Overview

• At Heathrow, Delta kiosks required the physical card used to buy the tickets before check-in could begin, blocking passport or confirmation-number entry.
• A supervisor told the couple they could not be issued boarding passes without that card, with options including rebooking at significant cost or providing proof of the card.
• The travelers obtained photos of the front and back of the card from a neighbor in Seattle, after which Delta printed their boarding passes.
• Delta pointed to booking-page fine print stating purchasers may be required to show the payment card and photo ID to prevent fraud and said most customers will not be asked to do so.
• Consumer complaints highlight similar surprises for tickets bought by parents or employers, and a Bankrate analyst questioned why an airline enforces a fraud rule typically handled by card issuers.