Joe Schoomer

I booked an Etihad air ticket on Travelocity.com using my credit card for my Mom who will be flying from India to US. I know that Etihad rules indicate that if the traveler is not the ticket purchaser, then the traveler has to show the credit card used for the purchase or a copy of the card with an authorization letter.

Do you know if my Mom will need to show a copy of my credit card with an authorization letter? I called Etihad's US cust service and asked them this question and after putting me on hold, they came back and said she must have a copy of my credit card with an authorization letter. I told them that it did not make sense because Travelocity will not be passing my credit card information to Etihad so how would Etihad know which exact credit card was used. They didn't have an answer for that question and just said, she has to carry those docs.

I just don't want to mail/fax my credit card details and letter from US to India and risk it getting lost and into the wrong hands.

Any advise?

edy4eva

Not needed. I think the agent you spoke with is ill advised. If you had paid your travel agent via bank transfer, what CC details would they be talking about?! As if.

MAZ199

Ticket was bought on a TA's website not directly through Etihad. So, Etihad shouldn't care how you paid your TA (cash in person or CC or any other method).

I say don't worry.

Happy travel!

irishguy28

It's easy for travellers who have never had the experience of being asked to produce the card that purchased the ticket to give the advice that has been given so far. Most travellers won't have travelled on a ticket bought on another person's card (as opposed to company cards) or will not have travelled on a ticket from a country where this is actually routine procedure. And it's not their own Mom who runs the risk of being denied boarding and left bewildered at the airport.

India, it seems, is one country where this is routine procedure. Jet Airways always requires that the card, or a verification from the cardholder along with copies of both sies of the card, is produced at check in. Air India also requires this see section 2.1 of this document

Etihad also clearly specifies this in their T&Cs

And if further proof was needed, there are many threads here on FlyerTalk reporting passengers being denied boarding for not being able to produce the credit card used during booking, or a proper authorisation from the card holder

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/delta...edit-card.html

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/delta...d-check-5.html

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/other...k-airways.html

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/thai-...edit-card.html

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/other...y-tickets.html

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/trave...ty-checks.html

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/other...-boarding.html

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/emira...ard-check.html

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/catha...ard-check.html

My advice - comply with the request. Why would you not? It's a simple and easy thing to do, and could save your mother an awful lot of hassle and upset. Remember to cancel out the CVC code on the card, and to copy both sides. Include all the details of your Mum's ticket. Tell your Mum to keep the photocopies and your signed authorisation until she has boarded the final flight on her itinerary, and only then should see destroy the copies.

Alternatively, did you think to ask Etihad if you could present the card at your local Etihad office? They may accept this, but I still think it is safer if your Mum carries the required documentation. If you really don't want to mail/fax your credit card details, then perhaps your local Etihad office will present you with a letter indicating that they have verified your details, and your Mum's ticket, and you can fax this to her instead, just so that she has something to show if asked.

edy4eva

It's equally easy to err and assume that the advice given is from someone who was never asked to produce the credit card used to purchase the ticket.

The OP used their credit card to book a ticket for his mother through a TA. He did not book directly with the airline, in which case, his mother will be required to have the said documentation at check in.

I have booked numerous times for colleagues, friends, and relatives using my credit card on EY through both expedia and EY. In the case of the former they were never asked to provide any documentation, whereas in the latter and only on itineraries departing certain countries they were asked to produce a copy of the credit card (to which I supplemented with an authorisation letter).

EY has no access to the payment details used to book tickets through travel agents. A TA may or may not include 'some' part of the payment details through the booking notes, but EY will have no information that's comprehensive enough to be able to verify these details at check in.

edy4eva

I should add that ALL posts referenced by irishguy28 are for instances where the OPs bought the tickets DIRECTLY with the airline, not through a TA.
They're also for other airlines not EY.

I should also add that Etihad's terms and conditions are in relation to their websites (i.e. www.etihadairways.com, www.etihadholidays.com, www.etihadguest.com and www.etihadcrystalcargo.com). The section which is referenced clearly indicates the use of credit cards on Etihad's websites.

What an utter waste of time and effort irishguy28.

