I know you have solved this problem. Just wondering, could you not loan the cc to him, and you use another one on your trip?

I have never been asked for my credit card, but I always start my trips in EWR and almost all the RCC attendants there know me.

I have been doing the "long distance" relationship thing for the past 36 months. We fly from ONT to SFO almost every weekend. When I purchase the ticket online, I run into that same problem.

I have tried to go to the ticket office and show my card so she won't be hassled. 20 % of the time, you get a "human" working there who knows the system and actually cares... the rest of the time they tell me it's "not possiable".. when I know it is because it's been done before....

Good Luck...

It all comes down to the person that checks you in and if they want to enforce the rules (do their job).

Yes, If at one point the Credit Card is seen in person at a UAL ticketing location or travel agent, no need to worry.

If you purchased the E-Ticket by phone or internet, be prepared to present it.

In fact, a screen comes up for the check in agent to ask the passenger for the CC.

I brought this topic back up as I don't normally fly United, but I have been asked to buy a ticket for my brother-in-law who is in the Army to fly home for Memorial day weekend. I originally was going to have him fly USAirways, but the schedule didn't work out. I am ready to buy his ticket, but run into this credit card problem. I don't think he has a credit card and I live over 150 miles away from a United CTO or a United airport. Luckily there is enough time, to have a paper ticket issued and mailed to me, but it is a big hassle. I haven't had any problems doing this on TWA or USAirways.

You can keep it electronic. Just go to a CTO or airport and have them swipe your card in advance.

I live over 150 miles away from the nearest CTO or an airport United flies. It is not a simple matter to just swing buy one. The nearest would be Nashville or St. Louis. I probably will not do any air travel this month either. The point is other airlines don't have this restriction.

UA only has the restriction for tickets purchased through them directly (website, phone call). To get around it, just buy the ticket on Expedia.

I ran into a variation of this problem last year, when I'd bought e-tickets well in advance and then had to have my credit card cancelled and reissued because of some attempted fraudulent use. I cut up the old card and didn't have any problems until I was ready to travel -- then I realized I didn't have the old card to show at the airport.

I called UA, and they told me to bring a copy of the credit card statement showing the purchase; I did, and that did the trick. I'm just glad I don't have my credit card statement e-mailed to me -- I don't know if they'd've accepted something printed on plain white paper as being official enough.