Guest RichLB Posted June 6, 2010 Posted June 6, 2010 Thanks for checking it out Lvdkeyes. Luckily the date my friend is looking for is July, not June. And thanks to everyone else who has answered. You've saved me a major problem. I never knew about the card holder having to travel or present the card used for the ticket purchase at check in. That would have been a disaster. Thanks, guys. Quote
fedssocr Posted June 6, 2010 Posted June 6, 2010 In a case like this I think a Thai travel agent is probably your best bet. I would also have them price one way and round trip tickets to see what the difference is. If the RT is cheaper you can always buy that but not use the return. Quote
billyhouston Posted June 6, 2010 Posted June 6, 2010 While I'm aware of the rather harsh conditions in respect of (their) cancellation of a flight, I have found AirAsia to be a low-cost carrier unlike their European counterparts who seem, sometimes at least, to cost more than full-service carriers. A careful trawl of their web-site and my booking confirmations hasn't turned up any requirement to present the credit card used for the booking at checkin. Their recent seat sale yielded quite a number of BKK - CNX, and vice-versa flights for Bht 157. Even with bags and a 'hot seat' (added later) this is still cheap. Bangkok - Yangon return for Bht 1010 wasn't something to be sneezed at either. Having given up on NokAir, AirAsia has filled the gap with cheap, and usually 'on time', flights. As Fountainhall has noted, you run a risk and must take that into account with your hotel bookings. Quote
Guest fountainhall Posted June 7, 2010 Posted June 7, 2010 As Fountainhall has noted, you run a risk and must take that into account with your hotel bookings. I reckon you have less risk on a route with several flights a day. Maybe they cancel one and then put passengers onto flights before and after (which did happen to me several times on the Chiang Mai route). So if you have enough time, you're fine. The real problem I have had is in booking many months ahead, especially with fare sales. 9 months ago AA had 3 flights a day to Hanoi - now they have just one and my trip later this week has been so completely screwed up that I have had to rebook an a more expensive carrier. I was once booked on an 08:30 return from Penang to Bangkok, got up horribly early and arrived at the airport only to find that the flight was cancelled. Had they informed any of us by sms or email? No! We were all rebooked on the evening flight 12 hours later! And what are you expected to do in Penang with no hotel and the airport far out of town? I seem to be jinxed when it comes to AA, as several friends use it quite regularly with little problem. This morning I flew to SIngapore on Tiger Airlines. The flight left absolutely on time and arrived 20 minutes early! Sorry this is going off the specific topic! Quote
Guest luvthai Posted June 7, 2010 Posted June 7, 2010 I usually fly EVA Air evergreen delux class and have always had to show my credit card. I will be booking an October flight soon thru EWR. Quote
Gaybutton Posted June 7, 2010 Posted June 7, 2010 Has anybody called any of the airlines to ask how to handle it if you're buying a ticket for someone else? I can't believe the airlines would have some sort of policy in place that prevents it from being possible to buy a ticket for someone else when using a credit card. Also, what about a ticket paid for in cash? Quote
Bob Posted June 7, 2010 Posted June 7, 2010 Also, what about a ticket paid for in cash? I actually did that a year or so ago buying an Air Asia ticket but my guess is people generally don't pay cash for airline tickets anymore - especially international ones which cost a whole lot more; besides, paying cash for a ticket is a sure way (much like buying a one-way ticket) to ring the security bell these days. Quote
Gaybutton Posted June 8, 2010 Posted June 8, 2010 my guess is people generally don't pay cash for airline tickets anymore I understand that, but I'm talking about what to do if you want to buy a ticket for someone else, such as RichLB wants to do. Also, if I'm going to buy a ticket through a Thai travel agent, I'm very likely going to pay cash for it. I guess it's a good thing my name isn't Hussein Achmed Babalaba. In other words, how do you buy a ticket for someone other than yourself if the airlines now have this kind of policy in place? Has anyone asked the airlines that question? I'll give you another circumstance. You're in your home country. Your Thai boyfriend manages to get a visa to visit you. Now you want to buy a ticket for him. How? Not only will he not be the person named on the credit card, he won't even have the credit card. Even if you want to travel together, you buy two tickets - one for him and one for yourself. His name still won't be on the credit card that purchased the ticket. I mean what do you have to do, go to a bank, somehow get a credit card for him, put the ticket money in his account, and then let him buy the ticket himself? Doesn't that strike you as just a wee bit on the absurd side? Another scenario - Let's say the airlines don't have a problem if you've bought two tickets with your credit card, one for yourself and one for your boyfriend, as long as that was made clear at the time of purchase, you can show the credit card when you're checking in, and as long as you are traveling together. At the last minute, for some reason you can't go, but the boyfriend still can go himself. Now what happens? So, again - how do you buy a ticket for someone else? One other question - Just what is this policy supposed to accomplish in the first place? Welcome, once again, to my "I Don't Get It" list. Quote
