This morning I had a flight leaving from SEA going to MSP onto CDG.

Upon arriving and attempting to check in, the kiosk said I need to present the original credit card I used to book the ticket.

Unfortunately for me, I had just gotten a new Delta AMEX and decided to leave the original purchasing credit card at home. So I went to talk to a ticketing agent and she said she required the original credit card to issue me a boarding pass. Of course a long discussion ensued where the ticketing agent was of absolutely no help. She insisted that it was a bank requirement. I then called my bank (USAA) and the customer service rep said USAA doesn't ever require this. I told this to the ticketing agent but she still denied me.

She said she could rebook me for tomorrow morning and I could go get the credit card. So I asked to talk to a manager who again was of little help and offered no possible solutions. Then after nearly 20 minutes of arguing the manager said she would refund the ticket to the original credit card and I could purchase a new ticket at the same fare class. But then she looked at her watch and said there wasn't time.

I could tell there was nothing I was going to be able to do at this point to get on the flight so I rebooked for tomorrow morning.

Once arriving at home I called the delta ticketing office and talked to a manager about some sort of compensation. She said the only compensation she could provide was to rebook book tomorrow which was already done. The manager said I need to call corporate customer relations. I hung up.


I've read every bit of Delta's contract of carriage and nowhere in there doesn't it say the original credit card is needed to board the plane.


I have a multi day photo shoot over in Slovenia and missing this flight has cost me and my production company numerous thousands of dollars and needless to say this has cause an incredible amount of frustration.



So what can I do now? It seams like I should be able to get an upgrade or travel voucher or something.


Any brilliant ideas out there?

Did you ask them what their suggestion would be for the situation where someone else (someone who handles travel at work, say) paid for the ticket?

Generally agency-issued tickets aren't flagged as "show card".

The issue usually is for 3rd party tickets bought on short notice. Person A buys a ticket for person B flying in a few days. There's a high chance of fraud, as A may have stolen the card number and the chargeback doesn't occur until after B has flown.

It's not a bank requirement per se to show the card, but the airline can be held responsible for a chargeback if it isn't.

So it's a little unusual that you just can't show you're the same person as the cardholder.

No third party involved here. I bought the ticket from delta.com about 3 weeks ago.

I am generally reluctant to recommend legal action but if you did indeed lose thousands of dollars and it's not in the CoC, I would consider a small claims suit. Seems like a no-brainer judgment.

From DL.com's "About Online Booking" section:

Credit Card Presentation

To safeguard against credit card fraud, the purchaser may have to show us the credit card along with a valid photo ID. The time varies based on the billing address of the credit card or the country of travel. If the purchaser is not traveling, they can show us their credit card and ID at an airport ticket counter or another ticket office location, whichever is most convenient.

Delta usually puts their credit card requirement on their receipts, this one is from a flight several years ago (which I know does not apply, but it's nothing new for Delta to have some type of show credit card requirement)

Note: If ticket purchase was by credit card and within 5 days of travel, you must present this card at time of travel. When using certain vouchers to purchase tickets, remaining credits may not be refunded. Additional charges and/or credits may apply and are displayed in the sections below.


Several other airlines also require the credit card used to purchase to be shown at certain times (see the years long thread in the United forum).

Every time this comes up, people want compensation, and all the times showing a card has come up, I don't believe anybody ever came back and said they got anything from the airline. Not saying that's right, just saying many have fought the same battle and lost.

It's been years since I've been asked to show the card I bought tickets with, but I always make sure I have it, even if it's been replaced, just in case.

We can play what if all night long, what if somebody else bought the ticket, what if my bank was taken over and they issued new cards, what if aliens took all my cards, but none of those apply in this case as the purchase card was available.

For some reason your transaction was flagged to show the card. It may never ever happen again, but bet you never travel without it again.

Just curious... did the card happen to have a non-U.S. billing address?

you bought the ticket 3 weeks ago.....and called or checked before your flight and all was in order......i have bought tickets for others on card and they never asked to see original card....delta are not right....suppose if flagged card co would call you....now not only need passport but credit card that bought to get on plane...what if it was someones family......delta i not want to fly....german airlines have no problem

It is shown at one of the ticket purchasing page that you card might be required as an ID for travel. It has happened to me about 1 out of every three flights.

I had card safety compromised situation and was issues a new card and number by my bank. Wisely I kept my original card which got me onto a flight purchased by that CC number without any issues even that card was not valid. They need to see the actual card with the embossed number used for the transaction.

My grandfather's advice to me that I will share - READ ALL THE FINE PRINTS

Does American Airlines ever require the credit card used at the time of purchase when you check-in?
I bought some award tickets in February for a trip in September with a credit card I'll probably be canceling in July. I didn't even think of the possibility of needing the card in September, but could always bring the physical card even if it's canceled.

Same with me. Almost any international flight I take I have to show the original card used to purchase the flight, no matter how far in advance I purchase it.

I purchased a ticket for a friend of mine on United once who doesn't have a credit card, and sure enough , he got to the counter and they wanted the card. Fortunately, I was still driving around to get out of the airport and swung back in to show the card.

It happens, you just need to be prepared for it.

I am not familiar with AA but I would bring it just in case.

I was a boy scout - Be prepared!

The billing address was a U.S. address. Nothing out of the normal at all.

I've gone back and looked at the fine print of my receipt and it says nothing about showing my credit card.

One would assume it would be on the receipt as wall as the contract of carriage. But it is not at all. On DL.com's check-in requirements sections doesn't mention it either.


Credit Card Presentation

To safeguard against credit card fraud, the purchaser may have to show us the credit card along with a valid photo ID. The time varies based on the billing address of the credit card or the country of travel. If the purchaser is not traveling, they can show us their credit card and ID at an airport ticket counter or another ticket office location, whichever is most convenient.


clarence5ybr you were better at finding that than me. I actually tried to find that info and it took me a bit. The above should be linked to the check-in requirements sections on DL.com and on the email itinerary at a minimum.


And as far as it happening on international flights all the time, that is not true at all. I've managed to fill up a passport and I have never ever been asked to show the credit card. Flights all over the world, Pakistan, Venezuela, all over africa. Never once been asked.

Well I guess it sounds like I'm pretty much screwed as far as any compensation goes.

See also this thread in the Delta Forum


http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/delta...red-check.html