Originally Posted by
MSPeconomist
If the friend is purchasing the ticket from DL with a credit card, be aware that there's a possibility (depending on the route, with certain international routes considered high risk) of needing to show the credit card that was used for the purchase to DL at check in, with a possibility of the person who owns the credit card doing this in advance at the airport (or a DL ticket office, if any still exist). AFAIK this might also apply if a credit card is used to pay the taxes and fees on an award ticket, again depending very much on the route. Most airlines do this an an anti-fraud device.
Here is the thing about that. They have to have another way if this comes up. For years, I paid for tickets with a card I didn't physically have. Dozens and dozens of times I have given my SkyMiles to other people with me not traveling always paying the taxes and fees myself. Number of times they have been asked to show the card....zero. If they had been, they are going to say they don't have it. Maybe Delta calls me. Maybe they ask some other questions. This is not an unusual situation. It has to come up.