Air Canada credit card verification policy leaves woman stranded in Thailand

[anthobkk]

Few years ago I asked my mom to buy me a ticket with her card since I could not do it with my Thai debit card.

I remember that I had to provide (in case they ask) a copy of her ID (both sides), of the card used (both sides except the security number on the back), a letter explaining why she bought it to me, mentioning my name, flight, destination, etc. All of these copies had to be signed and a mobile phone number was provided as well...

This year my company will buy a ticket for me to go home. Then how can I get these documents ? I really doubt that my company will give me a copy of their credit card....

Maybe you should just grow up and stop asking others to buy you a plane ticket!

...Wow nice answer...a free plane ticket is included in my company package so why should I grow up and by it by myself if it is free ???

[zappalot]

Normal procedure with most airlines. Be happy they try to protect you against fraud.

That's just nonsense. Maybe it's normal here in Thailand. In Germany I would sue them for wasted time, an extra hotel to be booked and so on. Anyway there they do not do it because they know it would be illegal.

I have flown overseas also with for example Sri Lankan Airlines, no issues. So it is not normal at all, here it depends on the airline.

[hansnl]

This has been a policy for decade or more on all airlines , it is written on your booking particulars, whether they ask or not is another thing , I just booked for next week and it is pretty plain to see , reason ( for those who came in late ) , , to many kiddies being taken to the check in counter by a fake grandad or mother , or uncle and sent to visit some fictitious relative over sea's ( a Pedo ) never to be seen again,, to stop kiddie trafficking ..............................................

So the Canadians' wife was a child?

All this has to do with airlines securing their profits.

In fact, refusing to honour the paid for transport they graciously offer you to buy a new ticket, thereby cashing in double the fare.

And probably selling the non used seat to someone else?

In my book that is called stealing.

Or fraud.

But that is ok, because it is referred to as "security".

Oh yeah.........

[novo58]

I think it is more a case of .....if the name of the passenger is not the same as the name of the credit card holder........it triggers an instant fraud alert, particularly if it is a last minute purchase. But it makes a mockery of the whole concept of credit cards.

Means that I cant buy an airline ticket on my credit card for my daughter in law to travel home to visit her mum and me.

I am sure that there are better ways that airlines could handle this issue ---if they wanted to , but obviously they dont want to !!

[hansnl]

Sorry

Thick fingers.

Edited June 16, 2016 by hansnl

[JLCrab]

You guys can go on about airline scams and suing the airlines all you want. The ANA agent at BKK tried for over 2 hours to reach the Canook and he was not available. TWO HOURS when his Thai wife is boarding a plane for Canada.

[Zack61]

i think the real problem is with the issuing bank. i have had my credit card temorarily "cancelled" before because its an australian card and i was trying to use it overseas and i hadn't notified the bank i was going overseas. so the bank sees the card trying to be used overseas and automatically put a termporary stop on the card until they can confirm that i am indeed trying to use it overseas. so the bank told me if i am going to travel, notify them first.

Exactly the same happened with my Australian issued card.

[stevenl]

I think it is more a case of .....if the name of the passenger is not the same as the name of the credit card holder........it triggers an instant fraud alert, particularly if it is a last minute purchase. But it makes a mockery of the whole concept of credit cards.

Means that I cant buy an airline ticket on my credit card for my daughter in law to travel home to visit her mum and me.

I am sure that there are better ways that airlines could handle this issue ---if they wanted to , but obviously they dont want to !!

Sure you can buy her that ticket, just make sure you verify it before travel, if required by the booking conditions of the airline you book her on.

[stevenl]

Normal procedure with most airlines. Be happy they try to protect you against fraud.

That's just nonsense. Maybe it's normal here in Thailand. In Germany I would sue them for wasted time, an extra hotel to be booked and so on. Anyway there they do not do it because they know it would be illegal.

I have flown overseas also with for example Sri Lankan Airlines, no issues. So it is not normal at all, here it depends on the airline.

Just check the booking conditions and you will know. Also in Germany this is quite legal.

[skildpadden]

This could also be called a case of very poor planning. He bought the ticket in the last minute. Air Canada local rep tried to contact him as per company policy for verification, but they couldn't get hold of him.

I would imagine that a couple days prior he knew that he was going on vacation at his parents' place, so why wait until the last minute to book a ticket for your wife - the flight could even have been overbooked, so no tickets available?

He could also have transferred the money an the wife would have bought the ticket herself.

[SOTIRIOS]

.....and he will pay......and pay......and pay....

[cancan70]

I would like to know if this couple had the same problems as I'm having getting a visa for my wife to vacation in Canada with me. We have been married for over 5 years and tried unsuccessfully on two occasions to get a visa for her without success. At the end of this year we are going to try one more time, but if that fails to produce a visa, my wife has said she will not try again. I know there are people who try to deceive Canada Immigration so they can get into the country and never leave, but I don't believe they should paint everyone with the same brush and prohibit honest people to simple have a vacation in the country!

