Plane Chatter1. Who We Are & What This Covers
Plane Chatter is a mobile app that gives passengers on the same flight a temporary, anonymous group chat. It is operated by Eric Brown (“we,” “us”). This policy explains what information the app and this website collect, how it is used and shared, how long it is kept, and the choices you have.
By creating an account you also agree to our Terms of Service. Plane Chatter is for people 18 and older.
2. Information We Collect
Account information
When you create an account we collect your email address and a securely hashed password. We also record that you confirmed you are 18 or older and accepted our Terms, including which version and when. Our authentication provider keeps standard sign-in records, such as timestamps and IP addresses.
Boarding pass and flight information
To join a flight’s room, you scan your boarding pass with your camera or choose a screenshot of it. The barcode is read on your phone. The app pulls out only the airline, flight number, flight date, departure and arrival airports, and your seat. Your name and booking reference are never uploaded, stored, or used, and the image and raw barcode never leave your device.
We send the airline, flight number, date, and airports to our servers to confirm the flight and look up its scheduled times. Your seat is also sent and stored, but it is kept in a private database area, is never shown to other passengers, and is used only for safety reviews (see Sections 4 and 7). We also keep a record of which flights you have joined and the nickname you were given on each.
Your messages
We store the messages you send in a flight room, along with your nickname for that flight and the time each message was sent.
Safety records
- Reports. When someone reports a message, we save a copy of it (text, nickname, seat, and time) and the email of the account that sent it, along with the reporter’s account ID.
- Automatic safety flags. Messages that contain language suggesting a threat, such as references to bombs, weapons, or hijacking, are copied to a private review queue. A flag includes the message text, nickname, seat, the sender’s email, the IP address and device type of the connection that sent it, and the flight’s scheduled times.
- Blocks and suspensions. We store which accounts you have blocked, and any suspension or ban applied to an account (including the email it applied to).
Messages you send us
If you use our contact form or email us, we collect your email address, your name if you provide it, and your message.
What we do not collect
Plane Chatter does not collect your location (GPS), contacts, passenger name, booking reference, boarding pass images, or payment card details. If we add paid features later, purchases are handled by Apple or Google and we do not see your card information.
3. How We Use Your Information
- To create and secure your account and send account emails, such as sign-in and password messages.
- To confirm flights, create each flight’s room, and open and close it at the right times.
- To deliver messages between passengers in the same room.
- To keep passengers safe: reviewing reports and flags, removing content, suspending or banning accounts, preventing banned people from returning, and responding to threats.
- To comply with legal obligations and to respond to valid legal requests.
- To answer your questions and improve the app.
We do not use your information for advertising, and the app does not include advertising or third-party analytics tools.
4. How Anonymity Works — and Its Limits
Other passengers see only your nickname for that flight. They never see your email, your name, or your seat.
Your nickname is random and different on every flight. Anonymity applies to other users, not to us. Every message is tied to an account, and we can identify the account behind it.
Because a flight is a closed, physical space, we take threats seriously. If a message appears to threaten an aircraft, its passengers, or its crew, we may share the details we hold — including the account email, seat, IP address, and the message itself — with the airline, airport or aviation security, and law enforcement, and we may do so without notifying you. We may also share information when required by valid legal process.
6. Service Providers
Plane Chatter relies on these third-party services:
| Provider | What it does | What it receives |
|---|---|---|
| Supabase | Database, sign-in, and server functions | Everything described in Section 2 that is stored by the app |
| AeroDataBox (via RapidAPI) | Looks up scheduled flight times | Airline, flight number, and date only. No personal information. |
| Resend | Sends emails | Email addresses and message content for account emails and safety alerts to us |
| Website hosting provider | Hosts this website | Standard web request information, such as IP address |
Each provider has its own privacy policy. Information may be processed on servers in the United States or other places where these providers operate.
7. How Long We Keep Information
| Information | How long |
|---|---|
| Chat messages | Deleted 24 hours after the room closes. A room closes 1 hour after the flight’s scheduled arrival. |
| Your seat | Deleted 24 hours after the room closes, unless it was copied onto a report or safety flag. |
| Account, flights joined, nicknames, blocks | Until you delete your account. |
| Reports, safety flags, and suspensions | Kept after you delete your account, for as long as needed for safety, legal compliance, and to stop banned people from returning. |
| Messages you send us | As long as needed to respond and keep support records. |
| Sign-in and server logs | Per our providers’ standard retention. |
Messages are deleted from our systems on schedule, but other passengers in the room could have copied or screenshotted them, which we cannot prevent.
8. Your Choices & Rights
- Delete your account. In the app, open Account and choose Delete account. This permanently removes your account, flight history, messages, blocks, and stored seat records. As described in Section 7, reports, safety flags, and suspensions stay on record.
- Camera and photos. You can turn off camera or photo access in your phone’s settings at any time. You will then not be able to scan a boarding pass.
- Access, correction, or deletion requests. Depending on where you live, you may have the right to access, correct, or delete personal information, or to object to certain uses. Email support@planechatter.app and we will respond within a reasonable time. We may need to verify your identity first, and we may keep information we are required or permitted to keep, such as safety records.
9. Children’s Privacy
Plane Chatter is for people 18 and older. We do not knowingly collect information from anyone under 18. If we learn that someone under 18 has an account, we will delete it. If you believe a minor is using the app, please tell us at support@planechatter.app.
10. Security
Your data is stored in a managed cloud database with access rules that keep each person’s data limited to what they are allowed to see. Seats and safety records are in areas the app itself cannot read. Connections to the app and website are encrypted. No system is perfectly secure, so we cannot guarantee absolute security.
11. Changes to This Policy
We may update this policy from time to time. We will change the “Last Updated” date above, and for significant changes we will ask you to review and accept the new version. Continuing to use Plane Chatter after changes take effect means you accept the updated policy.
12. Contact Us
Questions, requests, or concerns about privacy? Email support@planechatter.app or use our contact page.