What cabin crew know about you when you step on to the plane
Tablets that airline staff carry can contain personal passenger information like whether it's your birthday or if your last flight was delayed
HAVE you ever wondered what kind of information those tablets that flight attendants hold contain?
Well it’s not just your name and the seat number you’re sitting in – the information can range from what drinks you like to buy, where you travel to often and what kind of holiday you like to take.
reports: “They can congratulate customers on reaching three million lifetime miles or toast a couple’s wedding anniversary.
“At some airlines, they can tell if you really paid extra for that or are travelling on a . Someday soon it may be, ‘Having the usual vodka tonic tonight, Scott?’”
However all this extra information and the “personalised interactions” as a result might not always be a good thing, with concerns that they could be “invasive”.
People may also want some privacy, peace and quiet when they head on holiday – not to be approached by staff.
The website reveals that earlier this year, United Airlines gave its flight attendants a new app that shows them information on the past five flights that a customer has been on.
If the flights went well they show up green, but they flash yellow or red if there were problems like flight delays.
They also give cabin crew the heads up on tight flight connections or if a passenger needs a wheelchair when they disembark.
John Slater, United Airline’s senior vice president of in-flight services, said that the app “allows them to engage with customers in a meaningful way.”
So do they also tell crew if you were particularly grumpy on your last journey?
Airlines have denied that their crews are alerted to “problem” passengers who may have been involved in an argument or altercation in the past.
Airlines like JetBlue are taking things further - their tablets give staff a virtual reality, hands-free picture of who is who on the plane.
It shows a seat map and will alert staff if it’s a customer’s birthday by showing a birthday cake over the seat, so they can present the passenger with a card or present.
Sun Online Travel previously revealed that hotels store a wealth of information on customers – including if you’ve been a nightmare guest in the past.
Hotel expert Jacob Tomsky told Sun Online Travel that hotels keep a notes system on guests which workers add to each time you stay - and this includes if you've been a nuisance.
And this can work for or against you when you check into your room.
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He told us: “You may not realise it, but the person on front desk has a whole host of powers when it comes to deciding what room you’re in.
“The main thing that people need to do is slow down their check in and treat the front desk agent like a human being who is making some very important decisions that will affect their stay."
Sun Online Travel also previously revealed the cheekiest ways to blag a hotel upgrade.