zig2

I am holding a ticket bought using a friend's credit card on the US site - majorly because her card has an amex offer which can save money. Now I read something that air france may ask for credit card, or even reject check in if not the credit card using is from one of the passengers: http://www.airfrance.com/PL/en/local.../edito_cgv.htm

Not sure if it applies to tickets bought in US, but does anyone have experience on this? Do I have to ask my friend for the card and take it with me?

fifty_two

From my own experience with airfrance ( domestic , transatlantic or international ) they never asked me the card , even if it was specified on the website for some cases or when the card used to pay was not mine

However i will strongly suggest you to bring the card with you when this is required by an airline company (air france or another one) , it doesn't kill you and maybe one day you will avoid troubles

If for any reason you cant bring this card with you the last solution is to call airfrance and ask them what to do

KLouis

Several airlines explicitly ask you to have your CC ready for inspection when checking-in, but so far only TK actually asked me, about 6-7 years ago. Interestingly, my ticket had been bought using an American CC belonging to the administrator of a US Government program. It took about 5 minutes of "negotiations" (e.g. the TK rep was brought to the checkin desk) and they finally let me fly. From then on, I always took along a copy of that CC (TK's advice!), but I was never again asked by any company to see it. Granted, that can only happen when you check-in at the airport, so the solution to your worries is simple: OLCI!

chil

I don't see any problem here.
(1) AF never ever asked me for a credit card
(2) If they do ask, you can always tell them that you decided to cancel that credit card. A government issued ID is always enough for a check-in procedure.
(3) Also, if you check-in with a phone app or online, there will be no questions asked

MSPeconomist

The advice to bring the physical credit card or show ID instead is irrelevant in that the OP's ticket was purchased using someone else's credit and presumably that friend has a different last name and address.

brunos

The request to provide credit card at check in is to prevent fraud.
A common reported fraud on stolen cc is to purchase a ticket in someone's else name. Stolen card usually means that all the cc information has been stolen even if the physical card has not been stolen.

Some airlines impose more cc checks than others. AF is not one of them, but it can happen. Airlines conduct random checks or flag for check suspicious cases. For example, purchases by phone for nearby departures (before the cc holder realizes that his cc is used for strange purchases).

I often use my cc to buy tickets for my wife and vice versa. I have had my cc verified a few times by BA, TG, CX and even AF. I have never been asked when my cc was "verified by visa", and that is now always the case. Hence, no more verification unless I book by phone.

To get back to the OP question. When the ticket was booked, you will have indicated that the cc holder was not traveling. The website indicated what document would be required at check in. I believe that you will have no problem if the payment was verified by visa (the holder accepted the charge). But I don't know what happens with an AMEX card. I would strongly advise you to follow the steps indicated when you booked and probably stated on eTicket. Your situation is likely to be flagged by the airline as it is a common fraud scenario.
BTW: If you are flagged and only travel hand luggage, it could be that the system prevent you to OLCI.

beachmouse

There are also some destinations that are seen as higher risk of involving fraudulent transactions than others. If memory serves, Delta is most likely to flag for credit card check for tickets to Nigeria, and, for a while earlier this year, the US Virgin Islands. Other airlines are going to also have their lists and algorithms on when it's most necessary to check for cards.

carnarvon

It does not say that AF MAY ask for the CC. It is much stricter: "Due to increased credit card fraud problems, Air France does not accept third party payments (the credit card holder not being the passenger or part of the group traveling together). "

However, this is on the Polish page. Why did you end up on a Polish page?

I do not kmnw about the US website, but when buying on the French website, you have to tick "the cc holder is not one of the passengers". You are then prompted to answer a few more questions. And that's it. Cc is then never asked. This is confirmed by AF staff on the phone. I always use Amex and never had an issue.

Did you have to tick "the cc holder is not one of the passengers" at the time of paying?

If so, what happened?

Ditto

Amex has a similar verification service, however it is up to the merchant to decide whether they want to go the extra step in using it, obviously it is a case of the cost of using it vs. the costs of dealing with frauds they might encounter otherwise.

I never had to verify my Amex card with AF, but I also never booked tickets for someone else that wasn't travelling with me, on the one occasion my Amex was checked against the "Safekey" (buying at some Dutch online shop) as they call it, I got a popup saying Amex checked the transaction and as it didn't look to them like fraud, I was good to go (no password required)

irishguy28

1) Have you ever travelled on a ticket (other than a work/corporate ticket) booked and paid on someone else's card, where the cardholder is neither travelling nor present? [Remember: the booking was made using a third party's card. This will likely already flag it as unusual]
2) AF would then cancel your ticket, as it is not possible to cancel a card issued in someone else's name and does not address the underlying issue.
3) If AF have flagged this ticket, OLCI will not be possible.

carnarvon

I have bought AF tickets with an Amex card for others and not travelling with them on numerous occasions.

As I wrote above , after ticking the box "CC holder not in travelling party", I was asked for more details such as my address. Nothing more was required, contrary to other airlines who have various verification procedures. AF staff would confirm it on the phone.

AF is one of the few airlines which is notorious for not requiring to see the CC used for buying a ticket for third party (or for oneself as some airlines stupidly require).

Websites were AF France and on one occasion KL Malaysia with the same absence of verification.

However, the OP used AF USA website. To be on the safe side, he could call AF. The risk is that he will be told by a Delta agent, that it is safer to bring the card, even if it is not required (the agent only wants to make sure he cannot be blamed in case of trouble ).

In which case, one needs to ask what to do since the card will not be with the traveller (copy of card +ID of holder, special form, visit to an AF/DL desk at any airport etc.)

CyBeR

I have never had this happen to me. I would also expect that it is only policy for flights booked very shortly beforehand -- a flight booked a month or more out has a very low risk of being fraudulent because by that time the fraud would likely have been discovered.

carnarvon

This is what commun sense tells you but sone airlines (not AF though) will prevent you from checking in even if the ticket was bought months in advance.

Lewis42

I was once flying domestic on Delta and the ticket was bought using Mrs Lewis42's card.

I could not OLCI it said always failed when I tried. So I checked in at the airport and had to show the credit card that was used... luckily she was with me...

The card is registered under a different name and in fact the address for her is USA and for me the UK so there are a lot of differences.

carnarvon

Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, posters and posters: this thread is about an AF ticket.

Other airlines (DL, SQ, QR, TG, MH...) practices don't tell anything about AF policy.

AF is NOT known (except in Poland), for making problems with using third party CC.