nufnuf77

I have never been asked by BA for my card (and BA97 tells me I have done over 300 BA flights). I don't travel to high fraud risk countries often.

Often1

This happens only when tickets are issued other than in-person by BA, e.g., online from BA.com. Then only when there are red flags for fraud. That rare occurs in Europe of North America, but does occur from certain high fraud stations.

Why this occasionally happens is simply a matter of something about the transaction which tripped some wire.

If the ticket is purchased through a TA, there is no issue because it is the TA's problem if the card used was fraudulent.

In the specific incident in this thread, simply bring the "old" card and, if asked, show it.

madfish

This can also have an advantage. I have been able to use my personal Amex for work flights as I may need it at the airport. They wouldn't dream of letting the work CC go with somebody else! Happy to oblige as it means I get the avios.

Howard Long

I booked the OH and I a trip to SIN via BA holidays about 14 months ago. I made the payment on two cards over the phone.

At the F check in at T5, I was asked for the card I used for payment, which I can't remember happening before at least nomin recent years. I explained I'd used two cards, and presented both. Neither worked, and it was suggested they weren't the right cards, but as I'd only booked it three days earlier I knew which cards I'd used. It took about 20 minutes to resolve, with the agent going to faceless individuals higher up the food chain to tick the right boxes. I never did find out what it was all about.

nufnuf77

Lucky you, I can use personal card for everything but flights. For those we have an (incompetent) TA who charges the company by invoice.

Sunbeater

Sunbeater

I ALWAYS have to present my card - every outbound flight.

KLMkitty

This happened to me about 10 years ago when I was studying in Germany. My wallet was stolen while on a weekend visit from Germany to Brussels. All of my bank cards and my German residence card were taken. Fortunately I still had my UK passport. A week later I was flying back to thr UK for the weekend. My flight had been booked months earlier on a credit card which was now of course cancelled. Online check in failed, as did the machine at Düsseldorf airport. I went to the check in desk, who referred me to the ticket desk. The staff were very hostile and refused to let me fly without me producing a valid credit card. I told them I had been robbed in Brussels and showed them the police report, and explained that my new UK bank cards had been delivered to my parents address in the UK and I would be collecting them at the weekend. I did not yet have a replacement German bank card, which took 3 weeks to obtain, such are procedures in Germany.

The staff were very hostile, making unkind remarks in German, unaware that I spoke German. It was only after I broke down in tears and called my parents, who provided their credit card number, that I was allowed to fly.

I visited the ticket desk on arrival at Heathrow and called Customer Relations. They both said my booking would have been flagged as suspicious due to my credit card being cancelled but that when I had presented a police report, the system should have been overridden. I did receive an apology and a load of avios.

i would definitely recommend that you call BA in advance and advise them of the situation.

QueenOfCoach

I have heard it is used as a tiebreaker should two people show up for the same ticket, both with legitimate-appearing ID.

The fraudster could be someone with the same name, such as your idiot "junior" son, or it could be someone with a convincing fake ID. The guy with the credit card gets the seat, the other one booted out.

I am sure there are other reasons.