A Near Diaster!

[okuma 64]

Last November, I purchased on-line tickets from Sing Air by credit card.

In December, I closed the card account and opened another account with a different bank.

The closed account cards were destroyed.

Last month at check in at LAX, I was asked for my credit card.

My new card's numbers did not match the one used to purchase the tickets (No Shit!)

Although Sing Air confirmed they had been paid and had no problems with any thing else, they would not board me unless I produced the card from the closed account.

After about a hour, we called Visa and they verified to the Sing Air Station Manager the purchase.

It would not do.

We had to have the October account statement faxed to the airport and handed to the Manager.

The four other ticketed people traveling with us were not asked for their credit card.

 

Sing Air said, the computer randomly selects candidates!

 

Lesson learned!

 

Comments?

[John Bantin 101]

The flip side to that story is that someone bought an air ticket by cloning my card and was apprehended at the airport!

[MortenHansen 25]

Hi John,

 

Jesus, I'm glad I don't have to go through the american airports on my travels, surely it should have been enough that you could provide a passport with the same name as the name on the credit-card used to purchase the tickets.. Anyways, good that you didn't miss your flights!

 

Did anyone have the same experience in european/south east asian airports?

 

Best regards, Morten

[frank70 3]

I had to show my card at Schiphol , youre getting a warning thou that you must be able to produce the card on sign-up.

Frank

[Drew 0]

I won't start on SQ @ LAX, I miss the good station managers! However,if you book from the SIA's website, they do usually ask for the credit card for verification. I had a similar incident where my card was damaged and Amex gave me a new card with new numbers, just before I travelled from LAX. I always travel under my own name, so there's no fraud at all. I don't know if it's random, but I automatically show passport and credit card anyhow when I check in for a new ticket anyhow. It's habit for me. And when I don't, they never ask. That could be a FF status thing too. I do remember buying a tix for someone else and I had to be there @ check in to show the card.

SIN, DPS and BKK also have that policy and it's about verification of payment by the card owner so the credit card company can't deny payment for fraud later.

[SwiftFF5 132]

When I recently booked a flight on Royal Jordanian for a trip to the Red Sea, there were multiple warnings that the credit card used to purchase the ticket must be shown at check-in. I think that this is becoming very common now.

[troporobo 232]

Did anyone have the same experience in european/south east asian airports?

I fly around Asia (anywhere from India to China to Singapore to the Philippines to Australia) at least once a month, and to the US and Europe once or twice a year, usuallly on trips involving multiple sectors, taking over 100 flights a year. In the past ten years I have never been asked for a credit card at check in, whether travelling business or economy, whether booked through an agent or on line, whether on an airline with top tier membership status or a first timer on a new route, whether carrying a briefcase or a ratty backpack. Colleagues and friends have completely different experiences on the same routes and airlines, and none of us can identify reliable theories as to why. I have come to the conclusion that airline policies are simply not to be understood by mortals nor predicted through any kind of logic. I realize that is of no help at all . . .

[Drew 0]

I should also add that SQ has the worst website of all airlines in terms of reliability and security. So it's not surprising that they aren't consistent with any sort of policy. Last year, they had a security issue where people online could view other people's account info!

On all websites I've used either before tix issuance or during, they ask the credit card used to be available @ check-in. Strangely Virgin, CX or BA have never asked me (but I normally have it ready anyways). I asked my fellow frequent travelers, who like me travel intercontinentally even more often than me, and they say they don't have to. But one wife of such a FF said when she bought a tix from SQ website with a credit card that expired before the trip. SQ insisted she bring it to the tix office to issue the ticket.

I'm sure it's some algorithm that determines "fraud risk", and it's not clearly logical to anyone but the statistician who wrote it!

