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I have just booked the first leg of our 2 4 1 journey. We are between AMEX cards so I paid the taxes with partners daughter’s AMEX (same address as our BA account). Now I see, on the email confirmation:
IF THE PAYMENT CARDHOLDER IS TRAVELLING, YOU MUST BRING THE CARD USED TO PAY FOR THIS BOOKING TO THE AIRPORT WITH YOU, FOR VERIFICATION, BEFORE YOU CAN TRAVEL.
Daughter’s not travelling but we can probably bring the card, although it’s not going to be convenient for her. Card has same surname as my (travelling) partner but different first name.
I don’t think I have ever been asked at airport to produce the card that paid for the airfare/taxes, but then, I have never booked an AMEX 2 4 1 before.
Have other people had to produce the card at check in/boarding? And, if so, is there a way round it for us?I’ve seen this on Virgin and Air India bookings amongst others, I’ve never had anyone check. I don’t think you need to worry.
Don’t worry about it.
For a start, remember 10% or so of cards will expire between booking and flight, so its impossible to force people to carry the card.
This has happened to me once in 30 years. I simply said ‘I don’t have it’, pulled out another random credit card in my name and went on my way.
If you check your bags in on a machine at the airport, it will ask for the payment card to authenticate your ID.
If you hand in a passport to a human who’s probably employed by an outsourced company all they will look at to verify your ID is your passport and they won’t give two hoots about how you paid for your ticket.
One thing to be aware of is that if you’re claiming back 50% avios from the return booking (or possibly also if adding it by phone), sometimes the agent will check that the name of the person paying is the same as the voucher holder and also that that person paid for the outbound trip. So it’s advisable to put the voucher holder name in (I think it’s done automatically on the outbound because they know you’re using the 241 in that name), regardless of whose card it is (which Amex doesn’t check).
Since the introduction of various forms of additional cardholder authentication, i.e. Amex Safekey in this case, for online purchases (across most of the world) I haven’t heard of any airlines asking to see cards, but prior to that it was common in some places where card fraud was higher.
Absolutely not an issue. I check in online the day prior to get my boarding pass…then show at check in if bags need to go in the hold…never been asked for Amex…
Thanks everyone for taking the time to post your reassuring and helpful responses. Coincidental to booking the 2 4 1, we were having dinner with friends who had spent a long time in Saudi. I mentioned the card thing and they said they had been travelling one time from Saudi to Canada and were asked for the booking card. They didn’t have it as it had been reissued with a new number by the cc company after a suspected fraud. They were denied boarding and had to buy an on the spot new and very expensive ticket from another airline. They eventually got reimbursed for the original ticket but not the expensive new one. Anyway, I’m confident now it won’t happen to us, so thank you all.
I have twice been asked for the credit card I had booked with (once on Sri Lankan, once I can’t remember the airline but not in Europe) – both times were several years ago. It’s not something I would worry about at all with BA. At worst you’d have to pay the cost again on your card and get a refund to the card you used originally, you certainly wouldn’t have to pay an inflated cost.
Is producing the card that was used to pay the booking not just one side of the coin – the other being that you should pay the 241 taxes using the BAPP card that was used to earn the 241 voucher?
Or is it widely accepted that you just need to use any AMEX?Is producing the card that was used to pay the booking not just one side of the coin – the other being that you should pay the 241 taxes using the BAPP card that was used to earn the 241 voucher?
Or is it widely accepted that you just need to use any AMEX?Read OP carefully – second sentence.
I think that statement has appeared on every reward e-ticket I have ever had – but have NEVER been asked for anything at the airport.
The trip from Saudi to Canada can’t have involved a 241 and must have related to some local requirement – as pointed out, the card could very well have expired and I would be kicking up one heck of a fuss afterwards if I’d had to buy a new ticket.
The trip from Saudi to Canada can’t have involved a 241 and must have related to some local requirement – as pointed out, the card could very well have expired and I would be kicking up one heck of a fuss afterwards if I’d had to buy a new ticket.
Things are a little different in Saudi.
Good luck trying to kick up a fuss at Jeddah.Obviously it wasn’t a 241 booking – those would be the circumstances under which I’d be kicking up a fuss – afterwards!
To recap….true to say..once you have obtained your 2-4-1, in practice you can close the BAPP (or the basic BA Amex)…and pay for the voucher flight with any Amex card, and not necessarily one in your name? One-step further, it doesn’t even need to an Amex?
Reason I ask is at my last BAPP renewal, Amex chat rep informed me my 2-4-1 voucher could ONLY be redeemed by paying for the flight with the BAPP. No BAPP, no way to use the voucher.
Any truth to that?
It has to be an Amex but see my earlier comment about the names.
Of course this could change at any time which you need to factor in to any decisions.
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