OA260 From Ireland, joined Nov 2006, 24873 posts, RR: 60 Posted (1 year 1 month 1 week 6 days 7 hours ago) and read 10884 times:
Some unwanted publicity for VS . Seems this was a serious breech of data protection and security.
Virgin chief quits after allegations of Cheryl Cole flight tip-offs
An airline executive has left her position dealing with high-profile customers following accusations she tipped off the paparazzi with the flight details of a host of celebrities, including Cheryl Cole.
ltbewr From United States of America, joined Jan 2004, 12328 posts, RR: 12 Reply 3, posted (1 year 1 month 1 week 5 days 19 hours ago) and read 9710 times:
There are too many nut cases and various political terrorists out there who might want to cause violent physical harm upon some celebrity that such tip-offs can increase that risk that such breaches of security are totally unacceptable. I have no time for the paparazzi who's actions put celebs and those around them at risk just to make money with taking pictures.
I would suspect this person will have great difficulty in getting another decent job for the foreseeable future as they released confidential information so cannot be trusted. I would presume they signed strict confidentiality agreements that included as to not releasing pax info so they can be promptly fired with little legal recourse. For VS, celeberty pax are a critical part of their income and profits, especially with their premium services (and the steeage class as to the support staff). Such breaches can lead to a loss of these highly profitable customers that VS cannot afford to lose and their competitors would love to have.
cedarjet From United Kingdom, joined May 1999, 7702 posts, RR: 55 Reply 6, posted (1 year 1 month 1 week 5 days 17 hours ago) and read 8676 times:
This will hurt, VS see themselves as a showbiz airline, with their allegedly "hip" image (a very thin veneer imo). I know a few celebs / showbiz managers - including one of VS's top fifty frequent fliers - who have been talking about, to quote, "going to the dark side" - BA.
And, btw, the real top tier - McCartney, Beckham, De Niro, those guys - only fly BA anyway.
fly Saha Air 707s daily from Tehran's downtown Mehrabad to Mashhad, Kish Island and Ahwaz
RWA380 From United States of America, joined Feb 2005, 2158 posts, RR: 4 Reply 7, posted (1 year 1 month 1 week 5 days 17 hours ago) and read 8676 times:
Quoting ltbewr (Reply 3): I would presume they signed strict confidentiality agreements that included as to not releasing pax info so they can be promptly fired with little legal recourse. For VS, celeberty pax are a critical part of their income and profits, especially with their premium services (and the steeage class as to the support staff). Such breaches can lead to a loss of these highly profitable customers that VS cannot afford to lose and their competitors would love to have.
When I booked travel for a rather large entertainment industry business, we had to all sign non-disclosure agreements, booking celebs to the Grammys, Emmys, Oscars etc ... was hard work, it was difficult to not want to tell a friend a juicy piece of gossip, but my job was super fun and very rewarding for me, so until I left the company and the trips had been completed I didn't speak of anything my customers said, did or were involved with that I was privy to. I always assumed the agents at the airlines I dealt with on their celebrity desks had way more stories to tell than I did, as they dealt with the entire industry, not just the few dozen I had the pleasure of helping, but some big name people are real cool and some not.
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virgincrew From United Kingdom, joined Oct 2004, 411 posts, RR: 2 Reply 8, posted (1 year 1 month 1 week 5 days 17 hours ago) and read 8627 times:
Quoting cedarjet (Reply 6): This will hurt, VS see themselves as a showbiz airline, with their allegedly "hip" image (a very thin veneer imo). I know a few celebs / showbiz managers - including one of VS's top fifty frequent fliers - who have been talking about, to quote, "going to the dark side" - BA.
This will hurt VS definately. I think SRB will need to do some major public relations.
RWA380 From United States of America, joined Feb 2005, 2158 posts, RR: 4 Reply 9, posted (1 year 1 month 1 week 5 days 17 hours ago) and read 8605 times:
Quoting cedarjet (Reply 6): And, btw, the real top tier - McCartney, Beckham, De Niro, those guys - only fly BA anyway.
I know the Osborne clan likes to fly VS, but hearing Sharon speak ill of BA the other day way hysterical, and she took the opportunity to speak of her thoughts of how much BA charges vs VS or NZ going LAX-LHR.
Next Flights: AS PDX-SEA-KOA on DH4/738 in F, HA KOA-OGG on 717 in Y, AS OGG-PDX on 738 in F
WA707atMSP From United States of America, joined Oct 2006, 2037 posts, RR: 13 Reply 11, posted (1 year 1 month 1 week 5 days 15 hours ago) and read 7699 times:
The sad thing is, the paparazzi would all be out of work tomorrow if ordinary Americans / Britons focused on making their own lives better, instead of obsessing over the latest celebrity gossip.
Whenever I hear people talking about the latest celebrity breakup / trip to rehab / etc, I feel like saying "I envy you - it must be nice to have so few problems of your own that you can spend all your time worrying about Katy / Britney / the Kardishians / whoever else's problems!" But, I just keep my mouth shut....
I agree that this is not good news for VS. However, all of the celebs you mention have been pictured and documented flying on VS, some frequently.......as well as plenty of other so called "a-listers"
virgincrew From United Kingdom, joined Oct 2004, 411 posts, RR: 2 Reply 13, posted (1 year 1 month 1 week 5 days 12 hours ago) and read 5618 times:
Quoting sevenheavy (Reply 12): However, all of the celebs you mention have been pictured and documented flying on VS, some frequently.......as well as plenty of other so called "a-listers"
Indeed .... I think celebs are just the same as 'normal passengers' lol
if there is a cheap flight in Upper (VS) or First (BA) they will go for the cheaper lol
virgincrew From United Kingdom, joined Oct 2004, 411 posts, RR: 2 Reply 15, posted (1 year 1 month 1 week 5 days 10 hours ago) and read 4982 times:
Quoting GDB (Reply 14): While there is an urge to gloat over this lapse at VS, really, any employee of a major airline should think 'there for the grace of god go us'.
