Computer glitch on United Airlines' Web site confuses frequent fliers

The Associated Press

CHICAGO (AP) Frequent fliers who logged onto United Airlines' Web site got a look at other people's Mileage Plus account information for more than 12 hours thanks to a computer glitch. The Wall Street Journal reported on its Web site Sunday that the problem didn't let users view the account holder's name and address or make changes to other accounts.

The glitch did allow users to access the feature on the Web site that would enable someone to use the information on the screen to book award tickets, according to the report.

The problem came to the attention of frequent fliers on Thursday evening when someone named "Neal" in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., alerted them in a message on the Flyertalk bulletin board, according to the newspaperl.

Neal, according to the article, changed the date of his request only to see the Mileage Plus account of a stranger. Then, when he hit the back button on his browser, a second Mileage Plus account appeared.

Whitney Staley, a spokeswoman for United, which is owned by UAL Corp., told The Journal that the glitch occurred for a "very short period of time" and that the problem was fixed.

Staley had no comment on how the glitch occurred. Staley did not return calls from The Associated Press on Sunday.

On the Net:

http://www.united.com

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-- Carl Jenkins (somewherepress@aol.com), July 25, 2001