FlyerTalk Forums - View Single Post - Booking phantom fully refundable ticket to ensure empty seats next to you
Old Jun 27, 2012 | 7:46 pm
  #9  
DCBob
 
Join Date: Sep 2001
Location: Washington, DC
Programs: UA Plat MM, AA Gold, Hyatt Explorist, Hilton Gold, IHG Plat, Marriott Titanium Elite
Posts: 5,015
Originally Posted by Often1
As a starting point, it violates the contract because it's a purchase made with no intent to complete it. It's fraudulent because it's made in the name of someone who isn't a pax.

But, that's the good news. This conduct is simple wire fraud, a 5-year felony under federal law. It also violates several identity theft provisions. And, we're talking about significant $ here.

As others note, US will catch on and will pursue this., If you are lucky, you only get stuck with being banned from flying them and repaying the value of the tix.
+1. I hope the OP comes to his senses and realizes what a ridiculous illegal scheme he is proposing. The airlines have programs to spot this kind of behavior by matching credit card numbers as well as I.P. addresses to reservations. If he is using his own credit card, they know who he is already.

When someone fraudulently charged my credit card number to buy seats on Alaska Air, the airline called me and told me that they had tracked down the purchaser using his I.P. address and from other information they had on file.
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