BritishAirways
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Cathay Pacific data breach affects up to 9.4 million customers
Cathay Pacific, the primary airline of Hong Kong known for its high-speed WiFi, was hit with a major data breach that affects up to 9.4 million passengers. The company said that personal information including passport numbers, identity card numbers, credit card numbers, frequent flyer membership program numbers, customer service comments and travel history had been compromised. No passwords were compromised, which may not be any consolation.
British Airways hackers used same tools behind Ticketmaster breach
The British Airways web hack wasn't an isolated incident. Analysts at RiskIQ have reported that the breach was likely perpetrated by Magecart, the same criminal enterprise that infiltrated Ticketmaster UK. In both cases, the culprits used similar virtual card skimming JavaScript to swipe data from payment forms. For the British Airways attack, it was just a matter of customizing the scripts and targeting the company directly instead of going through compromised third-party customers.
British Airways website hack exposed customer financial data
While we've gotten used to regular data breaches, it's been awhile since news of one hit the airline industry. But customers who booked flights on British Airways' website or app between 22:58 BST on August 21st and 21:45 BST on September 5th had their personal and financial data compromised due to a cybersecurity breach. The company's post announcing the event unwaveringly stated that anyone who made a booking in that time frame had their information stolen.
British Airways expands its biometric boarding gate trials in the US
British Airways is expanding its biometric boarding gate tests in the US. Last November, it began testing self-service boarding gates in Los Angeles Airport that don't require customers to produce either their boarding pass or their passport. Instead, passengers only need to look into a camera, wait for their biometric data to be checked against their passport, visa or immigration photos and then walk onto the plane once their identity has been verified. So far, the US tests have been limited to those flying out of LAX on British Airways flights to Heathrow. But now, the self-service gates are also being tested in Orlando International Airport with customers flying to Gatwick as well as in New York's JFK airport and Miami International Airport with passengers flying in to the US from Heathrow.
British Airways is finally offering onboard WiFi
British Airways is meant to be a premium airline, however in one department it's woefully archaic: WiFi. If you choose one of its planes for a long-haul trip, you're typically stuck with its in-flight entertainment or whatever you remembered to download beforehand. Not anymore. At long last, BA is offering "high-speed" WiFi on a grand total of three aircraft. That's right, three. The company promises that the number will rise to 118 planes over the next two years, however. That means you can finally stream Netflix and post photos to Instagram while you're 35,000 feet up.
British Airways pushes planes with remote-controlled vehicles
From renewable fuels to eco-friendly airplane tugs -- British Airways is interested in decreasing its ecological footprint. The airline has just announced the roll out of five new Molotok remote-controlled electric vehicles that can push back aircraft from the gate. These eco-friendly vehicles replace the standard diesel tugs that you typically see at airports so that a single ramp agent can push an aircraft out with a little control device worn on their belt. British Airways claims that it is the "first airline worldwide" to implement these tugs.
British Airways will power some of its jets with trash
British Airways is taking a cue from Doc Brown for how it'll fuel its next generation of aircraft. No, not by bolting a flux capacitor inside the cockpit, but by turning to garbage for fuel. The airline has announced a partnership with renewable fuels outfit Velocys in an effort to reduce emissions as much as 50 percent by 2050, with plans to slowly introduce the alternative fuel over the next ten years and drop greenhouse gases by over 60 percent.
British Airways IT failure cancels many flights out of London (updated)
Airline glitches and the ensuing pandemonium are nothing new, but they've just hit one of the world's largest travel hubs. British Airways has suffered a global IT system failure so serious that it cancelled all its flights out of London's Heathrow and Gatwick airports before 6PM local time on Saturday. Some parts of BA's website and check-in features were unavailable, too, and passengers on London-bound BA flights also faced delays. They frequently can't even book new flights to make up for the old ones.
'Drone' hits British Airways plane at Heathrow Airport
The Metropolitan Police has confirmed it is investigating an incident at Heathrow Airport after British Airways plane was hit by what is believed to be a drone. BBC News reports that the pilot of aircraft BA727, which was approaching Heathrow after flying from Geneva with 132 passengers on board, contacted police shortly after the collision at 12:50PM. The Met has yet to confirm specifics, but if it is proven to have been a UAV (Unmanned Aerial Vehicle), it will likely be the first recorded incident where a drone has struck a plane.
Daily Roundup: Windows 9 gets morphing powers, Reading Rainbow wins Kickstarter and more!
Today, we watch Reading Rainbow become the most popular Kickstarter project ever, look at a mood-sensing blanket from British Airways, evaluate Samsung's new flash memory and learn about Windows 9's morphing abilities. Read on for Engadget's news highlights from the last 24 hours.
In-flight WiFi to be available across Europe by 2017
In-flight internet is readily available across the US, but that type of connectivity is almost unheard of in Europe. Regulators are coming 'round to the idea, and seeing an untapped opportunity, Inmarsat has announced its grand plan to create an EU-wide network for getting air travelers online. The satellite company is partnering with 4G providers to build an air-to-ground network that'll handle the data traffic, in the same way Gogo (and soon AT&T) provides in-flight WiFi in the US. A newly built satellite called Europasat will also provide support from above, making sure the connection stays constant as a plane pairs with different cell towers along its path.
