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Cardholder must be present with credit card at check-in

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Airline passengers who buy tickets online with credit cards which are not their own are usually required to have the cardholder present when they check in, and have the card with them for verification.

This practice is implemented by three airlines The Straits Times spoke to - Singapore Airlines (SIA), Cathay Pacific and Jetstar Asia.

SIA and Cathay Pacific carry out the verification on all of their flights, while the checks are done on Jetstar Asia flights only to and from Manila.

Cathay Pacific said the practice of physically verifying the credit card was implemented by the airline "more than 10 years ago".

A Jetstar Asia spokesman said: "For flights to and from Manila, every effort has been made to remind our passengers of the verification process.

"At the time of the booking, credit card owners are notified of this requirement. This is also reflected in the itinerary and post booking e-mail."

SIA spells out the condition on its website.

On June 11, China national Chang Lihui threw a sign at an SIA ticketing staff member after she failed to get a boarding pass at Changi Airport for a flight bought using a family member's credit card.

Chang, 33, was sentenced to 24 days in jail on Monday.

An SIA spokesman said customers who are unable to present the credit card used for purchase in person may be required to sign a Letter of Indemnity (LOI). It can be signed at any SIA ticket office or submitted online for verification.

The purpose of signing the LOI is to "minimise the risk of fraud", said its spokesman.

For Cathay Pacific, the airline allows for the verification of the card to be done at its office at Bugis Junction Towers in cases where the cardholder is unable to be present at check-in. It does not accept an authorisation letter by the cardholder.

Successful transactions made with the 3-D Secure verification payment system are not subjected to the physical checks.

The spokesman also added that corporate flight bookings made by companies on behalf of its employees are usually done using this system, thus removing the need for the physical verification.

Singapore Airlinessecuritytravel