I am a US BAEC member, and just booked an MFU J-ticket LHR-ORD-LHR for my mother to visit in about 4 weeks.
I paid for it using my US credit card, and used miles out of my BAEC account to upgrade from PE to J.
On the confirmation screen, it says that the credit card I used, must be presented at checkin. Is this true? If so, how is my mother supposed to present a credit card at LHR when the CC belongs to me, and is physically in the US?
Should I mail her my CC? It's in my name, not hers. Any advice appreciated. Thank you.
Is there an option when booking MFUs to say 'cardholder not travelling'? I can't recall. There is on paid bookings, and that's what you must tick (your card is then subject to extra security/fraud checks) if it's there. Either way, I'd just call the US EC and explain and ask them to put a note in the booking so check-in at LHR can see the cardholder is not travelling.
Is there an option when booking MFUs to say 'cardholder not travelling'? I can't recall.
No there isn't. What i've been told at BAEC TLV is that as long as the 'Head of Household Account' is paying for the ticket the card does not need to be brought to the airport. If any other card is used (i.e. not Head of Household account) then the card needs to be brought to the airport.
Evidently if seen that if you make a call through to BAEC ahead of time you can usually avoid this by faxing front/back of CC to BAEC.
I see this regularly asked for, but as has been explained already, it does not also apply too often in real life. I booked tickets a few weeks ago for me and my sister to travel to a destination. I booked her tickets, we live in defferent countries, and were each routing via another before meeting up. She was never going to see the card... she does have the same surname (like your mother possibly does with you!) and had her travel ID - passport. It is usually sufficient - particularly with en electronic ticket or PYOBP.
Equally, I book tickets for the staff of my firm on my CC (so that i get the miles on a bmi card).... they never see the card
It has never been a problem, but is usually quoted as an anti-fraud measure.
I have been reprimanded by checkin staff at LHR a couple of times recently because I had booked a ticket on my alternate Amex which wasn't in my wallet but have never been refused my BP - I think they just enjoy disciplining errant passengers
On Thursday I checked in for my BOS flight and offered my CC and was told that it wan't necessary Glad to see that BA are consistent!
Programs: BAEC Silver; Muccis du Monde des Peluches
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Quote:
Originally Posted by BAGoldBoy
I have been reprimanded by checkin staff at LHR a couple of times recently because I had booked a ticket on my alternate Amex which wasn't in my wallet but have never been refused my BP - I think they just enjoy disciplining errant passengers
It can cause a bit of hassle at the airport, although probably not very much for a Gold. I've noticed since I got Silver they only ask for the charge card used about 10% of the time. I specially saved a cancelled card for this purpose recently and it wasn't needed at check-in in either direction.
As I reported in another thread (legitimate uses of Zone R and all that) I frequently bought MAD-LON tickets for my (now-ex) other half. Normally this caused no problems, but on a recent trip they tried asking him for the card at MAD and held him up with 15 minutes of enquiries when he didn't have it; they later confirmed this was their error as I had ticked/unticked the usual box.
I think frequent flyers (and BA) can sometimes forget that for an infrequent traveller this kind of thing can be very distressing. Suppose you buy your elderly grandmother (or your youthful boyfriend for that matter!) a ticket to come and see you MEL-LHR. If at the airport she is then asked questions about an issue which seems to her completely plain (why doesn't she have the credit card used to pay for the booking?) for reasons that are completely unclear, she may well end up terrified that she isn't going to be allowed to board the aircraft. This is clearly something which some check-in staff (including some at MAD) handle with a lot less tact that they ought.
Maybe not on the MFU screen (haven't used it, so can't comment) but there is on the actual booking itself. If that is ticked, the the passenger doesn't need to produce a credit card.
Maybe not on the MFU screen (haven't used it, so can't comment) but there is on the actual booking itself. If that is ticked, the the passenger doesn't need to produce a credit card.
That's correct, on a normal booking you have the option.
That's correct, on a normal booking you have the option.
Which is probably why it's not necessary on the MFU screen, as they should have already captured if the passenger is the cardholder via the original booking screen.
Which is probably why it's not necessary on the MFU screen, as they should have already captured if the passenger is the cardholder via the original booking screen.
How do they do that when you book all at once then, rather than MFU an existing booking...?
Programs: BAck to Bluescum. With a 7yo Silver daughter - What am I doing wrong? Muccihood makes it all better.
Posts: 712
Quote:
Originally Posted by BAGoldBoy
I have been reprimanded by checkin staff at LHR a couple of times recently because I had booked a ticket on my alternate Amex which wasn't in my wallet but have never been refused my BP - I think they just enjoy disciplining errant passengers
I've been inconvenienced rather than reprimanded. Mrs G66 & I both have BA Amexs and we are each additional cardholders on each other's accounts. Too many cards to keep track of.
So on the last occasion when I bowled up at check in without the correct card I was made to wait while the agent made a lengthy and slow phone call to someone, who asked me about by house number and postcode and some such before letting me go.
Of course, through all this, I was told that the agent was sorry, but it was all for my protection against fraud. To which the answer is bullsh!t. It's for the credit card company's protection against fraud. If it were for my protection, I should be able to waive the entire process.
Glad to see that BA are consistent!
