Do airlines profile their frequent flyers?

[Saji]

I am quite interested to know if airlines have profiles on their FFs general habits/behavior etc. and act on those for awards/downgrades etc. I am not talking of obvious cases eg. a passenger who has a record of being asked to disembark due to unacceptable behaviour on board.

 

[juddles]

No............................

 

[simongr]

They really should - they have such a wealth of information about people that I am surprised that they don't use it more. For example my preferred seat is aisle but on the 763 for the past 10 or so flights I have moved to a window - from a customer experience perspective it would be good if they used that information to maybe move me forward to a window seat. This is a tiny example but imagine if they started recording what meal choices people took - they could load meals based on expected meal choices on flights - the same could go for drinks etc. Similarly they could potentially forecast what level of luggage is likely to be checked and thus what available freight space that they had.

 

[drron]

Yes AA does fortunately for me.
Definitely makes a notation of your complaints and praise at least.
Proof-upgraded MIA-LGA as plat when an EXP was number 1 on the list.He went beserk.When he left I asked how did it happen and GA said every time he contacts us it is a complaint but you give us praise.You were always going to get the upgrade.
Proof number 2.Waiting to deplane at FRA and was talking to the Purser.He asked if I did a lot of flying.I asked why and he replied because you are on our priority list.
Moral of the story-be nice to your airline employees.

 

[addyoni]

Yes AA does fortunately for me.
Definitely makes a notation of your complaints and praise at least.
Proof-upgraded MIA-LGA as plat when an EXP was number 1 on the list.He went beserk.When he left I asked how did it happen and GA said every time he contacts us it is a complaint but you give us praise.You were always going to get the upgrade.
Proof number 2.Waiting to deplane at FRA and was talking to the Purser.He asked if I did a lot of flying.I asked why and he replied because you are on our priority list.
Moral of the story-be nice to your airline employees.

Hmm that's a good moral. Then again it discourages complaints. Guess it'd have to be done anonymously, or as a veiled threat to use competitors for bad service. Will start sending compliments, roses, chocolates for each flight I go on. Maybe Irish Creme to Alan Joyce, anyone know what he drinks? I'm thinking tequila given the way he sounds so drunk sometimes, he slurs his words like nothing else, well like no other CEO.

 

[HansGolden]

The old Continental did this and assigned each FF a rating from 1-99. Presumably since UA is using CO's systems that the new UA is doing this as well.

 

[ozbeachbabe]

Yes AA does fortunately for me. Definitely makes a notation of your complaints and praise at least. Proof-upgraded MIA-LGA as plat when an EXP was number 1 on the list.He went beserk.When he left I asked how did it happen and GA said every time he contacts us it is a complaint but you give us praise.You were always going to get the upgrade.

Proof number 2.Waiting to deplane at FRA and was talking to the Purser.He asked if I did a lot of flying.I asked why and he replied because you are on our priority list. Moral of the story-be nice to your airline employees.

Did old mate go beserk because AA display a list displaying the first 3 letters of the surname for people getting the upgrade or do they just do that for standby pax? So he's either seen his name as no. 1 on the list then observed the upgrade given to you or were you actually no. 1 on the list as Plat then him no. 2 as EXP?

Can't remember whether a pax's tier status shows on this list or not.

 

[Flying Fox]

Can't remember whether a pax's tier status shows on this list or not.

It does on the QF passenger manifest.

 

[drron]

Did old mate go beserk because AA display a list displaying the first 3 letters of the surname for people getting the upgrade or do they just do that for standby pax? So he's either seen his name as no. 1 on the list then observed the upgrade given to you or were you actually no. 1 on the list as Plat then him no. 2 as EXP?

Can't remember whether a pax's tier status shows on this list or not.

I wasn't even on the list but asked the checkin agent who phoned the gate.

 

[jamesatfish]

My QF profile includes my company name, which is fairly cryptic but a quick glance at our website (<companyname>.com) will reveal we build apps for Apple devices. There's nothing else on my profile QF which offers that information directly.

My wife and I were on QF11 late last year, and a few hours into the flight one of the FAs introduced herself and asked if I would mind helping another passenger who had bought a new iPad at the Apple store in SYD Int and couldn't get it to charge using the in-seat power. She said that when the passenger had mentioned the issues they were having she remembered seeing that one of the other passengers (me) had something to do with Apple devices and wondered if I would be able to help.

I'm not sure where that piece of information was stored but obviously there's some form of profile information that the cabin crew have access to in regards to who's on board their flight.

 

[ozbeachbabe]

It does on the QF passenger manifest.

