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.