Privacy Policy

Who we are

Airline Bumps is a U.S.-based service, built and maintained by a working airline pilot. Reach us at [email protected].

What we collect

Information you provide

• Flight lookups: airline, flight number, date, origin and destination airports, and optionally a departure time.
• Ride reports: the flight segment you rated, your rating (smooth / light / moderate / severe / extreme), and an optional comment.
• Post-flight survey: a 1–10 ride-quality rating, a 1–10 forecast-accuracy rating, and optional free-text comments.
• Feedback messages: compliments or complaints you choose to send.

Information collected automatically

• Anonymous device token: a random identifier stored in a cookie named ab_token. Not linked to your name or contact info. Used so the system knows that two ratings came from the same device (for deduplication and spam control).
• GPS location (only with your explicit permission): when you grant location access in your browser, we use your latitude, longitude, and altitude to show your aircraft's position on the flight profile and to attach your approximate position to any ride report you submit. We sample it only while you have an active flight view open; we don't track you in the background.
• Standard request logs: IP address, browser type, and timestamps, kept temporarily for security and operations. We don't tie these to your reports.

Information we do NOT collect

• Name, email address, phone number, mailing address, or government ID
• Login credentials — there is no account system
• Payment information
• Contacts, photos, microphone, or other device data

How we use your information

• To run the app: show you the forecast, display segment positions, attribute your ratings to your device.
• To help other passengers: your ratings are aggregated with reports from other users on nearby flights (within 50 nautical miles, ±2,000 feet of altitude, and ±2 hours of time) to estimate turbulence along their route. Severe or higher ratings require at least two distinct users reporting in the same area before they propagate to other flights.
• To grade the forecast over time: by comparing the public forecast (PIREPs, AIRMETs, SIGMETs, G-AIRMETs from the FAA and NOAA) saved at the time of lookup against the actual ratings passengers submit. This is aggregate analysis; no individual identity is involved.

Who we share information with

• Other Airline Bumps users: your individual ratings (without your device token or any identifying info) propagate to other passengers' flight views per the rules above.
• Potential aggregate partners: we may share aggregated, anonymized statistics — for example "average ride quality on route X" or "forecast accuracy this quarter" — with airlines, aviation analytics companies, researchers, or journalists. Individual reports tied to a single device token are not part of these shares.
• Third-party services we depend on: see the next section.
• Law enforcement: only when compelled by a valid legal request.

We do not sell your individual data, share data with advertisers, or use any third-party advertising or tracking pixels.

Third-party services

These external services are part of how the app works:

• Cloudflare — proxies the website and handles HTTPS. Your IP and basic request data pass through Cloudflare. See their privacy policy.
• aviationweather.gov (US National Weather Service / NOAA) — public weather data including PIREP, AIRMET, SIGMET, METAR. Our requests are not personally identifiable.
• adsb.lol — community ADS-B aggregator providing live aircraft positions by callsign. We send only a callsign in each request.
• OpenSky Network — backup aviation data source. We send only callsigns or aircraft hex IDs.

None of these services receive your device token or any personal information.

Cookies

We use one cookie, ab_token, which stores a random anonymous identifier so your ratings can be attributed to your device. It expires in two years. Clearing your browser cookies clears it; your past ratings remain in our database in aggregate form but are no longer associated with you.

We do not use analytics cookies (Google Analytics, etc.), advertising cookies, or any cross-site tracking.

How long we keep data

• Ride reports, flights, and forecast snapshots: retained indefinitely. The long-term value of the app is being able to compare what was forecast against what people actually felt — the more history, the better.
• Survey responses: retained indefinitely with their flight.
• Request logs: rotated within 30 days.
• The ab_token cookie: persists until you clear it or two years pass.

If you want specific reports associated with your device token deleted, email [email protected] with the token from your cookie if you can find it; we'll do our best.

Your choices

• Refuse GPS access in your browser — the app still works; you just won't see your phone's position and your reports won't propagate to other flights.
• Clear your ab_token cookie — disassociates future use from past ratings.
• Choose not to submit ratings — passive viewing of forecasts is fine.
• Contact us if you want specific reports deleted.

Children

Airline Bumps is not directed at children under 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children. If you believe a child has submitted reports, contact us and we'll remove them.

Security

The site is served over HTTPS via Cloudflare. Data is stored on our own server in the United States. We are a small project; we take reasonable precautions but no internet-connected system is completely secure.

International users

The app is operated from the United States. By using it you consent to your data being processed here. If you are in the European Union, the United Kingdom, or California, you may have additional rights under GDPR, UK-GDPR, or CCPA — contact us if you want to exercise them.

Changes to this policy

We may update this policy. The "Last updated" date at the top reflects the most recent revision. Material changes will be announced on the homepage. Continuing to use the app after a change means you accept the updated policy.

Contact

Privacy questions: [email protected]