Eva Airways And Credit Cards

[Ratsima]

This is just a tale of my adventure in paying for an EVA Airways ticket with a credit card.

I year ago this month I used the EVA Air web site to purchase a RT ticket to the US on EVA Air for that next September. I'd done this many times before. I paid off the credit card bill right away, as is my habit.

Unfortunately, by the time my travel date arrived the credit card I used had expired. The new one was waiting for me at my sister's house in the US.

Of course, EVA Air applied their 'must present credit card' rule and refused to accept my paid-for ticket; even though I had in my possession the actual card used to buy the ticket.

In the end I ended up having to pay for the ticket again using a different card. There was a bit of a discussion about a refund for the original ticket. I ended up refusing to board unless I had something in writing showing that a refund was in process. Eventually they produced an internal form showing that the refund had been applied for.

Two months later I still had not received a credit on the original credit card account. I called EVA and was informed that they had no record of any refund request.

I called the second credit card company and requested a charge back, explaining that EVA had forced me to pay a second time for a ticket that had already been bought and paid for. The agent said that he had never heard of such a thing. The charge back was posted to my account a few days later.

Another two months goes by and, much to my surprise, I received a credit from EVA for the original credit card purchase.

All attempts to fix this and actually pay for the ticket have failed. I have called EVA numerous times explaining that I want to pay for the ticket. They are clueless as to how to do this. I have written the original credit card company several times explaining to them that the credit from EVA is erroneous and that they should give it back to EVA as it is payment for a ticket that I purchased and used. They have never responded.

At this point I have given up. I have since made another round trip to the US on EVA. I was kind of hoping that my record would some how be flagged with the payment problem and that I could clear it up with a real person. No such luck. So, as it stands, I have never paid for that September 2010 trip to the US on EVA. I hold out minimal hope that some future audit may reveal the issue and lead to a resolution.

[londonthai]

I have just fly with them a few days ago and they did not ask for a cc, and had never asked before nor any other airline I did fly with.

might be very specific to usa or to the airport you were flying from.

I wish to have a free flight with any airline, not sure, how to go about it

[Ratsima]

Every time I've flown with Eva from Bangkok they ask for the card. They never ask for it in LA.

[rocketmanbkk]

never been asked for CC but one day I may be asked and I'll make sure I have it and it is current. Great airline, never any problems, great service.

Their T&C do state you need to present the valid card and so who's fault is it?

I do feel for you but rules are rules.

[theoldgit]

Their T&C do state you need to present the valid card and so who's fault is it?

I do feel for you but rules are rules.

So what happens if somebody wants to change their credit card provider after making, and paying for, a booking? Does that mean that they cannot use the flight they have paid for because "rules are rules"?

In the case of the OP, the Eva Air T&C do state that "You are required to present the credit card used to purchase the ticket during check-in at the airport", which is what he did.

Passenger or one of the travel companions must be the credit card holder. You are required to present the credit card used to purchase the ticket during check-in at the airport. Passengers who fail to do so will be denied boarding unless they purchase a full-fare ticket at the airport ticket counter.

[Ratsima]

I think it's a dumb rule. Probably illegal in the US, which is possibly why they don't enforce it there. After all, they had my money and had entered a contract with me, which they breached.

After reading rocketmanbkk's post I'm feeling a whole lot less guilty about getting to fly for free.

[Tingnongnoi]

Emirates also require you to produce card used to buy ticket on their website.

Had same problem once before with EVA as lost card and had to cancel original ticket and rebook, with them refunding original one a month later

[Klaasvaak]

Bangkok airways also asks for the creditcard booked, my creditcard details have been stolen so i had to apply for a new card.

I should have given the old card back to the bank, but i had to explain to the bank i will be needing it end of July to get on a plane.

They let me keep the card if i promised to bring it after the holiday.

The hole show your card at the airport thing is so useless, it's just another way to stress your passengers.

[Ratsima]

I guess I started this thread because, a year later, this matter is still troubling to me. And, I wanted some feedback.

I still have a hard time figuring out what sort of fraud EVA is trying to prevent by asking for the physical card. I could see it, maybe, if a ticket was purchased a day or so before a flight in a name other than that on the card.

But, in my case:

The name on my passport matched the (expired) credit card that I presented.

The name on my passport matched the Internet boarding pass that I had printed.

The name on my passport matched my e-ticket and the credit card transaction used to purchase that e-ticket.

The name on my Evergreen Club card matches everything else.

Their own records would show that I had purchased at least eight round trips between Bangkok and the US during the previous five years using that very same credit card account.

In other words, they had absolutely no reason to suspect that the transaction was fraudulent and every reason to believe that it was legitimate.

So, instead of respecting my good financial reputation they chose to ignore it by blindly applying a "rule" and without exercising the discretion that should be used in such a situation.

[Ratsima]

Frankly, if EVA air ground staff were too stupid to comply with the their own T&C, then you deserved the free flight.

Thanks!

[gk10002000]

Weird. I never agreed with or understand the credit card policies. I have flown EVA many times and China Air and a few others. I have never been asked to show the credit card. ID/passport yes. Once or twice at automated kiosks when getting my boarding pass, but that has always been inside domestic USA. I have never used the kiosks internationally and I didn't think you could because they have to visually check your passport.

If EVA messed up in your case, well, I am glad you got a freebie out of it. Their policy is stupid and only greatly inconveniences people that buy tickets for other people. I guess it somewhat helps prevernt fraud in case somebody stole a credit card or stole the credit card information. But any reasonably competent thief can "make" a credit card that would visually pass inspection.

If I buy a ticket for somebody else, dam_n the extra work it takes to let them actually use the ticket.