Qantas Booking Requires In-Person Bangkok Office Visit

[JohnLocke]

My wife and I are trying to book a flight from BKK to Australia on Qantas.com. The first screen after you start your ticket search states clearly that you must present your credit card in person at an office in Bangkok within two business days of booking. We live in Chiang Mai, and this requirement is pretty inconvenient.

After talking to Qantas reps. in Thailand and Australia, the only way to get around this is to book tickets through a travel agent. The fact that we're not Thai passport holders doesn't matter - this is some special requirement between the Thai gov. and Qantas. I've never encountered this rule with any other airline, either American or Asian.

So, just wondering, has anyone had any experience with this? Is there some other trick that can be used? Thanks...

[yermanee]

Mox Travel is your solution for online booking with credit card.

Yermanee

[Lakegeneve]

Firstly, good to see that you made off that island alive.

This requirement was introduced after QF closed their office 6 years ago and contracted to a BKK Travel Agency.

Perhaps there has been some recent change but the rule seems like a furphy? As a QFF member every time I made an online booking I then just called the QF 24 number in Oz and payed by CC without any problems. Never needed to attend the travel agents office in Silom.

[Satcommlee]

Having to present your credit card at check-in is very common and almost universal amongst airlines when booked through their websites.

But I have never heard of the inconvenience of having to travel to their office, kind of defeats the object of booking online doesn't it.

Did you book the flight for someone else? ie: credit card holder not travelling.

Is it a company Credit Card?

Did you ask them if you could scan or fax the front and back of the card.. (I've had to do that before)?

[David48]

When I flew Thai (Thai Smile actually) , I was asked for the Credit Card with which the tickets were booked with. I booked directly through the Airlines Website.

When I question the Thai check-in guy who asked me ... the reply was just making sure they are yours ...

Have heard of others being asked for the credit card which booked the tickets at check-in.

[simple1]

I queried this issue with Qantas a few months back & following is their email reply:

"There is a restriction on airfares sold out of Thailand to Australia on Qantas. If you do not live in Bangkok and cannot present your credit card, you can contact our telesales team directly. The number is +66 (2) 6271701.

Our telesales staff will check to see if the airfare you are wanting to book is available for sale outside of Thailand. If it is not for sale, they cannot assist you. If it is available for sale, they will issue the ticket for you. However, this will have to be issued in AUD and you may find that the airfare is higher due to the currency difference".

Edited April 23, 2013 by simple1

[JohnLocke]

Lakegeneve - "We have to go back!".

You're the first to notice, btw...

Simple1 - yes, you can book using the phone, but from the brief research I did it looks like the charge for booking a ticket by phone is close to $100 US per ticket.

So... after looking at some other airlines (Emirates, BA), it is still only Qantas that has this rule.

Thanks everyone for all the helpful information!

[Gerald14]

It is standard policy with all airlines operating in Thailand to ask for your credit card on check in when you book with the airline directly, but you do not have to show up in their office two days before. Nok Air for instance asks for you credit card if you book with a credit card issued by an overseas bank. If you use a Thai credit card no problem.

[sammycic]

Much better services to AUS. Will not fly Qantas.

[xen]

I have tried to book Emirates for my gf/wife to travel BKK to SYD from Sydney and tried to pay with my Credit card and they would not accept it. I was booking on the net so i rang them and got a jumbled reply about anti terrorism and it was either Thailand or Emirates policy. Still don't understand but i could book the ticket but could not pay for it so i had to transfer money to my gf so lost on transfer fees and FX to some extent as well .She does not have a credit card either and she had to then take the money in to the Emirates office in Asoke. I guess it is also because she wouldn't be able to show the credit card that paid for the ticket at the boarding or check-in desk.

If i remember correctly i could not do a bank transfer either . It has happened on two different occasions like this with Emirates.

[Jitar]

Qantas with their usual arrogance have had the rule about going to a booking office for years. One time I used the phone booking approach Simple1 mentioned and after queing to check-in, was told to go to the airport ticket office to show CC, come back and que again to check-in.

Many other airlines want to see the Credit Card used to book tickets from Thailand at check-in. Thai are OK with this and it works fine if the Credit card holder is travelling but can be inconvenient if booking for family etc. Still it is a lot better than the Qantas system. I assume both procedures are an attempt to control credit card fraud.

As sammycic says, Qantas are not that great anyway, no wonder Virgin Blue do so well for domestic flights in Australia. Use an agent or another airline.

Edited April 24, 2013 by Jitar

[flash77]

I came across this annoying rule a couple of years ago. My way around was to book essentially the same flight and cost via British Airways, who don't require a visit to their office. Now that BA and Qantas do not codeshare, maybe you could try via Emirates.

[nottocus]

Crap airline.....much better options than Qantas.

[GrantSmith]

It's been a QF thing for a number of years now that tickets issued in TH are subject to this subsequent "screening" - it doesn't make a great deal of sense and I have an appointment with QF here in BKK next week so I'll ask the question and see what it's all about.

As for QF domestic - Jitter not too sure how closely you follow the profitability of QF, but should you choose to do so, you will find that QF domestic is actually propping up the international side of the business and has been doing so for a couple of years. They still have a greater market share than VA (Virgin Australia not Virgin Blue fyi), however that being said, VA is regularly eating into QF's market share which is great for us as consumers maybe not so great for QF shareholders....

As for the credit card verification at check in, a number of airlines practise this in various forms...

As for codeshares between BA/QF - they do still actually codeshare on routes to Australia, however the Joint Services Agreement (JSA) where everything was tied up nicely between the two has ended in favor of a QF/EK version...