Sri Lankan and other airlines say that the traveler needs to posses the credit card used to buy the ticket, AND the name on that credit card needs to be a traveller... I can't believe they're serious? My Thai girfriend's coming to China a few days after me and I used my card to buy her ticket. I think I'll just give her my card for a few days and a note saying "sorry, but for emergency reasons I wasn't able to accompany my wife on this trip, please allow her to board, signed -farang" of course she isn't my wife, and there was no emergency. Will it work? Are they really going to turn away a customer at the gate??

This post has been edited by Svenn: 2009-05-01 10:26:39

Thai Airways and other airlines require this as well. The traveller who paid with card must travel as well.

Many Hotels do the same if you pre book and pay online, when you arrive at the hotel they ask you for the credit card you booked with.

No it will not work & they will turn her away.

You better go through a different airline as some do allow a purchase by another.
Nok Air for one.
China Air does too but you have to call & make the arrangement it is not allowed on the web version.

This post has been edited by flying: 2009-05-01 10:38:42

most airlines do this. she will not be able too get on. i would see a travel agent really quick and maybe they can do something for a fee.

Shit, are you guys really serious? Have you had experience with it or just guessing?

They are 100% serious. I have encountered this situation many, many times with TG and others. Even when a card used to make a booking has expired, make sure you still carry it until you have taken all the flights you used it to purchase. You need to take some action or your plans are going to fail. Sorry it's not better news.

Read your small print - you may have a problem. This is standard practice and is usually clearly marked on online booking systems etc.

If you are not worried aabout taking a chance - up to you. Otherwise call the airline and explain the situation - I am sure she will not be the first G/F to travel on a ticket bought by a partner who is not travelling.

Call the airline and explain your situation, and ask for their advice...

The general policy discussed above is correct. But folks on TV have reported in the past being able to get around it through various means, including signed notes and such...

It's really up to the discretion of the individual airline, and how strict or flexible they are about the policy.

My colleague loved the practice when he saw his credit card being used for tickets and hotels around South East Asia.
His CC was used from BKK-Siam Reap 2 times, BKK-Tokyo once, Peninsula hotel BKK, Hilton Singapore. Purchases only but stopped when CC holder failed to turn up. I can imagine what kind of storiess the crooks were trying to lay down. He routinelly checked, he did not know it had been going on for 2 weeks, a taxi driver in Sydney took a copy and noted down the 3-digit number on the back. The card was not physically stolen.

Fortunatelly, non of the charges were made - all the vendors required CC holder to be present. And he was not. His bank liked it too.

I bought my wife's and daughter's ticket to BKK on TG in March using her CC. At the counter, she was asked to show the CC with name identical to what is on the booking. She did. Just out of curiosity I asked what would have happened if I bought it using my own CC (not travelling) they said - if I were there to show my CC and ID they would have let them board. What if I were not? Sorry, no boarding, they would have to buy another ticket on the spot (if available) and sort out the other one later.

(I checked that site - it does warn about that).

This post has been edited by think_too_mut: 2009-05-01 11:46:21

There is lots of credit card cloning fraud by Sri Larka gangs, etc. (Google search). Airlines need to protect themselves from charge backs for accepting a fraudulent ticket charge.

There is no relation between those stories and pre-paid airline tickets. The ticket is already paid for and frankly I don't need the airline's help in protecting my 'security', if by 'security' they mean denying my significant other the right to board with a ticket purchased with funds from our relationship. Most advanced Western airlines like United don't require the passenger to be the card holder at all... it's only these ramshackle asian airline passengers that are paranoid they'll lose a few extra ruppees to some member of the thieving lower castes.

My point is proven! heaven forbid the managers of Sri Lankan lose a few extra pennies and can't buy their kids gold-plated gucci sunglasses from siam paragon!

It has been that way for as long as I can remember, the same also goes for car rentals and hotel reservations. I think worst case you can use a debit card or just pay cash for an airline ticket.

Bwaahahahahaha!!!

That shame of the civilised world you call "most advanced"...bwahahahaha...any "rupie" airline is better than that junk!

Really? That "already paid" ticket is crawling from the back to byte the bum of the clerk.

You can refuse help from CC issuer to protect "your security" but they also need their own protection from unfortunate (card lost or stollen) or careless people.

Indeed, how does your Internet purchase differ from anyone having your CC and 3 digits from the back?

The CC issuer will refund the money to the victim but wil trace back to the counter level and person who accepted on board someone without the CC used for purchase. The clark can not lie - the person whose card was used could be anywhere, even on a different continent. Then, airline has to refund the CC issuer. And the clerk will have to bear all or significant part of the cost for deciding "not to interfer with your relationship".
Understand now why they are so serious?

Virgin Atlantic, hardly a "ramshackle Asian airline" will only you allow to purchase tickets on-line if the credit card holder is one of the passengers, they will allow a non credit card holder to travel, on certain routes, if advance notice is given and then the paper tickets are sent to the card holders billing address.

I am sure that most airlines operate similar procedures, but the credit card holder must fly route is nothing new and I believe is universally understood.

I dunno. You ask peoples advice, then get snarkywhen they give it. From your post, you did an on-line credit card purchase. No proof to anyone that you did the purchase, and, in some ways, the ticket is not "pre-paid" - its on credit!

To avoid this, go to a travel agent as has been said. The "card holder must travel" is part of almost every airline on line ticketing policy I have encountered.

In situations where I've booked my girlfriend to fly separate from me, I've gone to a local travel agent and purchased an e-ticket with cash. Surprisingly, or maybe not, travel agents still seem to have better pricing for TG than booking via their website.

This post has been edited by clokwise: 2009-05-01 12:56:06

Lived here 5 years. Never once been asked to show credit card at check in.

I travel about once a month.

Most, though not all, flights are bought through local agent, which may explain.

I on the other hand have been asked to produce the relevant credit card everytime I have booked a flight online, here in Thailand as well as The UK, The US, Australia and Hong Kong.

I have never been asked to produce a credit card if I have booked a flight via a travel agent having paid cash, bank transfer or even credit card

You do not need to show it when using an agent because it is the 'agents' responsibility to verify the identity of the cardholder.

If you are not traveling with the person you purchased the ticket for then most of the time you need to sign a form at the airlines local office. It really is not difficult and spelt out very clearly on airline online booking engines.

I have had to show my card 2 times to thai and 2 times to bangkok air,
they are very clear that the card holder must be present at check in.
I have no idea why, no other have ever asked and certainly not when
I check in on line and print out a boarding pass.

I had to have my credit card with me when I used a ticket purchased over the Internet to travel on the train in Germany

DB Bahn made it very clear that my email confirmation and credit card would be checked on board and without it I could not travel

As Internet shop (accepting creditcards) I tell you, they won't let her boarding.
Else half the creditcardowners would later dispute the payment.

Or do you want that waiter in the last restaurant you paid with your creditcard can fly somewhere just using the numbers of your card?

But you can give her the cash. Last time I had the original card somewhere in the laguage and they told I can change to any other CC, that's faster than searching.
So I changed from VISA to AMEX (I think it was EVA, but not sure)