[scubamarli 5]

Same thing happened to me on SilkAir, upon check in in Singapore. My travel agent had booked the tickets. My card that was used for payment was compromised. I was asked to pay for two new tickets; I had to kick up a fuss and when they verified with Visa that in fact my card had been replaced, they backed down. It does say on most online sites that your credit card is needed. I simply forgot as I had booked the tickets so far in advance. So, if you do have an issue, contact the airline in advance.

 

Cheers,

Marli

[andy_deitsch 17]

Appreciate the heads up. I have tickets from Singapore to Manado on SilkAir in October and the credit card I used to purchase those tickets online was stolen. I just contacted SilkAir through their website asking what I need to do to avoid issues once I arrive in Singapore. Will follow up with what I learn.

[andy_deitsch 17]

I received my reply from SilkAir today which I pasted below. I don't have copies of credit card statements from when I made the purchase and I'll have to see how well Bank of America deals with the request for the letter. I also am not going to be able to visit the SilkAir office in person as I'm only going to be staying in the transit hotel at the airport in Singapore. This is going to be a bit of a mess I can tell. I'll keep you all posted on the outcome.

 

 

Dear Mr Andrew Deitsh (sic),

Thank you for your enquiry and sorry to hear about your stolen wallet.

We appreciate your understanding that credit card verification is in the
interest of the financial security of both the customer and the Airline.

Since you are unable to produce the credit card that was used for the
ticket purchased, we would appreciate if you could provide us your bank
statement that reflects your name and the transaction of the ticket
purchased. If possible together with the letter from the bank that states
that the lost credit card has been replaced with a new one. The letter
should bear the Bank's Letter Head together with the lost Credit Card
number.

Please proceed to SilkAir Ticket Office personally, together with the
documents and your photo identification card to sign a Letter of Indemnity
(LOI) Form in the presence of our counter staff.

SilkAir Town Office address:
371 Beach Road
#17-08 Keypoint
Singapore 199597

Opening hours:
Monday to Friday (excl public holidays)
8.30am-5.30pm

We appreciate your understanding.

Please do not hesitate to contact us should you have any further enquiries.

Regards,
Shahirah

[troporobo 232]

Obviously its a lot better if you can sort it out without needing to go in person of course. But for what it's worth, if you have a long-ish layover, its possible to clear immigration and get to Beach Rd and back in an hour by train or taxi.

[AllisonFinch 7]

I have traveled in the Pacific region...a LOT. I have never been asked for the credit card. I may have a problem in my next trip to Lembeh and West Papua. Another person purchased my ticket, but I will not be traveling with them as they are only joining the second half of the trip. Do you envision a problem with that?

[howeikwok 27]

I have traveled in the Pacific region...a LOT. I have never been asked for the credit card. I may have a problem in my next trip to Lembeh and West Papua. Another person purchased my ticket, but I will not be traveling with them as they are only joining the second half of the trip. Do you envision a problem with that?

 

You might. When i book on silkair/singapore airlines, there's always a check box that asks if the credit card owner is travelling on the trip. It really is quite troublesome. At the check in counter, usually it involves calling the credit card company to cancel the previous charge (even if the bill has been paid) and charging the cost of the ticket to the new credit card.

[andy_deitsch 17]

I managed to get my issue sorted with SilkAir. It required a number of communications with SilkAir and my bank but I got the original credit card statements and then had to email a copy of that along with two different forms of ID to SilkAir along with a filled out Letter of Indemnification (LOI) form. They then signed the LOI and emailed it back to me. I can then show the LOI upon check in.

[gina 9]

This happened to me when travelling by EVA Air from SFO--they asked for the credit card since I had purchased tickets online, but I no longer had that card. I ended up having to call my bank and they convinced the ticket agent that the purchase was legit.

 

EVA also required that we weigh our carry-on at the ticket desk. When they told me it was overweight I said I would go take stuff out and put it in the car, but I just proceeded to the gate instead. No one questioned me upon boarding.

 

-Gina

 

 

 

[pndldy 0]

The same rule applies to Korean air.