[theguyfromanotherforum]

You guys can go on about airline scams and suing the airlines all you want. The ANA agent at BKK tried for over 2 hours to reach the Canook and he was not available. TWO HOURS when his Thai wife is boarding a plane for Canada.

So what?

They charged the card. They are obliged to provide a service.

I was almost refused a flight in Laos because I didn't have a card on me, even though the card and ticket were in my name.

I am aware that the airline had a "policy", but that policy would be invalid in court since they accepted the charge and are required to provide the service. Period.

[novo58]

@stevenl .....

my experience with ticket for daughter in law was with Bangkok airlines. Ticket purchased with my credit card, passenger name ...daughter in law, purchase VERIFIED by visa on line verification system at time of purchase . Bangkok airlines still wanted to SEE credit card at check in counter........me in Udon Thani ( with card) , daughter in law in Bangkok trying to board plane.

Had to buy another ticket , as first ticket was low cost( basic)....no refund. To me it seems like a scam.

[zappalot]

Normal procedure with most airlines. Be happy they try to protect you against fraud.

That's just nonsense. Maybe it's normal here in Thailand. In Germany I would sue them for wasted time, an extra hotel to be booked and so on. Anyway there they do not do it because they know it would be illegal.

I have flown overseas also with for example Sri Lankan Airlines, no issues. So it is not normal at all, here it depends on the airline.

Just check the booking conditions and you will know. Also in Germany this is quite legal.

Maybe you should get your facts right first. In several court cases, for example one from Landgericht Frankfurt (Az. 2-24 O 142/10), It is not only wrong to deny access to the plane by not showing the credit card. It is furthermore also not legal to even state such a procedure in the booking conditions.

[Maejo Man]

Same story for Thai airways when travelling with Thai airways to Australia.

Been flying with Thai airways for more years that I car to count and never have a problem and all my flights are booked against my Thai Amex ROP linked card.

Many times it's a phone booking, and occasionally an online booking.

[stevenl]

@stevenl .....

my experience with ticket for daughter in law was with Bangkok airlines. Ticket purchased with my credit card, passenger name ...daughter in law, purchase VERIFIED by visa on line verification system at time of purchase . Bangkok airlines still wanted to SEE credit card at check in counter........me in Udon Thani ( with card) , daughter in law in Bangkok trying to board plane.

Had to buy another ticket , as first ticket was low cost( basic)....no refund. To me it seems like a scam.

Yes, the airline has to verify the credit card, can be at departure or at one of their offices ahead of time, as stated in their booking conditions. Now I don't read those, but this is a quite common procedure that many airlines have. The verified by visa verification is completely different from this.

[stevenl]

Normal procedure with most airlines. Be happy they try to protect you against fraud.

That's just nonsense. Maybe it's normal here in Thailand. In Germany I would sue them for wasted time, an extra hotel to be booked and so on. Anyway there they do not do it because they know it would be illegal.

I have flown overseas also with for example Sri Lankan Airlines, no issues. So it is not normal at all, here it depends on the airline.

Just check the booking conditions and you will know. Also in Germany this is quite legal.

Maybe you should get your facts right first. In several court cases, for example one from Landgericht Frankfurt (Az. 2-24 O 142/10), It is not only wrong to deny access to the plane by not showing the credit card. It is furthermore also not legal to even state such a procedure in the booking conditions.

Please show a link, I'd be happy to be proven wrong here.

Just checked, different situation there. The only option to book was via credit card, and the credit card that was used to book was because of security issues invalid at time of flight. See this link (German language), http://www.vzbv.de/urteil/airline-darf-flug-nicht-von-vorlage-der-kreditkarte-abhaengig-machen

But yes, this does cast doubt on the use of this condition in the booking conditions in Germany in situations with the same specifics as those the court ruled on.

Edited June 16, 2016 by stevenl

[Monkeyrobot]

not the typical looking issan wifey.

Yes looks a stunner.

[gregk0543]

So here we have an article and a story with not much really being made clear by the airline.

The airline is protecting itself from a fraudulent credit card transaction that later if the card holder disputed they would lose the fare.

It is must have happened to them and they have made these rules to protect themselves. All major airlines seem to do this if the traveller is not the purchaser of the online ticket. But sometimes without careful perusal the client may not see this information.

When they try to enforce the rule then it is really stressful for the unknowing traveler and when it can cause such a huge loss to a genuine purchaser through no big fault of their own it would seem that the correct and fair procedure would be to refund in full the first ticket that could not be used. Or make a new reservation for them asap.

