ORLANDO, Fla. — Lawmakers are questioning JetBlue regarding the use of customer personal data to determine flight ticket prices.
This inquiry follows an online complaint about a significant price increase after a single day, a practice critics refer to as “surveillance pricing.”
The congressional inquiry was prompted by a customer’s online complaint detailing a $230 increase in a flight ticket price within 24 hours.
JetBlue had initially responded to the customer on X, suggesting they clear their “cache and cookies or booking with an incognito window.”
This incident fueled claims that the airline was engaging in surveillance pricing.
JetBlue has since denied collecting data on passengers or using it to set ticket prices.
The airline stated that its social media reply was incorrect.
Lina Khan, a former Federal Trade Commission Commissioner, highlighted concerns about personal data.
“Every day our phones and devices collect massive amounts of personal data on us and now businesses may be using this trove of personal information to charge each of us a different price for the exact same product or service,” Khan said.
Industry experts caution that surveillance pricing may be utilized by other businesses beyond airlines. This practice could extend to sectors such as grocery stores and pharmacies.
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