Those who have a trip scheduled in the near future should be aware of an increase in airline-related scams targeting travelers. These scams involve fake communications claiming to be associated with airlines. Common tactics include fake booking websites, fraudulent customer service calls, and phishing emails and text messages, all aimed at stealing your personal information (including credit card numbers).

In general, always be aware of common scam tactics and take precautions against them:

• If you receive an unexpected or suspicious text or email, do not click any included links. Instead, look up the website independently in your browser.
• If you receive an unusual text or email notifying you of a flight cancellation or delay, or asking for personal info, log in to your account on the airline’s website/app to check your flight/account status yourself.
  • Note that if your flight(s) are delayed or cancelled, the airline should not charge a fee to reroute you (should it be necessary). If you are contacted by an airline and asked to pay a fee for a new flight because your original flight is cancelled or delayed, this is a scam.
• Save confirmation email(s) and copies of flight tickets and ensure that they’re readily accessible. This makes it easy to quickly reference your booking information and the airline’s customer service contact info.
• Compare phone numbers from incoming callers claiming to be associated with an airline to the official contact info located in the airline’s app or website.
• Use trusted methods to purchase flights, such as the airline’s website or reputable third-party websites. Be wary of suspicious websites and of deals on flights that seem “too good to be true.”
• Only contact airlines using confirmed methods, such as the contact info listed on your confirmation email, ticket, the airline’s app, or the airline’s website. Do not contact the airline using any phone number found on Google, or any other website that is not the airline’s official website.

Below are three examples of common scams and what you should do if you encounter them.

Example 1: You receive a text informing you that your flight is delayed or cancelled. The message asks you to click a link to rebook your flight and/or lists a “customer service” phone number to call.

What you should do: Open the airline’s app or use your browser to access the airline’s official website and log in to your account to check your flight status. Or, call the customer service phone number listed on the official website/app.

Example 2: You receive an unexpected email from the airline. It looks legitimate, but the email’s content is vague and asks you to log in to your account using a link in the email.

What you should do: To identify if the email is a potential scam, check the sender’s email address. Look closely as scammers often mimic official email addresses using minor alterations, such as similar-looking or repeat letters or numbers. If the email address looks at all suspicious, do not interact with it. Instead, use the airline’s official app or open your browser to access the airline’s official website independently. There, you can safely log in to check for any alerts.

Example 3: You receive a phone call from someone claiming to be a customer service representative for the airline operating your upcoming flight. They tell you your flight has been cancelled or delayed, and ask for personal information to begin the rebooking process.

What you should do: Compare the phone number the representative is calling from with the airline’s customer service phone number, found on the official website/app. If they do not match, hang up and call the official number. If they do match, the number could still be fake; you may want to put the caller on hold or inform them you will call them back and log in to your airline account to verify the status of your flights before continuing the call. As noted, if the caller asks for payment to rebook your flights, it is a scam; airlines should not charge a fee to rebook flights if rerouting is necessary due to cancellation or delay.

If you have an air-inclusive reservation with Odysseys Unlimited, feel free to contact us should you have questions or concerns about your flights or about a potential airline-related scam. For booked guests, if you require immediate assistance while traveling, you can also find our 24-hour emergency phone number in your My Odyssey portal.

Safe travels!