A friend had gifted me a *A RTW ticket issued in Vancouver trhouh a TA there, on SQ document using her creditcard. At no where along the route was I asked to present the cc (which would have been impossible since my friend was not travelling with me). The original ticketed routing was: CGK-x/SIN-(TG)-BKK-ICN-YVR-YYZ-YUL-LHR-HAM-FRA-CPT-SIN-CGK. Nothing dramatic anywhere enroute, including SIN-BKK which was on TG. No demand from checkin staff to see cc.

When I was in CPT, I rerouted the ticket had had it reissued through SQ and used my own cc to pay for the fees and additional taxes. The new routing included SAA, TG in addition to SQ.

Upon check in at CPT with SAA, the check in agent demanded to see the cc used to pay for the ticket. THE ORIGINAL cc that was used. Not the one that I used to pay at CPT. Their systems would not allow me check in without showing the original cc. Even though the ticket was issued through a TA, SAA requires that the TA (no matter where they are) to fax them a copy of the cc used. Which was impossible since I was in CPT and well, my friend was in Vancouver at the time. But after a few humming and ha'ing, the supervisor had to override the system to allow me to board manually. They insisted that 'my travel agent' should have known better. Yes but only such policy existed in South Africa and not anywhere else in the world.

I get to JNB, and went to the TG counter where its staffed by SA staff. Guess what? Yep. They wanted to see the original card again. This was despite the fact that SQ had reissued the ticket and put in the new cc # on the reissued ticket. But no, SAA insists that they want the original card.

After arguing with them again, that the ticket has already been 75% used and previous flights on TG were fine, TG Supervisor, aka SAA staff allowed me to board, only to grumble what a *#@% passenger I was .. yes , in full hearing range from me too. I didn't want to get denied boarding so I just kept quiet and said thank you all the way.

At BKK, connecting to TG was a breeze. But upon arrival in SIN, my baggage tagged from CPT to JNB to BKK to SIN didn't make it.

Sigh.

(Got bags back after 4 days though)