British Airways Hacks: 380,000 Cards Gone Missing
The Flying Blue hasn’t had a moment to breathe. On September 6, the airline spilled the beans that a nasty cyber‑gremlin haunted its website and mobile app from August 21 to September 5. The getaway’s target? The personal and financial information of folks booking flights online — “no travel or passport data were taken,” the airline insisted. But credit card details? All 380,000 of them.
What the Big Dogs Are Saying
- British Airways: The breach was closed, the website is running fine, police have been notified, and the crew is “deeply sorry” for the chaos.
- National Crime Agency (NCA): “We’re on it. Let’s figure out the best way to move forward.”
- Authors of the Hacking Blog: Yep, heartless foxes found a way into the system. Stay alert.
What Should You Do?
If you think you’re in the 380,000‑strong squad that got snooped, hit up your bank or card issuer ASAP and watch for any odd activity. They’ll tell you if you need to freeze your card or get a new one.
BA promises individual customer support on claims and claims that the online check‑in is back to normal if you’re still planning to sky‑rocket to your destination.
Past Storms in Their Flight Plan
We’ve seen the airline battle tech toasters before:
- July – IT hiccups left dozens of London Heathrow flights cancelled. The culprit? An infamous system glitch.
- May 2017 – A power issue near Heathrow wired a 75,000‑plus fold of stranded passengers. Classic “blue‑bird‑blame‑the‑boss” scenario.
Financials & Travel Updates
IAG, the parent company, recently laughed in the face of a soaring half‑year profit, jumping over a veneer of doubling in first‑half earnings. Yet, they’re pulling out of Tehran flights this September, citing “low profitability” amid fresh sanctions.
Bottom line: Your cards are safely on the chopping block, and Heathrow’s sky‑line will keep flying (hopefully). Keep your travel plans, keep your cards on guard, and let us know if you run into trouble. Cheers for staying on top of your flight game!
