I'm trying to use my brother in law's miles to upgrade a flight for myself (with his permission).

He logs on, selects my name and booking number and goes all the way through to payment (extra taxes ex-UK). At the payment stage it asks for billing information and we want to use my credit card. There is a box here pre-selected which says "Please use my Skywards information" and it won't let me untick it.

I can manually enter all my cc details and go on to confirm the booking but it is getting rejected with the message "Sorry we are unable to process your online payment". It is not getting as far as my bank as I've called them to see if the issue was at their end.

Has anyone else come across this or managed to do what I'm trying? Is there any way round this or do we have to call Skywards?

Get your brother in-law to call with your booking reference. It will take all of 2 minutes.

It also requires him to have my credit card number including the security code and any Verified by Visa password. I doesn't matter that I trust him, it's bad practice.

Can't you call with his skywards account details instead?

I then require his security details to identify myself as him to the Skywards staff. As with the CC details going his way, it's not ideal.

Yes, but better you using his Skywards membership number and date of birth than him using your credit card.

I was trying to enquire about a reservation for a friend the other day, and they wanted not just PNR and his name, but also his Skywards number, which I didn't have.

In fact even when I call (Emirates though, not Skywards), they ask me for email or date of birth, despite my entering the Skywards number and PIN just to be able to speak with them!

Earlier this year, I made a booking for my mother online using her credit card. My name wasn't anywhere on the booking. I then called up and simply said I wish to upgrade her ticket using my skywards points. They asked for my skywards number and the booking reference and nothing more.

I'm not sure why they need your credit card details to confirm anything. Maybe the phone guy I was speaking to didn't follow the correct procedure.

Departing from the UK, the taxes payable are higher if travelling in business class than if travelling in economy class so there is extra to pay when upgrading from economy

To the OP, As far as a solution goes, wouldn't it be easy just to have the brother call and request the upgrade and then hand phone to you to pay the taxes on your card or for him to pay and you just to reimburse him.

Dave

Isn't that the case with France as well? I upgraded out of CDG, and didn't have to pay anything extra.

They are, perhaps, not in the same city?!

I think the UK, Pakistan and one other are the only ones where increased taxes become due. I've read it on the website somewhere but can't find it with a quick search. *

That is the case. The award seat is now no longer available before we had time to sort something out.


* - Edit to add. Ex Lebanon is the third place where Skywards say extra tax is due.

Sorted.

The availability returned and he set me up as a Travel Co-ordinator within his Skywards profile and I could do it all over the phone from there, including chauffeur drive.

Strangely though, I was never asked to pay anything. Will they just ask for this at the airport?

Possibly at the airport, or possibly not charged at all. I know for a fact that if you fly out of France, there is a higher tax on tickets in J/F. The same is true of India for example, and the other places you mentioned. But when you're upgrading with miles, there's perhaps some clause according to which you're still in Y (or something like that), and the tax is not payable.

At least with EK you can do things as Travel Coordinator. Qatar is absolutely useless in that respect.

In my experiance,you wont be able to check in without paying the taxes.Check in agents will direct you to the emirates desk to make the payment.This has always happened to me from BHX.

I'm positive I'll have to pay it as it was the request for payment (�75 difference from Y to J) that stymied me in the first place.

Thanks for the info - I expected as much.

True happened with me at MAN and LHR. They will send you to the EK desk to revalidated the ticket before check in.