerability that often goes unnoticed amidst the hustle and bustle of terminals and boarding gates: airline frequent flyer programs. For travelers, airline miles and hotel points represent more than just loyalty rewards — they’re a valuable currency facilitating journeys across the globe. And just as with bank accounts, they are a prime target for cyber attacks.
Mark Rosenberg, a Delta SkyMiles member of 40 years, found this out the hard way when he became a victim of mileage theft. “Prior to this I had maybe 300,090 [miles], and then when this happened it went down to about 10,000 miles,” Rosenberg said, highlighting the significant impact of such a theft.
How are Frequent Flyer Miles Stolen?
Like with many other types of identity theft, hackers use illegally obtained personal information to gain access to people’s frequent flyer accounts. As data breaches continue to increase, personal information is becoming increasingly easy for thieves to obtain. Once hackers have enough personal information to access one of your accounts, they can take control and in some situations wipe the accounts clean.
Who is Responsible for Securing Frequent Flyer Accounts?
Mileage theft impacts individuals as well as the entire airline industry. Frequent flyer programs generate massive amounts of revenue for airlines and help maintain an airline’s competitive advantage. Yet the International Air Transport Association reports airlines lose 1.2% of revenue and a minimum of $1 billion annually to payment fraud. Of course, individuals need to take basic precautions such as using different passwords for different accounts, but ultimately airlines reap major benefits by helping keep their passengers’ mileage accounts safe.
How Can Airlines Secure Frequent Flyer Accounts?
The best way to protect frequent flyer accounts without creating undue friction for legitimate passengers is to implement an advanced online identity verification solution. Jumio helps airlines ensure their customers are who they say they are with the ease of taking a selfie, both when they create their account and each time they use their miles.
Want to see a demo? Contact us today, and we will set up a time to show you how we can protect your passengers and your airline’s reputation.
