Qantas has apologised to customers after its app exposed personal passenger data. The airline blames a technical disruption and says the data breach was not a cyber security incident.

Council of the City of Sydney

Qantas recently experienced a technical glitch with its mobile application that raised concerns among its users about privacy and data security. Destination wedding celebrant, Josh Withers, encountered an unexpected issue when he noticed his Qantas app displayed the wrong name, greeting him as "Sam" instead of Josh. Upon further investigation, Withers found that by closing and reopening the app, he could access different users' accounts, including their boarding passes and flight details. This anomaly was not isolated to Withers alone, sparking widespread concern among Qantas customers.

The issue was significant enough to cause unease at Qantas check-in counters nationwide, as customers wondered if their personal information was compromised. In response to the glitch, there were also reports of customers being targeted by scammers through fake Qantas customer service accounts on social media. Qantas has clarified that the incident was the result of a technical glitch rather than a targeted hack. The airline reassured its customers that sensitive personal information such as passport details, phone numbers, and addresses remained secure and that the glitch did not allow unauthorized access to or use of Qantas points or the ability for individuals to board flights they were not booked on.

Qantas is actively investigating the root cause of the glitch and has committed to taking measures to ensure the privacy and security of its customers' information. The event has led to calls for a thorough overhaul of Qantas' systems to prevent future breaches and to provide stronger assurances to its frequent flyers regarding the safety of their personal information.



Qantas app data breach exposes customer data

As a destination wedding celebrant, Josh withers jets around the country and the world every weekend, mostly without a hitch, until he opened his Qantas app this morning to check the details of an upcoming trip. It didn't say hi Josh, it said hi Sam. Thinking that was weird, he closed and opened the app, only to see another person's account. I could see their boarding passes and whatnot and then did it again, close and open it and I can see someone else's details and I can click on their flight to manage their flights. He wasn't the only one. My question is, did anyone see my profile, my future flights and do they have access to any of that information still, having saved it, taken screenshots or photos? A deep data breach which was resolved by lunchtime, but not before sparking concern at Qantas check-in counters across the country. I am a bit worried about whether our information is safe or not. And for good reason. Customers taking to social media to report the glitch were targeted by scammers using fake Qantas customer service accounts. While Qantas is still investigating exactly what went wrong, it has confirmed that this was not the work of hackers, rather a technical glitch, reassuring its frequent flyers that personal information including passport details, phone numbers and addresses were not breached. Adding in a statement customers would not have been able to transfer or use the Qantas points of other frequent flyers and to the best of its knowledge, no one boarded flights that weren't their own. But frequent flyers want more assurances. There'll be an overhaul of Qantas' systems no doubt after this. Tallulah Thompson for 10 News First.

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