Joe Schoomer

I'm the OP.

Thanks for your replies. I called up Etihad's US Customer Service one more time. The agent said that even if a purchase is made through a travel agent (or Travelocity), Etihad's system will have a remark whether a credit card verification is required. She asked me to call back and provide the booking reference number so she can check for that remark! I plan to do this tomorrow.

BTW, I checked my flight e-ticket on Etihad's Web site (even though I purchased on Travelocity), and Etihad is displaying my credit card information. So they do have my information and know that the ticket was paid for by my on a credit card.

irishguy28

Thanks for the reply. And let us know what EY finally says. It seems that India is one of those places where they verify all such passengers (travelling on a ticket paid for on another's card).

And it is no surprise that Etihad knows the credit card details. The few times I've used Travelocity to book air tickets, it was the relevant airline that actually charged the card, with Travelocity separately charging only their own fee. So in your case, although Travelocity was the agent, Etihad themselves probably took the payment directly from your card (and therefore would view themselves as being on the hook should a claim be made against this ticket).

bgriff

You have far too much faith in the system. Etihad's rules and practices, as implemented, can vary from one agent to the next, and if a check-in agent in India demands to see something, I hardly think Mum is going to start quoting IATA rulebook sections to try to prove him wrong. Better to be safe and have the documentation on hand.

Joe Schoomer

I'm the OP.

Called Etihad Customer Service today and was on hold for 12 mins... ...after which I said, "Darn, fu$k it, I'll just mail the damn credit card authorization letter, photocopies of the card and license to my Mom in India!!!" This is the first time I am using my credit card to buy her ticket. Typically, she buys her own ticket and I just transfer the money over... ...and that's what I should stick to going forward!

But thanks everyone for chiming in.

Ganavk

I had the same issue when booking on emirates. I called emirates support and they mentioned that
- if booked through approved travel agents ( expedia.com/travelocity etc) no need for the traveler to have the credit card
- if directly booked through their website then I have to show the credit card at the local emirates office to get the ticket issued

edy4eva

I have done this with AA, ME, EY, and AF before. Charges appear as if charged direct by the airline but in reality booked through a TA. In neither of these cases was asked to produce the credit card at check in (including some less travelled airports where credit card checks are the norm, but again for itineraries booked direct with the airline).

Dogmatick

Sorry Edy but been asked a number of times for proof of card even though I am the traveller and it was booked on my card. Particular airports for this are MUS, AUH (though rare), BOM

Seems if it pings up on the booking then they ask, they only want to see a card with the correct name as they don't have the complete card details (discussed with an agent in Muscat)

But I'm sure you're going to end up right anyway

Joe Schoomer

I'm the OP. My Mom's visiting next week and I will report back if they ask for credit card details at Mumbai. But in any case, I have sent her the credit card authorization letter along with the necessary documentation. She had called up the Etihad office in India and they also gave her the same bull about how credit card verification is absolutely required and there are no exceptions even if the ticket is NOT purchased on etihad.com.

I spoke to Etihad (24-hr customer service) today and the agent confirmed (without any hesitation or checking with anyone else) that credit card proof is required ONLY if the ticket is purchased at etihad.com. To be doubly sure, she pulled up the ticket information and also confirmed that there is no such remark that credit card verification is required. She was vehement that there wouldn't be one since it clearly shows the ticket was purchased on Travelocity.com and Etihad has already collected the money from Travelocity. She said that even if (worst case scenario) the Mumbai ticket agent asks my Mom for credit card verification she should ask them to check that the ticket was purchased through an agent so Etihad is not liable and should not require any credit card verification.

In any case, I have asked my Mom not to show the credit card verification documents right away. And even if the agent insists, resist and see how far it goes. And then ask for the supervisor to give a logical reason (wonder what that might be), and whether you agree or nor, then show the credit card verification.

Will keep you posted.

whimike

I often fly out of CMB and every time I book the flight via Emirates.com or Etihad.com, they ask for my credit card to verify. Just this last week I flew EY from CMB and booked via a TA, and when I checked in at CMB they didn't ask for my credit card to verify.