Originally Posted by
megaloman
Lessening protection of what?
I know all the details BA requires me to know, I get no extra information from BA on top of what I already know. Knowing just booking reference and last name I can check passenger's email and phone number on the booking - so asking for those to confirm whatever makes no sense.
Indeed. Armed with the booking reference and surname, which you already have, you could do all sorts of nasty things with the booking, like cancelling or changing it in any manner of ways. If you would get your credit card out, you could even reserve a seat next to yours. But, as a GCH it is your published benefit to get this free of charge and IMHO without all this unnecessary hassle.