Definately ..... this could easily happen at any airline that caters for celebrity passengers.
traindoc From United States of America, joined Mar 2008, 308 posts, RR: 0 Reply 16, posted (1 year 1 month 1 week 5 days 8 hours ago) and read 4067 times:
Need to change the title. This did not involve the "chief" of VS. Very misleading!
bobnwa From United States of America, joined Dec 2000, 5974 posts, RR: 9 Reply 17, posted (1 year 1 month 1 week 5 days 8 hours ago) and read 4037 times:
Quoting anstar (Reply 2): Kind of misleading - The Virgin Chief (Steve Wridgway) is not leaving - nor are any of the board.
LHRFlyer From United Kingdom, joined Apr 2010, 740 posts, RR: 1 Reply 18, posted (1 year 1 month 1 week 4 days 10 hours ago) and read 3246 times:
The Guardian newspaper has published more stories on this. It appears that nearly 70 public figures had their travel plans leaked by Virgin Atlantic, including Princess Beatrice who is fifth in line to the throne.
RWA380 From United States of America, joined Feb 2005, 2158 posts, RR: 4 Reply 19, posted (1 year 1 month 1 week 3 days 16 hours ago) and read 2833 times:
Quoting LHRFlyer (Reply 18): The Guardian newspaper has published more stories on this. It appears that nearly 70 public figures had their travel plans leaked by Virgin Atlantic, including Princess Beatrice who is fifth in line to the throne.
Wow they say some crazy things happen in the USA, and I will be the first to agree, but the Warren Buffet newspaper scandal, now something like this, I guess this means no Royal is able to fly commercially, or talk on the phone. I hate to hear that the almighty dollar (or pound) can dictate how some behave in our society. Real sad.
Next Flights: AS PDX-SEA-KOA on DH4/738 in F, HA KOA-OGG on 717 in Y, AS OGG-PDX on 738 in F
lightsaber From United States of America, joined Jan 2005, 10647 posts, RR: 100 Reply 21, posted (1 year 1 month 1 week 2 days 3 hours ago) and read 1942 times:
Ok, is SRB doing a MOL and anything to get VS's name in the papers? Fly us, there might be a celebrity on board...
Ok, being serious:
What a silly way to lose a job. I don't want anyone to know where I fly and that is despite the fact no one would care outside of a circle of friends and family.
A celeb? Keep it quiet.
Quoting WA707atMSP (Reply 11): The sad thing is, the paparazzi would all be out of work tomorrow if ordinary Americans / Britons focused on making their own lives better, instead of obsessing over the latest celebrity gossip.
I agree. But I'll never mention the concept in front of my wife or her sister!
People like to gossip... I don't understand it, but it is something I'll accept (until an employee 'code of conduct' is broken).
Quoting bobnwa (Reply 17): I agree, I thought Richard Branson had quit!!!
tonystan From Ireland, joined Jan 2006, 1171 posts, RR: 2 Reply 22, posted (1 year 1 month 1 week 1 day 13 hours ago) and read 1628 times:
Quoting anstar (Reply 10): Actually the Beckhams fly VS... seen quite a few shots in the papers of the red dresses escorting them at LAX/LHR.
Think they fly both cos Iv experienced stories of staff of both airlines!
But to be honest, its their own fault for using the media to become celebs.
Some famous people manage to keep their work and private life seperate and do so very successfully. But the rest seem to be nothing more then attention seeking manipulators and I have no time for them.
Quote: Britain's former head of counter-terrorism says he believes his personal data was leaked from within Virgin airlines, in a potential breach of national security.
John Yates told the Guardian that details about his flights and airmiles, which formed the basis of a Mail on Sunday article in September 2010, were "highly likely" to have involved leaks from within the airline.
VC-10 From United Kingdom, joined Oct 1999, 3677 posts, RR: 37 Reply 24, posted (1 year 1 month 1 week 19 hours ago) and read 1173 times:
What John Yates overlooks is the fact until the middle of last year when the phone hacking scandal broke he wasn't a newsworthy individual. It would be unlikely that an airline employee would know who he was back in 2010
virgincrew From United Kingdom, joined Oct 2004, 411 posts, RR: 2 Reply 25, posted (1 year 1 month 1 week 15 hours ago) and read 1057 times:
Quoting VC-10 (Reply 24): What John Yates overlooks is the fact until the middle of last year when the phone hacking scandal broke he wasn't a newsworthy individual. It would be unlikely that an airline employee would know who he was back in 2010
exactly, I doubt anyone in the offices at VS would know who he was. He held a Gold Club Card and gained flying club points via business travel with the Met Police (that The Met paid for ) and then used these flying miles to buy tickets for his family - that brings into question his integrity I feel !
I know when I fly BA on my concessions, I cannot claim 'BA Executive Club Points'.
And the Mail Newspaper clearly states that VS weren't the source of that story, it was a police source.
Please don't get me wrong though, the employee in relation to this thread should be delt with accordinly and if she has leaked information needs to be ashamed of herself.
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Seriously, VS needs to ratchet up its PR game. 
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