Safety Is Our #1 Priority... #2-10? Secretly Selling Passenger Data To Homeland Security
Dear valued flyer #00658921,
It was recently revealed that we, the major airlines, have sold over a billion travel records to the US Department of Homeland Security. This was supposed to be a secret. And we share your concern for this unfortunate breach of our confidentiality.
To be clear, we sold your data to law enforcement through a company we own, originally built to handle backend ticket settlements. And yes, we gave them quite a bargain. Would you believe it was only $11,025 total?
Here's what our customers are saying:
“I was kinda concerned when I found out my flight history was being sold to Homeland Security. But then I remembered — I only need 3,000 more miles to reach Aspiration Class™.”— Caroline B., Diamond-tier member since 2016
“If handing ICE my personal data keeps my boarding priority above Group 5, I say go for it.”— Mark D., Proud Gold Status Holder & Former Libertarian
We're committed to customer satisfaction
We know how many of you there are. We know how few pilots we have. We know what’s happening with the planes. Good God, the planes!! We know that the ham sandwich costs $17, and the flight was delayed for hours, and then gate-changed twice... followed by the door plug blowing off in midair, and we still had the nerve to ask if you wanted to apply for our credit card.
We know.
And while we can't fix any of that without taking a deep look into why we as an industry underinvested in the inevitable spike in air travel, what we can do is turn your flight history into a side hustle by monetizing your movements without lifting a finger. And honestly, that's so much easier than fixing the rest of this.
In an effort to rebuild trust, and in recognition of your elite status, we’d like to offer you a $10 off coupon toward a premium seat upgrade (on purchases of $180 or more).
Loyally yours,
Air Canada, Air France, United, Jet Blue, Southwest, Delta, American, Lufthansa, and Alaska
This is a work of satire. Characters and situations may be created for comic effect. AI-generated image by ChatGPT.
JUST THE FACTS
- A data firm owned by major airlines sold Americans' flight records — including names, itineraries, and payment info — to DHS, while contractually asking Customs and Border Protection to keep the source of that data hidden from the public.
- ARC, a broker owned by Delta, United, American, and others, runs a program that secretly feeds daily ticketing data — over 1 billion records — to federal agencies for tracking U.S. travelers without requiring warrants or public oversight.
- The database, updated daily, can be searched by name, airline, or credit card and includes future travel plans. Agencies like ICE, TSA, and DEA quietly access it, bypassing legal safeguards meant to protect against unwarranted surveillance.
- Passengers booking through agencies like Expedia unknowingly enter ARC’s pipeline; neither ARC nor the airlines disclose this data-sharing in privacy policies, yet federal agencies rely on this data to support criminal and immigration cases.
- The system functions as a quiet backdoor for bulk data collection. Agencies avoid subpoenas by buying access outright, eroding civil liberties while keeping the program out of sight through redactions, hidden contracts, and corporate silence.
Sources: 404 Media, Jacobin, Wired, and Techdirt.