Originally Posted by
kmersh
... if I stopped random people at the Hospital where I work not too many of them would know nor care how their ticket was funded, all they would know they have a ticket for X location and that they paid X amount of dollars for it.
...I completely understand it is NOT the Airline's fault and that they are just doing their jobs, but I would hope that the Airline realizes it may not be the passengers fault either, though I am sure that the Corporate Security folks have probably heard every excuse in the book.
... Is it just a case of caveat emptor?
I don't know about innocent victim. When you buy from Joe's Airline Ticket shop you should know what you are getting yourself into. Any place that does not give you a ticket price online but instead wants you to call their 800 number or call you... you should know you are part of something iffy. If you buy a ticket from anywhere but the airline itself, you are taking on some risk. The farther you move away from traditional sources, the greater the savings and the greater the risk.
There are tons of stories on FT and elsewhere about passengers being told to call Orbitz/Priceline/etc when there is irregular ops. That is the risk they take vs. paying more and buying from the airline directly.
If you are going to take the risk, at the very least...
1. Use a credit card. (If you don't you just added risk and you know - or should know - it is a dodgy transaction.
2. Call the airline after booking and verify what you bought. If it does not line up with what you have been told, bail on the ticket.
3. If it goes south, don't play the innocent victim card.