Bob Posted June 8, 2010 Posted June 8, 2010 You're one scenario (using a credit card to buy tickets for yourself and your companions) isn't an issue as you just show the credit card when you're all checking in. You keep asking why someone doesn't ask the airline how you buy a ticket for a friend with your credit card. If you really want to know, call them! Quote
Gaybutton Posted June 8, 2010 Posted June 8, 2010 You keep asking why someone doesn't ask the airline how you buy a ticket for a friend with your credit card. If you really want to know, call them! It is not necessary to suggest the absolutely obvious when the perfectly obvious will do. I don't think I asked why someone doesn't call. I think I asked if someone has called. If I wanted to know that badly, then yes I would call. But I'm asking out of curiosity, not necessity, and I'm not curious enough to start calling airlines. I'm not planning to go anyplace any time soon and even if I do go, I'm not buying a ticket for someone else. Quote
Guest GaySacGuy Posted June 8, 2010 Posted June 8, 2010 I understand that, but I'm talking about what to do if you want to buy a ticket for someone else, such as RichLB wants to do. Also, if I'm going to buy a ticket through a Thai travel agent, I'm very likely going to pay cash for it. I guess it's a good thing my name isn't Hussein Achmed Babalaba. In other words, how do you buy a ticket for someone other than yourself if the airlines now have this kind of policy in place? Has anyone asked the airlines that question? I'll give you another circumstance. You're in your home country. Your Thai boyfriend manages to get a visa to visit you. Now you want to buy a ticket for him. How? Not only will he not be the person named on the credit card, he won't even have the credit card. Even if you want to travel together, you buy two tickets - one for him and one for yourself. His name still won't be on the credit card that purchased the ticket. I mean what do you have to do, go to a bank, somehow get a credit card for him, put the ticket money in his account, and then let him buy the ticket himself? Doesn't that strike you as just a wee bit on the absurd side? Another scenario - Let's say the airlines don't have a problem if you've bought two tickets with your credit card, one for yourself and one for your boyfriend, as long as that was made clear at the time of purchase, you can show the credit card when you're checking in, and as long as you are traveling together. At the last minute, for some reason you can't go, but the boyfriend still can go himself. Now what happens? So, again - how do you buy a ticket for someone else? One other question - Just what is this policy supposed to accomplish in the first place? Welcome, once again, to my "I Don't Get It" list. From the top-- Buying a ticket with cash from a travel agent is no problem, as the airline will only know that the ticket has been paid for, and not how. This also answers how to buy a ticket for your Thai friend when you are in another country...either send him the money to buy ticket at travel agent, or buy ticket in US in his name from Travel agent, and then send to him in Thailand by registered insured mail. As long as the person named on the credit card is flying on the flight, they can have a bunch of people paid for on their credit card. As for the boyfriend flying when you can't go...not going to be able to fly. To buy for another person do it through travel agent and pay any way you like and no problem. As far as to what does it accomplish...prevents credit card fraud. If you "borrowed" someones credit card, and then used it to fly several people on an airline, the owner of the card wouldn't know till his next statement. Quote
Guest fountainhall Posted June 8, 2010 Posted June 8, 2010 As far at to what does it accomplish...prevents credit card fraud. If you "borrowed" someones credit card, and then used it to fly several people on an airline, the owner of the card wouldn't know till his next statement. With all respect, this does seem somewhat simplistic. I book dozens of hotels on-line - sometimes many months ahead, sometimes just days ahead. At check-in, I cannot recall ever having been asked to show the cc with which I made the booking. All they want is any cc so they can block a certain amount for extra charges like phones and meals - or a cash deposit. And yet I had to purchase a new ticket for a flight which had cost less than US$100 because I stupidly forgot to bring the correct card! CC companies have their own very active security departments which monitor purchases and, more importantly, purchase patterns. If I spend more on one card than usual and have not called in advance, within minutes I will get a call to verify the purchase. On the other hand, I have spoken to the cc department of the bank which issues the card I use most often when I travel. So it knows I travel a lot and will not get concerned when they see purchases made outside Thailand. Quote
Guest fountainhall Posted June 8, 2010 Posted June 8, 2010 With all respect, this does seem somewhat simplistic. Apologies to GaySacGuy! I emailed a friend in British Airways in Sydney and got this reply - On the question of the credit card - apparently this measure is taken as an additional security measure to eliminate fraud. With credit card fraud on the increase it's carried out to protect the customer, so while I know it is a pain at least you know the reason. Quote
