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Recently a situation came up where someone who didn't have any bank cards needed to buy an airline ticket on short notice (same day or next day). While fortunately the problem got resolved in the end, I wonder what solutions they could have used.

I thought of the following:

  1. Someone else could buy the ticket for them with a bank card. But many airlines require the card holder to travel, so this seems too risky. Is there a way around it? For example,

    a. If the card holder is present at check-in but doesn't travel, would they let the traveler board?

    b. Some airlines sometimes might just refund the first purchase and ask to pay the same price with a different card that the traveler has available. Would they accept cash instead of a second card?

  2. Is it possible to just buy the ticket at the airport with cash? Would this cost more than buying online if the ticket is for a flight departing the same day anyway?

What would you do if you faced this situation and you absolutely had to travel on short notice (preferably same day), thus only having a few hours to find a solution? The situation is complicated because different airlines have different policies and I'd expect that things are handled differently at different airports too. I was planning to call the airline and ask, but finally didn't get that far.

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Szabolcs
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2 Answers2

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If the card holder is present at check-in but doesn't travel, would they let the traveler board?

Yes, typically. It's always worked for me and my kids.

Some airlines sometimes might just refund the first purchase and ask to pay the same price with a different card that the traveler has available. Would they accept cash instead of a second card?

I don't see why not (although you should probably check with the airline).

Is it possible to just buy the ticket at the airport with cash?

Certainly. (Although in the US, the TSA has an insane theory that terrorists pay cash, so don't be surprised if you get an extra screening.)

Would this cost more than buying online if the ticket is for a flight departing the same day anyway?

Probably. It isn't going to cost less, that's for sure.

Michael Lorton
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I have often bought (and paid with my credit card) tickets for friends, without traveling with them (or being anywhere within 5000 miles when they check in). There was never any issue.

This applies to travel within and between Europe, the USA, India, and Central America.

When you buy the ticket online, there are separate fields for the person that flies and the credit card holder. As long as the credit card works to pay the price, the airline would not care a second.

Aganju
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