I pax's tier status will appear on the pax manifest but the employment info is news to me. Maybe milehighclub can shed some light on that one.

In this instance I was referring to the list AA have on display the at the gate on a screen behind the gate agent (not the actual pax manifest) with regard to onload of standby pax & possibly upgrades which is cryptically displayed by showing the first 3 letters of the pax's surname.

 

[strance]

My QF profile includes my company name, which is fairly cryptic but a quick glance at our website (<companyname>.com) will reveal we build apps for Apple devices. There's nothing else on my profile QF which offers that information directly.

My wife and I were on QF11 late last year, and a few hours into the flight one of the FAs introduced herself and asked if I would mind helping another passenger who had bought a new iPad at the Apple store in SYD Int and couldn't get it to charge using the in-seat power. She said that when the passenger had mentioned the issues they were having she remembered seeing that one of the other passengers (me) had something to do with Apple devices and wondered if I would be able to help.

I'm not sure where that piece of information was stored but obviously there's some form of profile information that the cabin crew have access to in regards to who's on board their flight.

really? hmmm if this is the case i'll be rushing to make up something elaborate before my next QFI flight

yes, be v interested to hear from milehighclub on this one

 

[Kangol]

In this instance I was referring to the list AA have on display the at the gate on a screen behind the gate agent (not the actual pax manifest) with regard to onload of standby pax & possibly upgrades which is cryptically displayed by showing the first 3 letters of the pax's surname.

Nope, they don't have the status on the screen.. but I thought that to be on the complimentary upgrade waitlist you have to be an EXP anyway?

 

[el_rooto]

I've called only to compliment QF, and I've been op-uped as a WP more than I expected, but I've usually been on full flights...

 

[samh004]

My QF profile includes my company name, which is fairly cryptic but a quick glance at our website (<companyname>.com) will reveal we build apps for Apple devices. There's nothing else on my profile QF which offers that information directly.

My wife and I were on QF11 late last year, and a few hours into the flight one of the FAs introduced herself and asked if I would mind helping another passenger who had bought a new iPad at the Apple store in SYD Int and couldn't get it to charge using the in-seat power. She said that when the passenger had mentioned the issues they were having she remembered seeing that one of the other passengers (me) had something to do with Apple devices and wondered if I would be able to help.

I'm not sure where that piece of information was stored but obviously there's some form of profile information that the cabin crew have access to in regards to who's on board their flight.

I pax's tier status will appear on the pax manifest but the employment info is news to me. Maybe milehighclub can shed some light on that one.

I knew about your company details being visible inflight to the CSM internationally. You could make up something and they’d see that on the manifest, but CEO of Qantas probably wouldn’t work

 

[el_rooto]

I knew about your company details being visible inflight to the CSM internationally. You could make up something and they’d see that on the manifest, but CEO of Qantas probably wouldn’t work

Maybe I'll change my employer details on QFF to "Can the CSM see this?" or "Can I please have some J PJ's?"

 

[samh004]

Maybe I'll change my employer details on QFF to "Can the CSM see this?" or "Can I please have some J PJ's?"

I believe it’s only visible on international flights, but give it a go and tell us what happens

 

[Favfern]

I would think that in this age of computers and fierce aviation competition, any airline that does not keep a comprehensive file on all its frequent flyers is a "bloody idiot". Having spent 15 years in the airline and travel business, and another 30 years since then running my own businesses, I am always amazed at how much money companies spend chasing new customers while at the same time they spend "sweet bugger all" keeping their existing ones happy! Part of keeping your existing ones happy is knowing their likes, dislikes, habits and quirks. When I was a Qantas Flight Steward in the late 60's, the Flight Passenger Manifest was a red (from memory) bi-fold folder with a slot for each seat on our Boeing 707's. There were ONLY two types of IMPORTANT people --- VIP's as in in Very Important People, normally pollies or royalty; and CIP's as in Commercially Important People, normally CEOs of BHP etc. I do not remember any category for Frequent Flyers, other than before-said CEO of BHP! Certainly, sales rep road warriors did not get a guernsey.

As one of the 50% of QF stewards of that time who was heterosexual, the most important role of the Passenger Manifest was not to identify Frequent Flyers. It existed solely to allow one to ascertain which of the little mini-skirted spunkies flying to London on Pacesetter fares was going to take their stopover at your own next crew stop. No damn good chatting someone up all the way from SYD to HKG only to find out they were not stopping over! Loves labours lost!

If you are a genuine FF, be thankful if your chosen airlines keep your details on their file. Unless you are a drunken anti-social yobbo, it can do you no harm.