[Article] EU/US air data talks deadlocked

Ruu_Old

From fin24.co.za. They can't seem to get this sorted out.:(

Talks between US and EU negotiators on the transfer of airline passenger data broke up without agreement in Washington despite a deadline on Saturday, a Finnish EU presidency source said in Brussels.

"We are close to a deal but there are still open questions and some new elements," the official said. "The presidency will consult other member states and negotiators will come back to the issue next week," he added, without specifying a timetable.
It was unclear on Saturday evening whether the failure to meet the September 30 deadline means that the transfer of passenger data to US authorities - a practice deemed illegal by the European Court of Justice - will cease, a move that could paralyze trans-Atlantic flights.

EU and US negotiators had resumed last-gasp talks in Washington earlier Saturday aimed at avoiding air traffic chaos by reaching agreement on the transfer of airline passenger data just hours ahead of a legal deadline.

'Important issue '

An EU source in Brussels said that the European team had delayed their flight out of Washington after failing to reach agreement on Friday.

"They didn't agree yesterday but we expect an agreement today," the EU source had said of the talks which began on Thursday.
"It's an important issue not only concerning security of the travellers on those airlines, but also the free exchange and the ability of people to travel back and forth," state department spokesperson Sean McCormack said Friday in Washington.

"I'm not going to lay odds. We certainly hope that there is an agreement," he told reporters.

'Considerable financial issues'

McCormack added that there were "also considerable financial issues related to airlines on both sides of the Atlantic on this issue. So we certainly hope that it does get resolved."

Finnish EU presidency spokesperson in Brussels Marko Ruonala said that bilateral talks were taking place in Washington between Finnish Foreign Minister Erkki Tuomioja and US Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff.

In the name of the "war on terror", US authorities began demanding in 2003 that airlines transmit their passengers' personal data to American security officials for all US-bound flights.

The two sides are trying to reach agreement on the so-called passenger name record (PNR) data, after Europe's top court quashed their previous accord on a legal technicality but allowed them to continue using it until September 30.

annex

I was curious to find out more about this, I did a search and this post was the only one that popped up, sorry if its answered already.
OK so all airlines traveling from the EU to the US have to provide 34 pieces of info on each passenger (See Below) I am not a terrorist, never have been never will be, I just like to travel. However I have a problem with my bank details being passed onto another country to go through with a fine tooth comb (all details can be kept for upto 15 years) I have nothing to hide but I feel my bank details are personal and to me that is an invasion of my privacy.
If I book a flight to say, New York and I use my credit card to pay for it so the airline has my details and is legally obliged to pass it on. If I go into a travel agent and book the flight and pay for it with cash but said airline has my Visa details from a previous flight within the EU can they pass my details on? If I book a flight with an airline I have never flown with and pay cash how can the airline provide my details? Does anybody know?
Also the airline has to provide my e-mail address, will the contents of my e-mails/inbox be read or is my e-mail address (and Visa number) just checked against a watch list?

Here are the 34 items of Personal Name Record (PNR) data that the EU sends to the US
1. PNR record locator code
2. Date of reservation
3. Date(s) of intended travel
4. Name
5. Other names on PNR
6. Address
7. All forms of payment information
8. Billing address
9. Contact telephone numbers
10. All travel itinerary for specific PNR
11. Frequent flyer information (limited to miles flown and address(es))
12. Travel agency
13. Travel agent
14. Code share PNR information
15. Travel status of passenger
16. Split/Divided PNR information
17. Email address
18. Ticketing field information
19. General remarks
20. Ticket number
21. Seat number
22. Date of ticket issuance
23. No show history (This is a funny one)
24. Bag tag numbers
25. Go show information
26. OSI information
27. SSI/SSR information
28. Received from information
29. All historical changes to the PNR
30. Number of travelers on PNR
31. Seat information
32. One-way tickets (Also a funny one, have had a few of these in the past)
33. Any collected APIS information
34. ATFQ fields"

John R

Unless they go through the proper legal process* or hack your e-mail account they don't have access to your e-mails same goes for your financial details.

They just get direct answers to those listed questions from the airlines, what they then do with it is anyones guess but I am sure it all gets processed through a computer to calculate your risk of being a filthy anti-american terrorist.

Depending on the answers to certain questions you can guarantee that you will be taken aside and physically violated in the name of freedom. Paying cash, having a one-way ticket, buying last minute and having an email address with a deathtoamerica.org domain will be likely put you in that category.