British Airways now allows electronics use during takeoff and landing
Following the wave of US airlines that changed policy after the FAA reassessed the rules, British Airways is letting passengers keep their electronic devices switched on for the entirety of their flight. According to the UK's Civil Aviation Authority, there's still no text and no calls allowed, and Brits will still be ordered to put wireless devices into flight mode, although the changes (which start today) apparently don't include laptops. "The easing of restrictions will provide an average of 30 minutes additional personal screen time," according to BA's flight training manager, Captain Ian Pringle -- enough time for half an episode of The Great British Bake Off, then. And expect more airlines to follow suit: the European Aviation Safety Agency announced earlier this month that airlines are able to introduce such changes, subject to their own assessments. Update: It's actually not the first. Apparently Scandinavian Airlines started allowing tablet and smartphone during takeoff and landing when the European Aviation Safety Agency made their announcement a few weeks back. We've updated the post to reflect this. [Thanks to everyone that sent in the news that the Scandinavians got there first!]
British Airways' digital billboard identifies planes as they pass overhead (video)
We're no stranger to digital billboards -- Engadget made its own big-screen debut in Times Square back in 2011 -- but British Airways' latest endeavor is unlike any we've seen before. According to The Drum, the new advertisement, installed front and center at London's Piccadilly Circus, uses "custom-built surveillance technology" to track incoming BA aircraft, prompting the screen to display a child pointing directly at the plane as it passes overhead. The adjacent text offers up the flight number and its origin or destination, along with a custom message, such as the lowest fare for that route or the current weather where that plane is headed. The airline's new #lookup campaign is marketing at its best -- see for yourself in the video after the break.
British Airways teams up with Designworks for electronic bag tags that nab info from your smartphone
Tired of ripping off those old luggage tags after a trip? Well, those could be a thing of the past if all goes according to plan -- at least when flying British Airways. The airline cooked up an electronic bag tag that looks to discard the paper version with the help of the folks at Designworks. Once passengers have checked in, they simply need to hover a smartphone over the tag to beam (via NFC, we'd surmise) both flight info and the requisite barcode to the tag's display. The idea behind the whole thing isn't only to keep the paper-changing to a minimum, but to also save precious time at the check-in counter. A live trial of the tagging gadget is planned, so we'll soon be able to see if the concept stands up to baggage handlers. [Thanks, Anonymous]
British Airways adds Passbook ticketing support
International UK airline British Airways has added Passbook support to its iOS app, as promised late last year. In the release notes, the airline says, "From now on, all new boarding passes will be presented in Passbook. You'll be able to download them from the app as usual and continue to use boarding passes on your iPhone in over 100 airports worldwide." The airline expects to enhance Passbook boarding passes by adding direct links to the iPhone's lock screen by mid-June. Passbook has seen modest success in the United States and support has been slow to catch on in Europe. But things seem to be improving on this side of the pond as the addition of Passbook support from British Airways comes just five weeks after easyJet, the number one European airline by passengers carried, added support for Passbook. British Airways is a free download.
Daily Update for August 18, 2011
It's the TUAW Daily Update, your source for Apple news in a convenient audio format. You'll get all the top stories of the day in three to five minutes, which is perfect for a quick review of what's happening in the Apple world. You can listen to today's Apple stories by clicking the inline player (requires Flash) or the non-Flash link below. To subscribe to the podcast for listening through iTunes, click here. No Flash? Click here to listen.
British Airways testing iPads to enhance customer service
Airlines are embracing iPads in a big way. Just yesterday, we featured a story about another airline -- Delta -- that is replacing the bulky flight bags that cockpit crews carry around with lightweight iPads packed with information. Now British Airways has announced a trial program in which 100 cabin crew members are using iPads to streamline and enhance customer service. The iPads are chock-full of information about the passengers on a particular flight, and the information is updated just prior to departure when a list of boarded passengers is uploaded to the device. This replaces the traditional printed seating chart, and also adds information about Executive Club status and special meal requests. Paper handbooks and timetables are also being replaced by the iPads, which are loaded with digital facsimiles of safety manuals and schedules for the flight crews. Should a passenger on a British Airways flight have an issue or complaint before takeoff, the incident can be logged and shared immediately with ground-based customer support personnel for resolution en route. British Airways says that the iPads are already receiving "great feedback" from both crew and customers. The airline hopes to roll out more devices to all senior cabin crew within the next few months.
iPads will fly with some British Airways passengers
Don't be surprised if you get handed an iPad on your next British Airways flight. According to Skyclub Magazine, the airline is trying out the iDevices with First Class and Business Class passengers as a substitute for the DVD players that have been previously offered. The trials are currently running on Boeing 777 aircraft. The iPads are handed over with a selection of movies, magazines, newspapers, music and games installed. "We are currently exploring [the] possibility of introducing iPads to enhance customer experience," BA spokesman Tobias Klitsch confirmed to Australian Business Traveller, although he noted that the airline is "still working through the detail." Jetstar is also moving to iPads, and Finnair has been letting Hong Kong-to-Helsinki passengers use them as well. It's not just passengers who will be enjoying Apple's popular device, as iPads have appeared in some cockpits as substitutes for paper charts. If you get an iPad on an upcoming flight, let us know how it works and what sort of content you're offered.
British Airways announces limited in-flight cell use, let the parties commence
British Airways has announced they'll start offering limited in-flight cell phone use on flights from London to JFK. Passengers will be allowed to send text messages and use data, but not to make actual calls (thankfully -- because we all know how annoying that would be). Several other airlines have launched similar trials, including bmi and Qantas -- which has announced they will allow usage for all passengers on domestic flights --while Dubai's Emirates airline actually allows mobile voice calls on its domestic flights. The British Airways trials are set to start sometime this fall on its business-class only flights. Seriously, guys -- can you make it any more clear that you can't stand the sight of us proles?[Via Mobile Burn]