Is the inconvenience the airlines fault or the purchasers for not being aware of the necessity to verify the card?

It is really a small misunderstanding that could easily be fixed by the airline with no real loss to either party.

But something seems to have failed there too.

All business ultimately has to be based on fairness and trust and should be win win for both parties.

The counter staff should have the option to make a call of flexibility in any instance and the airline should see this as a risk that does not reflect badly on them. And back up their staffs judgement. Whereas the inconvenience they cause by being over zealous is a loss for the airline in reputation and future business.

I think that all of us have certain companies that we have had a bad experience with that we never deal with again.

I have a small list that the customer service was so bad and the experience so bad that I never use them again.

[zappalot]

Just checked, different situation there. The only option to book was via credit card, and the credit card that was used to book was because of security issues invalid at time of flight. See this link (German language), http://www.vzbv.de/urteil/airline-darf-flug-nicht-von-vorlage-der-kreditkarte-abhaengig-machen

But yes, this does cast doubt on the use of this condition in the booking conditions in Germany in situations with the same specifics as those the court ruled on.

So even if the credit card is invalid the airline was wrong to not let the passenger fly.

The court made clear that a credit card is in no way the right way to identify anyone. As I said It is even illegal to make such a statement In the general terms and conditions.

Another link? http://www.welt.de/reise/article125211579/Wenn-Passagiere-trotz-Ticket-nicht-fliegen-duerfen.html

[JLCrab]

Whatever are the details of the German case, it is 5 years old and, if it had implications for airlines worldwide, the airline legal departments would have discontinued the policy of verifying a credit card purchase when the passenger is not or is not accompanied by the credit card holder.

[smotherb]

All they had to do is have a joint account with two cards. Many card companies issue cards with the same account number, expiry date and CVV number on the back but with different names. Bad planning on their part.

Ah, but many farangs married to Thais do not want their women in their cards--but I guess that may be true for any man who does not trust his wife with money.

[stevenl]

Just checked, different situation there. The only option to book was via credit card, and the credit card that was used to book was because of security issues invalid at time of flight. See this link (German language), http://www.vzbv.de/urteil/airline-darf-flug-nicht-von-vorlage-der-kreditkarte-abhaengig-machen

But yes, this does cast doubt on the use of this condition in the booking conditions in Germany in situations with the same specifics as those the court ruled on.

So even if the credit card is invalid the airline was wrong to not let the passenger fly.

The court made clear that a credit card is in no way the right way to identify anyone. As I said It is even illegal to make such a statement In the general terms and conditions.

Another link? http://www.welt.de/reise/article125211579/Wenn-Passagiere-trotz-Ticket-nicht-fliegen-duerfen.html

Yes, in that specific situation it was deemed unlawful to not let the passenger fly. That situation though is different from the one at hand, where it is not the passenger flying who made the booking. You say 'even if', which is not correct. It should be 'because of'. At least that was the specific situation and that is the only situation this court has spoken out of.

Do you have any information on cases like the one at hand, where it is a case of a different person flying from the one who made the booking and being refused?

[matador007]

I actually went through this thing with Emirates a couple times. After I did book online and passed Mastercard Secure Code.

Emirates asked to see my CC upon checkin, even with flight + CC in my name.

I also booked a flight for a friend a few years back (with my CC). Basically you photocopy the CC front+back, and write a sentence that you allowed X person(s) to use the card for said flight.

Thats pretty much it, a non-story as some have pointed out.

[Kiwisailor]

I believe that this policy was introduced as a security measure rather than for financial reasons.

[falang khinok]

Met a guy who paid with. His own card and than at the boarding gate they start to give him a hard time. Finally he made it this is great news for everybody imagine very urgent business meeting that requires ur physical presence to sign papers that are connected with hundreds thousand dollars turnovers and than the Piggo's don't let u in the plane because some jerk in one of their offices has weak Internet skills happy ? cashless bs future sorry sir company policy we apologize and greatly offer a500 bucks refund. Had similar at adelaide airport did not want me to enter the plane because only had a one way ticket to spare. Since that I realise this is coorporate dictatership system

[mikiea]

S L O W news day I take it. Let me be the first to say this troops, could happen anywhere

No , you are wrong . the fact is no airline trust anything purchased for Thais by Thais or any other nationality . the trust is not there . what is there is a record number of thefts thru credit card purchases by or for Thais . it is just that simple .

[lkv]

When I book for my friends I always book via Expedia.

Because I pay Expedia (an agent) and Expedia pays the airline, the person travelling will never be asked for any credit /debit card verification.

[Dogslobberer]

Canadians eh! What a clown. This guy must work for Weatherford. Why doesn't the cheap skate get a joint card with unlimited credit. That's what most sensible falang would do.