Moderator please move if this belongs in the "other Asian PAC airlines" forum.

I was recently denied boarding for a Sri Lankan airways flight to MLE because I didn't have the credit card I used to purchase the tickets with me on my person. I turn credit cards so of course I don't carry all of my credit cards with me when I travel. I didn't read the information on my tickets which states I must have the credit card with me, so I accept that I'm probably screwed. However, I wanted to ask the FT experts if there is anyway I can get a refund for the tickets. I think I bought it with a card that has flight cancellation but not sure if this would cover my case.

I wasn't offered to Rebook on the flight the next day by UL gate agent. I just booked my flight on another airlines which departed a couple of hours after the UL flight.

So is this a hard lesson learned or can I recover some of my money?

(I've moved this to Other Asian.)

Yikes, that's harsh.

Here's what happened to me with Vietnam Airlines.

We were to board an internal Vietnam Airlines flight about a year ago. We were asked for our credit card. I had used my Sapphire card, but it had been slammed and replaced. I hadn't thought to save the old card. Vietnam Airlines wouldn't accept the replacement card. We were forced to buy a new ticket. We did so for the same flight/airline. Vietnam Airlines gave us a form to fill out and apply for a refund once home. It was essential that I have the original credit card number in order to get the refund.

Did Sri Lankan Airlines give you any instructions on how to get a refund? If not, was it a refundable ticket?

I now put a sticky in a trip file telling me what credit card I used for the bookings in order to bring that cc on the trip.

I wasn't given the option to purchase another ticket. I didn't have any check luggage and had printed out what I thought was my boarding pass. I passed through security in Doha and showed the printed boarding pass and proceeded to the gate where I was denied boarding. They told me that the print out a I had was not a boarding passes and I should have not been allowed through security with the print outs. What is funny is the print out had a bar code, same as the printed boarding passes from US airlines, and I think the security agent actually scanned the bar code before they allowed us through security.

I couldn't buy a ticket at the gate as they don't have the capability to do that. Instead I would have to catch a bus from the departures terminal to the arrivals terminal, go through customs/immigration, catch a taxi back to the departures terminal to try and buy a new ticket at Sri Lankan check in counter. Doha airport suuuuuuuucks!

The agents at the gate never gave me any options other than show me your card. The manager just said two words "sorry no" and then walked off and didn't get involved at all.

I will try and context both the credit card and UL about a refund but wanted to see if any FT had advice as how best to approach this to get a refund or if the money is gone.

Credit cards normally refund if the goods/services purchased did not materialize or were not provided.

Complain to the credit card.

You can try to get your credit card company to refund, but no guarantees and I'd say your chances are less than 50/50 since the mistake was yours, for not following the terms/conditions of booking. I assume you purchased a ticket online from their own website--many Asian airlines will require the credit card used for the purchase to be presented at check-in as an antifraud measure. And they state this when you book directly. You can get around this requirement by purchasing a ticket through a third party online or bricks-and-mortar agent. The rationale being that any fraud issues are between you and the agent, not the airline. There are also no problems at check-in, if you book in person with credit card at a physical office of the airline, since they will have confirmed validity at the time of purchase.

Others: Be especially mindful of this in situations where a relative, friend, or colleague books a ticket for you online at the airline company's website, with their credit card, but will not be traveling with you.

YOu can get a refund from you cc people, as there was non delivery of services paid for. Also, Lesson Learned: ALWAYS travel with the credit card you paid with unless you booked via a travel agent.

Especially an avid traveller like you should know the rules by now: ua silver, qr gold, Etihad Gold,

First oif all, all should be warned that this happens. When using CCs to buy airline tickets online in various international destinations, keep the card even if "dead".

But the airline action at the gate sucks, and 100% deserves the ability to dispute via the CC. They took the money (when you first paid), then said they would not accept accept the CC for whatever reasons. If they refuse to accept the CC payment, they can not charge the card.

A decent airline would be far more reasonable. When I had this issue with EVA they were willing to call into Amex. While waitimg for it to be cleared, they explained that if it could not be resolved, they could charge my new card and the other charge would be canceled. A pain-in-the-butt, but a reasonable solution.

But please all, keep the old cards and avoid this :-)

I had this happen to me in HKG on a SQ flight to SIN. Luckily I had my Blackberry with me, and I signed into my online banking and physically handed the device to her so she could see my name, address and the card number in my online banking dashboard. It took some pleading, but she eventually issued my BP... it was my idea, so don't expect them to allow this all the time, but if it happens, give it a try.

I thought about this just yesterday but it didn't Cross my mind as I was going to try and call the credit card company when I was at the gate but the manager stated he was not going to accept that.

I appreciate all the info which is helpful and not condescending as I do know now I should have had the card. However, I have never been ask for my cc from any of the airlines I'm a FF with and I have never heard of this requirement with any US based airlines.

So my question is why only ME/Asian airlines require CC and no US airline requires CC?

Why is the CC required at check in? How does this protect me the consumer? If someone steals my CC# or opens a new account is it not easier to create fake plastic then creating a passport with my name to match the CC?

