The Safety and Security of our Customers is our number one priority at Southwest Airlines. Period. This commitment to a safe and secure operation is shared by all Southwest Employees, from the Boardroom to the New Hire training classroom. Our commitment to Safety and Security is job one throughout our aircraft, all over our 67 airports, and within our offices.
The commitment will expand on October 1, 2009. On that date Southwest Airlines will begin participating in the government’s new Secure Flight program. As a Customer, you may notice two small but meaningful changes when you book your reservation to fly under the new Secure Flight program. In addition to ensuring that the name provided when you book your travel matches the government ID (state issued drivers license or passport) that you will use when traveling, we will also ask for your date of birth and for your gender.
Why are we making these changes? Here are the two short answers: First, It’s the law! Uncle Sam enacted a statute back in 2004 mandating the Secure Flight program for all airlines along with many other programs recommended by the 9/11 Commission Report. Second, Secure Flight is an improvement to our aviation security program. These changes will further enhance our ability to prevent dangerous individuals from boarding our flights if they are on the federal government’s No-Fly list, and lessen the odds someone is wrongly matched on the No-Fly list.
For more information about the Secure Flight program go to: http://www.tsa.gov/what_we_do/layers/secureflight/
Fly safe!
Comments
Ok, I get it you have to do what the TSA says. It's dumb (we all know that). However, why do you put the passenger's middle name in the confirmation email/subject line etc? Does this mean it'll print on my boarding pass, too?
I ask because Alaska has had this (in)secure flight nonsense going on for a few months now and my boarding pass doesn't look any different today than it did back in January.
So, are the secure flight boarding passes any different now than before?
I just received an email today with the subject line of "Important Notice: TSA Secure Flight" and askiing for me to update details of my RapidRewards account including date of birth and gender. Is this a legitimate email or spam? The links back go to luv.southwest.com not just southwest.com.
So, is the e-mail I got today regarding this a legit e-mail or a phishing scam?
Are you sending e-mails out to all customers titled "Important Notice: TSA Secure Flight", and asking for the following?
Your full name, exactly as it appears on the current (non-expired) government-issued photo ID that you will be traveling with
Date of birth
Gender
The TSA-issued Redress Number** (if applicable)
If so, I'd recommend putting something on your main home page so people know it's for real.
So many phishing e-mails are out there these days, and this looks a lot like one.
Thanks!
-Jim McCue, IS Manager
Rodey Law Firm
Albuquerque, NM
Sorry for the trouble, folks - the email is from Southwest Airlines, however, we are having some trouble with our RR database and Secure Flight site. We are working out the kinks now. Please standby, and thank you for your patience.
Paula Berg
Southwest Airlines
I received the same "TSA Secure Flight" e-mail requesting sensitive information, Looks exactly like other forged phishing e-mails I've received, allegedly from Amazon, Paypal, eBay, etc. If this is legit, you really need to do things differently. The e-mail should simply direct people to log into their Rapid Rewards account and supply the TSA mandated info. We are trained to NEVER hit a link in an unsolicited e-mail that supposedly directs us to an official company site because you don't know where you are really going. If this is legit, you are training people to do the wrong thing. if it is a forgery, you need to e-mail all your Rapid Rewards members and let them know.
Are we required to have the information updated online, or can we take care of it the next time we travel at the ticked counter?
It may be legit but this email sure "smells" like a phishing scam. I have always been wary of any communication asking for information that does not address me personally. Even when I get an email requesting information, I usually call or write (yes, snail mail) the company with the info. Too much fraud online these days not to.
Hrm. I'm supposed to check in in about 45 minutes. However, logging in to my RR either fails entirely, or the fields on the My Account page all show "Error retrieving information". Also, when I go to check in, I now get a weird "Secure Document Available", instead of the normal "Must check in within 24 hours" error page that I usually get. I'm on hold with SW Customer Support (55 minute wait time!). Will I be able to check in? I've been at the front of the A group for my last year's worth of flights, and I don't want to mar that record.... :)
Pay attention to Jim McCue's note.this afternoon. The "Important Notice..." looked genuine, but I sure wasn't about to click on a link in it. So I went to Southwest's Web site another way. Now if it would only let me log in .... When it does, I hope there will be clear directions on the action required.
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