Who we are
Flyinbird Travels Ltd, registered in England and Wales, trading as FlyinBird (“we”, “us”). We are the controller of the personal information described here, which means we decide how it is used and we’re responsible for protecting it.
For anything about your data, email info@flyinbird.com or call +44 7999 108888.
What we collect
We collect only what your visa application, booking or question needs. Depending on the service, that can include:
- Contact details: your name, email address, phone number and home address.
- Identity and passport details: date and place of birth, gender, nationality, marital status, passport number and its issue and expiry dates.
- Work, study and money: your job or course, employer or college details, and how your trip is being paid for.
- Travel history and immigration status: previous visas, your UK immigration status, visa dates and share code.
- Travel plans: destinations, dates, flight and hotel bookings, and your visa appointment details.
- Documents you upload: for example passport scans, photos, bank statements and letters.
- Payment records: what you paid and when. Card payments are handled by Stripe, and we never see your full card number.
- Messages: what you send us by email, WhatsApp, phone or our website forms.
- Your account: your sign-in email and, if you choose Google sign-in, the name and email address Google shares with us.
- Website use: which pages you visit and how you use them, but only if you accept analytics cookies.
Information about other people
Visa forms often ask about other people, such as a sponsor, your employer, family members travelling with you or an emergency contact. If you give us their details, please let them know and point them to this policy.
Sensitive information
We don’t ask for health information. If you tell us about a medical condition or accessibility need so we can arrange things for you (for example in “special requirements”), we use it only for that purpose and only with your explicit consent, which you can withdraw at any time.
How we use it, and our legal basis
UK data protection law requires a legal reason for each use. Ours are:
| What we do | Legal basis |
|---|---|
| Prepare, check and submit your visa application, and book your appointment | To perform our contract with you |
| Book and run your holiday, including flights, hotels and guides | To perform our contract with you |
| Run your account and keep you updated on your case | To perform our contract with you |
| Answer your questions before you buy anything | Taking steps at your request before a contract, and our legitimate interest in replying |
| Take payments and keep financial records | Our contract with you, and our legal obligations (such as tax law) |
| Keep the website and your data secure, and prevent fraud | Our legitimate interest in protecting our customers and business |
| Deal with complaints and legal claims | Our legitimate interests and legal obligations |
| Measure how the website is used | Your consent, given in the cookie banner |
| Use health or accessibility details you share | Your explicit consent |
We only send marketing emails if you’ve asked for them, and every one has a link to unsubscribe. We don’t make decisions about you by automated means alone.
Sending data outside the UK
Applying for a visa means sending your details to the government of the country you want to visit, which is usually outside the UK. We do this because you’ve asked us to and the service can’t work otherwise.
Some of our service providers, such as Google, Stripe and Microsoft, may process data in the United States or elsewhere. When they do, the transfer is covered by the UK’s data bridge with the US or by the UK’s approved contract terms (the International Data Transfer Agreement or Addendum).
How long we keep it
- Visa applications, bookings and payment records: 6 years after your case closes, because they are also financial and legal records.
- Documents you upload: 12 months after your case closes, unless you ask us to delete them sooner.
- Enquiries: 2 years after we last hear from you, if you don’t go on to apply or book.
- Your account: until you ask us to close it, then for the periods above.
Keeping it safe
Everything you send us through the website travels over an encrypted connection. Only staff working on your case can see your application and documents, and your account shows only the last four characters of your passport number. If something ever goes wrong that puts your information at risk, we’ll tell you and the ICO where the law requires it.
Your rights
You have the right to:
- get a copy of the personal information we hold about you;
- have anything wrong corrected;
- have your information deleted, where we don’t need to keep it for legal reasons;
- ask us to restrict how we use it, or object to how we use it;
- receive the information you gave us in a format you can take elsewhere;
- withdraw your consent at any time, where we rely on it.
Email info@flyinbird.com to use any of these rights. It’s free, and we’ll reply within one month. We may ask you to prove who you are first, so we don’t give your information to someone else.
If you’re unhappy with how we’ve handled your data, please tell us first so we can put it right. You can also complain to the Information Commissioner’s Office at ico.org.uk or on 0303 123 1113.
Changes to this policy
If we change how we use your information, we’ll update this page and the date at the top. If the change is significant, we’ll also tell you by email before it takes effect.