THE SECRETARY OFTRANSPORTATION

WASHINGTON, D.C. 20590

.Iune19,20l3

The Honorable Barbara Boxer

United States Senate

Washington, DC 20510

Dear Senator Boxer:

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Thank you for your letter regarding Resolution 787 proposed by the International Air Transport

Association (lATA). You expressed concern that the Resolution might enable airlines to erode

passenger privacy or reduce transparency in tickcl pricing. You urge the U.S. Department of

Transportation to condition any potential approval of Resolution 787 on the adoption ofmIes to

safeguard privacy and to ensure that consumers will continue to be able [0 shop for and compare

airline ticket prices anonymously.

As this matter is currently pending before the Department, I am sure you understand that I cannot

comment on the merits ofIATA's application. I can assure you, however, that we will give full

and careful consideration to the application and to all of the pleadings filed on the record before

we reach a detennination in this matter.

As is our standard practice, I am placing a copy of your letter and my response in Docket

DOT-OST-2013-0048, as a contact outside the record of this case. You may track the progress

of this case and view the publicly available documents filed in the docket by accessing tlle

Federal Docket Management System at www.regulations.gov and searching for Docket

DOT-OST-2013-0048.

I appreciate your interest in this matt.
Bt\IlBARA BOXER

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May L 2013

The Honorable Ray LaHood

Secretary

U.S. Department of Transportation

1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE

Washington. DC 20590-9898

Dear Secretary LaHood:

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I understand you are considering Rcsolution 787, a proposal by thelnternationai Air

Transport Association (lATA) 10 update the Global Dislribution Systcm used 10 managc airline

rcservations. I write to you today to ask you to ensure that thesc changes do not erode passenger

privacy or reduce transparency in ticket pricing.

Rcsolution 787 would cnablc airlines, travel agents, and websites like EXJledia, Orbitz,

and Traveloeity to collect highly personal information from users, such as names, addresses,

ages, and travel and shopping histories. This information would be shared with dozens - or even

hundreds - of differenl airlines. which could then set prices for indiv.idual customers based on

the information they provide.

In light of recent large-scale data breaches and privacy violations, consumers are growing

increasingly wary of web sites that collect vast quantities of personal inlormation unrelated to

their transactions . .Individuals should not be required to disclosc personal information simply to

search for the price of a flight, and their private details should not be given to third parties

without clear. conspicuous notice and express consent.

For these reasons, I urge you to condition approval of Resolution 787 on the adoption of

rules (0 safeguard privacy and to cnsure that consumers will continue to be able to shop lor and

compare airline ticket prices anonymously.

In parlieulul', I recommend that DOT require relevant travel websitcs to comply with

standards comparable to the Federal Trade Commission's March 2012 privacy guidelines. This

could includejust-in-time disclosures of their privacy prac\ices and obtaining affirmative express

consent before allowing third parties to access their users' personal information.

Thank you for your attention to this matter.

510-130507-004 I'H1N1i:D ON (lEn"tin) "I\pr:Jt