SW TSA Secure Flight Email

[mousemom11]

I just got an email this morning from SW notifying me that TSA changes require me to update my account (I am a Rapid Rewards member). Here is a snippet from the email.

Southwest Airlines has been working in cooperation with the TSA to introduce Secure Flight, a federally mandated program designed to help enhance the security of domestic and international commercial air travel through the use of improved watch list* matching.

Southwest Airlines is therefore required to collect additional Secure Flight Passenger Data, which includes:

• Your full name, exactly as it appears on the current (non-expired) government-issued photo ID that you will be traveling with
• Date of birth
• Gender
• The TSA-issued Redress Number** (if applicable)

Update your MySouthwest Account Now

All Southwest Airline Customers are able to update their account information once so that it is compliant with TSA requirements. It is recommended that you do so before your next flight to minimize your chances of being delayed or held in TSA security check-points.

If you have reservations for future travel, and booked without full name, birth date, and gender, there is no need to add this additional information prior to your upcoming trip.

So, it looks like SW has now upgraded their system to work with the new TSA requirements. BTW, I went online to update my account and that part of the system was down. Oopsie, looks like all the RR members got the email and tried to do it at the same time.

 

[clkelley]

Yep, tried to do that for us, and the website is down.

 

[Goofygirl17]

I got that email too but it was addressed to my 7 year old! Guess I set up separate accounts for each of us so we'd get credit for all the flights I book. I think that's what happened

Of course she doesn't have a government issued photo id!

I wonder if eventually I'll get an email for each of us. She's the first person alphabetically.

 

[jctwizzer]

If Southwest is expecting me to respond to an email like that....
they're nuts; and will spend a long time waiting

 

[lucas]

I got the same email but dh did not. The link didn't work for me.

Is this legit?

 

[mousemom11]

I got the same email but dh did not. The link didn't work for me.

Is this legit?

Yes it is. I went directly to the SW website (did not click through the email link) to do the update and the system was down.

 

[wdwrich]

Are you sure the e-mail is legit? Looks suspiciously like a phishing scheme to me.

 

[jimaok]

Got the same email for me. Looks like Phishing- name, DOB etc- no way.

 

[mousemom11]

Are you sure the e-mail is legit? Looks suspiciously like a phishing scheme to me.

Got the same email for me. Looks like Phishing- name, DOB etc- no way.

Just out of curiosity, I went directly to SW website RR member section and also clicked on the link in the email. They both went to the same URL. Also, the email had my name and RR member # in it. I suppose someone could have hacked the SW site for it, but since you end up at the same URL on SW website, I don't think it is phishing.

And from what I know of the TSA secure flight initiative, this is the exact information that you do need to provide to your airline now according to TSA rules.

 

[thiabelle]

I got the same email...
I booked a flight on SWA to West Palm Beach yesterday and they asked for the info. At least I don't need a "redress" number- that doesn't sound like a good thing

 

[ruadisneyfan2]

If you're worried about a phishing scam, you could always access their website without using the link from the email. BTW, I got the same one addressed to my dh12.

It's legit and we are also A+ members on Airtran and got this email several months ago. I was wondering when SWA would get around to it.

 

[Tara]

Are you sure the e-mail is legit? Looks suspiciously like a phishing scheme to me.

Unless the phishers also hacked the SWA website to creste the new profile fields AND hacked the SWA Facebook page to post about the update AND SWA remained unaware of this hacking all day long, then yes, it is legit.

 

[lucas]

Are you sure the e-mail is legit? Looks suspiciously like a phishing scheme to me.

That is what I was asking/thinking, too.

 

[poohbear8]

I also got the email. It looks like they fixed the website.

 

[LittleStinkerbelle]

We must've booked right before they changed this. We bought our tickets earlier this week when the 7/4 deal was announced and they were only asking for our first name/last name.

Sounds like we're okay though.

 

[ccudmore]

Article from Wired about this:
http://www.wired.com/threatlevel/2009/10/secure-flight-southwest/

 

[Rpsemont]

I got one, but DH and DD did not. SWA probably didn't send out to all at once so that the website would be inundated. Looks like it was anyway. I did not click through the link in the e-mail (a no-no in the computer world) and wondered if it was a phishing scam, but tried to log into my account as I usually do. Personally, I say SHAME on SWA. What they should have said was "please log into your Rapid Reward account" and skipped the link all together. Then there would not have been the concern about the phishing.

 

[disneyfaninaz]

I got an email and updated by Rapid Rewards account. I also updated my DH and DD without receiving a newsletter. All we were missing was middle names.

 

[DonnaL]

We're SWA RR members and also, Airtran A+ Rewards. We did not get emails from either regarding TSA updates.

 

[seadd67]

I did the update his Morining,I recieved the email thursday.With mine,on the ticket iT has my name,Bill but on my DL ITs Billy I started to freak,and then SW told me they could not change that,but said It would be ok?? I hope they are right we leave In 4 days. any one else run into this Issue?