How does not allowing the perp to board the plane protect me if the credit card has already been billed and the airline has accepted the money from the CC company?

Just seems like another cheesy way for an airline to charge for something and not have to render services.

Same thing happened to me couple of years ago in BKK with PG. They simply asked me to pay the same fare with cash or (other) cc at their counter and reimbursed me the original cc payment within few weeks. They were somehow apologetic about it and handled the whole thing promptly.

Especially with Asian carriers I'm frequently asked to show the cc used for the payment. I have not seen any consistence though, meaning even the same airline might ask today but not on my next trip.

PG, an airline I have quite a bit of experience with, typically asks for the card but not always. A few days ago I had a domestic flight which I purchased on the phone just two days before. Fully expecting to be required to show the card I was nontheless able to check in online all the way to a printable BP and at the airport was asked for nothing.

On their website it states that you might be asked for the card. So the maintain leeway in their operations.

As a Premier for the last 2+ years I can probably count on 1 hand the number of times I haven't been asked for the card. As always, YMMV.

Hmm. Methinks somebody is quite US-centric in thinking here, and the assumption is that laws and regulations governing credit cards are the same in other parts of the world as the USA. This would be a mistake. The reason the CC is required by many Asian airlines isn't really to protect you--it's to protect themselves. If our hypothetical perp has used a stolen card (or information on same) to make an online booking for himself or friend, then gets boarded (using his own legitimate passport) and takes the flight, followed by the true card owner protesting a charge he didn't make--the airline essentially forfeits the payment when the funds go back to the owner's account. The airline is out its cash, carries a perp for free, and has foregone the opportunity to make revenue off that seat. There is a lot of card fraud in some parts of Asia. And when it comes to money, Asians are a lot more suspicious of others' motives than North Americans seem to be, and tend to take very defensive postures.

As I said upthread, this phenomenon only occurs with online bookings made directly with the airline. If you purchased using a credit card in person at an airline office or travel agent, they'd verify the card on the spot and watch you sign the charge slip, and there would be no notation in your PNR for the check-in agent to request the card again. Ditto for using Expedia or other online third-party agent, as that 3rd party acts as a financial buffer to insulate the airline from fraud to a large extent.

While it may be an inconvenience to you as a (forgetful) First World consumer, I think in developing countries with transitioning economies and regulations, it's a reasonable business practice. While most people on FT take credit cards for granted wherever you go, plenty of us have been around this Asian block enough to know that not so long ago, carrying a sack of cash to pay for one's ticket was the norm. More than once I've plonked the local equivalent of USD 1500-2000 on the counter for that.

The card verification at check in also occurs for tickets purchased through the airline call centers.

Yeah, I forgot about the phone booking option. But the essence is the same as online: it's a non-face-to-face purchase directly between customer and airline. Airline is going to protect itself by inspecting the card at check-in.

My wife and I were also recently denied boarding at Male. We had a round trip ticket to Dubai. I did not have the physical card with me, but did have a photo and my wife's physical card from the same account. I did also have extensive documentation:
- Wife's credit card from the same account
- Photo of my credit card
- Full 16 digit card number, which enabled the agent to be able to process the boarding passes, but manager refused to give to me.
- Full credit card statement, that included purchase of air ticket, and also had my 16 digit credit card printed on it
- Copy of purchase invoice from email
- Copy of E-ticket for my wife and I
- Passports, Licenses, Nexus card
- OneWorld cards (AA)
- Called my bank and had them talk directly to agent to confirm transaction.
- Had printed email from Sri Lankan airlines that credit card is not needed at check-in if paid using Verified by Visa

Management was on phone with head office in Colombo. Said I could not get boarding passes. Also said it was impossible to make any changes to the ticket at all until I presented the physical card in person, which was back home. Said only option is to request refund and should get 90-100% off money back. I was told I can travel from MLE airport, to nearby island of Male to Sri Lankan office for an explanation. But they will not be able to help me at all.

We ended up paying for a new flight on Emirates. I contacted Tourist Police, but they could not help as they said the matter was civil, and not criminal. I immediately called my credit card and had them hold the transaction and provided them all details.

I also requested a refund from Sri Lankan directly. They started to process, minus a $50 fee per ticket. Once they realized I requested a hold from my bank on the original transaction, they canceled the refund.

Does anyone have experience with their credit card company refunding the full amount?

With me providing extensive documentation, and having a letter stating a credit card is not needed if used Verified by Visa, I could not believe I was denied boarding and offered no solution. We were told they also sent numerous others back to their hotel earlier in the day, and my hotel also said people had the same issue earlier that week.

I feel what they are doing is illegal. Also putting the details and such fine print in the bottom of the e-ticket, and not making it clear during booking is misleading.

It seems Sri Lankan Airlines continues to screw people out of money. The recent articles on BBC and Bloomberg also show how corrupt the airline is. Would reporting to the BBB, or Attorney General, or Sri Lankan's tourism board/government help?

Thank you.