AVIZ

Haven't flow DL in years - just booked a last minute trip for tomorrow. Trying to do OLCI and the system is telling me that I must present my credit card at the airport? Is this standard DL procedure?

Zamees

I had this happen after booking a fairly expensive last minute multi city trip. I ended up modifying the trip to purchase the multi cities on separate tickets (same price) and no longer needed to verify CC. Was kinda dumb. I've purchased tickets to these cities directly previously, so not sure why it raised their security red flags.

Snidely Whiplash

Only when you are suspected of credit card fraud

javabytes

Fraud prevention measure, so this is fairly typical for last minute purchases, or travel to/from areas deemed high fraud risks.

motytrah

Merchants have very little recourse when Fraud is claimed on "Card not present" sales. By getting a swipe (and possibly an imprint) they bolster their ability to collect from the card company. A good fraud ring will have a card printer and embosser. Amateur rings will not have the card.

Powers106

Same thing happened to me! I've flown a few times per year from BKK to USA for at least the last 8 years and always check-in online. THIS TIME it wouldn't let me do it, said I needed to present the credit card. It might be because I purchased the ticket online when I was in Dubai for a trip originating in BKK, but it is a hassle since have to get to the airport a bit earlier, etc. etc. I also was trying to buy a ticket for a colleague and that said the card needed to be present at check-in so had to forget that idea. For info I was using my Delta Skymiles Amex biz platinum and no fraud reports or anything. Inconvenient that you couldn't just call in or something.

Often1

You will see this more and more as organized fraud rings look to ring up large purchases quickly. Requiring the card does not guarantee that the transaction is not fraudulent, but it, at least means that a real live person has to physically show up at a counter where he is presumably on camera and less likely to take the risk.

relangford

Would this be the case if you have had your credit card number on delta.com's MyDelta for a long time and used it repeatedly? I know this is different from the situation of the OP.

jdrtravel

And what happens when someone else has purchased a ticket for the pax, and the card is not available to be swiped? Do they make an exception?

RealHJ

No. Most likely the ticket will be voided, no refund, and the pax will not fly anywhere.

Had it happen to one of our employees once, for simple domestic travel. Took DL (escalated through the super helpful Kevin Pinto, otherwise it would have gotten no where) a good full day to fix it (had to be escalated and a number of departments involved to reticket as an even exchange the voided/invalidated ticket with no refund) and then reticket the pax for a day later.

If a card is being required and it can't be presented at time of checkin, as it's not the passenger's card, or it has been since cancelled and shredded, then call DL and get it sorted out well in advance, as it will take a while, and the "security dep't" is only open weekdays during business hours EST - evenings, nights and weekends you're out of luck, then apparently there is no one who can do anything about it.

jdrtravel

That's really awful, especially if you are only notified at check in. There are still plenty of people who don't check in until arriving at the airport. I would also imagine there are lots of people who travel on someone else's dime. In the very least you should be able to secure the purchase by providing another credit card they can swipe and have on file if they need to charge.

matthew64832

I assume you are speaking specifically about situations where the pax has been notified in advance that the credit card is required? I have quite a few credit cards, and while I do carry all 10 or so with me when I travel I sometimes think I am a bit crazy to do so. I would not doubt that many people do not. If they do not give you advance notice and then require the CC, I would consider that to be a breach of contract, especially if the charge already cleared. Now, if they offered a full refund, perhaps that would be different, but they cannot void a ticket with no refund without articulable reasonable cause. Actually, I'm not sure they can at all.

RealHJ

Technically it's "frozen" or something like that, for some two weeks or so, "pending audit." After the audit I presume a refund would be posted.

The only advance notice is the inability to do OLCI, which is why it's always important to do it 24 hours in advance. It's a really, really, really bad idea to neglect to do OLCI and just arrive at the airport hoping you can check in, as this is Delta, after all. Sure, most of the time it should work, but when it doesn't, it may be a real uphill battle trying to fix it and get the ticket reinstated or fix whatever else the problem may be. (A bit OT, but if you have a 006 ticket with an MU flight, the battle to do check-in at the airport is almost epic. As MU is handled by DL and for MU flights DL branded BPs are issued, you have to check in with DL using DL systems. But, a 006 ticket for MU directs check-in to MU. MU systems direct it to DL (as DL does MU ground handling and issues DL branded BPs for MU). So, either system the agents use - DL or MU, the check-in won't work and it directs it to the other, --> <-- (only happens for 006/DL tickets, not for MU issued tickets). It can take a good 2 hours of multiple escalation layers at ATL to get a workaround and to be able to check in. Again, a bit OT and not about CC must be present, but just shows why if you can't do OLCI, travelling on 006 tickets it's a good idea to arrive at the airport a good 2-3 hours early, as it's not uncommon for problems like this to happen, or the operating airline to have no record of you, and thus needing to first open up space for you, etc. in order to be able to check you in - yup, had that happen to me also on 006 tickets.)

craig44485

Depends, I have the same issue every time, living in Makati, Philippines and a foreign credit card, I always have to show my card and have never been able to do OLCI.

Once while in the US I booked a ticket and it said I needed to show the card at the ticket counter. I was returning from one flight so that evening while leaving the airport I stopped by the Delta ticket desk and showed my card, they noted it, and when it came time to check in online a few days later, no go.

Here in Makati when I pay for a ticket for my wife and I am not flying with her we have to go to the local ticket office here in Makati and show the card there along with my ID. They make a note of it and print her tickets for her right then. It's a pain in the rear believe, but much better than having to deal with fraud issues at a later time.

122554

And this is a problem?