Ok.. I have to admit this is also not always done correctly in another way. According to RCC and UAL reservations, you can call and eticket, then show the credit card before the flight and not have to show it at boarding.

Well, my wife was flying on an eticket I purchased. I went to the RCC a week before and showed them my Diners Club. They made a note in the record.

My wife tries to check in.. they ask for the credit card. No problem she thinks, and mentions that I have already shown the card to United. They said they NEED the card and they can have her buy the ticket on her own CREDIT CARD at the same rate. They make her buy a new ticket on our personal credit card, refund back my ticket.. (all this takes about 20 min and alot of harassing). She loses her good seat assignment, gets some middle (since it is a new ticket).

She gets to PDX (it was a LAX-PDX flight) and tells me. I go to the UAL supervisor, they examine the record and appologize saying the LAX people are known to get a little "zealous". She said it was wrong and she could see why I was angry. She made sure the ticket was refunded when they made her buy a new one and issued the ticket my wife bought back to us with an extra $20 for our inconvience...

It is annoying, but they did make good on compensating us. I wish United could just make sure the basic rules are known by all the ticket agents....