A Hollywood actor claims her two young boys were denied boarding on Air Canada after they failed to produce the credit card used to purchase their tickets, stranding them in Vancouver. Air Canada claims that several warning signs led to the reservation being flagged. When was the last time you were asked to provide a credit card at airport check-in?
Actor Suggest Racial Profiling At Heart of Air Canada Boarding Incident
Holly Robinson Peete, who starred in the 80’s police drama 21 Jump Street, was filming in Vancouver and brought her sons, aged 16 and 19, up for a visit. She then booked them Air Canada tickets back to Los Angeles in business class. But the boys encountered trouble at check-in:
- During check-in, the boys were asked to produce the original form of payment (credit card) used to purchase the ticket
- They did not have their mother’s credit card, but reached her on the phone
- This was not a good enough for the Air Canada agent, who allegedly “walked away from them” leaving them alone at the counter
- The two were forced to book a hotel room overnight and were rebooked for an Air Canada flight the following morning
- The next morning, they flew home without an issue – they were not asked to produce the credit card
Peete wonders if the boys were profiled because they were black males. Air Canada dismisses that charge:
“Sometimes legitimate transactions require additional verification when the booking is made in an unusual way, such as foreign purchases made outside Canada for last minute travel and these are identified by our automated anti-fraud systems. The purchase regrettably was not validated in time for the customers to travel.”
Peete isn’t buying it:
Thank you and everyone for the concern. My sons are still in Canada because they were turned away last night from boarding a flight home because they couldn’t produce the credit card that paid for the ticket. AC says that “ that happens sometimes”. I’m not buying it… https://t.co/q6j51dTjIF
— Holly Robinson Peete 💃🏾♍️ (@hollyrpeete) October 5, 2021
Air Canada adds that, “We have followed up with the customer as we recognize this did cause inconvenience.”
Have You Been Asked To Provide Credit Card At Airport Check-In?
I cannot recall an instance in which I have been actually asked to produce a form of payment at check-in. Certainly, I have received a warning on many bookings, particularly journeys originating in Africa for Award Expert clients, that state proof of payment is required.
Back when Air France Flying Blue used to be more more zealous, there was an incident that required in-person ticketing for a redemption ticket. The itinerary was a one-way from Africa and the name did not match the amount holder. Ostensibly the in-person ticketing rule was to prevent fraud, though it created a huge headache.
That’s the rub, isn’t it? We don’t always pay for own tickets – certainly not in the case of children traveling. But is this just the cost of doing business? I know that there are many people who legitimately buy same-day, one-way, business class tickets…yet I realize those are all signs of potential fraud (I’ve seen my fair share of fraud from people making unauthorized bookings from frequent flyer accounts and they often look like that).
So what’s the balance? Well, if the last names match and you can get the mother on the phone, you probably should have let the guys fly.
Still, I realize this isn’t an easy issue.
CONCLUSION
Two teenagers were denied boarding on Air Canada because they did not have the original form of payment with them. Whether overzealous or not, keep in mind that it is wise to travel with your original form of payment. Just in case…
image: Air Canada (yes, I know it is YYZ not YVR)
Been a while, but yes. It happened relatively often when I lived in HKG and flew out of HK/China. CX actually used to have a credit card auth form that you could submit to them if the person paying isn’t the person flying.
Yes, have been asked in Thailand and Indonesia, and Sri Lanka, to provide credit card at airport on check=in.
Probably to make sure you paid for “whatever” you visit those god forsaken places.
Those god forsaken places don’t check students for guns at school. They don’t need to. Imbeciles like you should stay off the internet
I have lived in two of these and had regular business meetings in a third. I am intrigued as to why you consider them “Godforsaken”?
Because it’s an ignorant, somewhat racist Floridian? Not too hard to figure out.
I have never been asked to provide my credit card at check-in within North America, but it has happened in Asia when I lived out there. I forget which countries exactly. It definitely happened in Singapore and I recall it happening a few times out of dozens of flights.
Same. Asiana does/did this, even on award flights, for TPAC. Never had it happen for intra-Asia, but definitely on anything from the US. The first time I had to do it, found it odd, but it quickly became business as usual when flying – luckily I was able to use my own CC and be reimbursed by my company as opposed to using a company card which likely would’ve caused problems like these flyers experienced.
Paid for a JKF-ICN award flight on KE on separate reservations for my wife an myself. She was asked for the original proof of payment at the check-in counter as the card on file was not under her name. Luckily, I was standing right there and had the card on me. Happens more often on international flights than you think.
Regularly asked for this in Asia, India and many parts of Africa. It’s pretty routine.
Yes, it has happened. It is not a frequent thing in the states. It is annoying as the person who may have paid may not be traveling with you or may not have brought the card. Airlines should be clear as to what’s required. The actress suggesting racial profiling is one of the many reasons I hate her race. In addition to poisoning everything they touch, creating nothing but problems and rap in history, committing the highest levels of unprovoked violent crime every single place they are in the world, they like to make unfounded allegations. The white western world won’t win placating them (if you hire them you will still get sued for holding them accountable for their inevitable poor performance). We should just admit we are incompatible and work to that end instead of condemning us to nonsense. Slavery was a mistake. We don’t fix that by allowing those who don’t belong in our sphere to continue holding us down and ruining our lives.
Please take an elevator to the roof of the nearest tall building, and jump off
I wonder if this person posts comments like this to see how far they can go and what they can get away with before Matthew decides to block them.
While I’m at a loss why Matthew allows anyone to spew such racist bigotry on his blog, I don’t personally believe that Matthew actually agrees with him.
I tend to let people hang themselves. It’s really quite deplorable, but sometimes we need to see it to understand it is real.
Whites have hung ourselves for 200 years being held back and held down by a toxic group. Pretending that race doesn’t matter and it’s not specific groups that are responsible for nearly all our problems gets us nowhere. Conservatives have lost for 90 years because they don’t tell the truth and are too gentle and compassionate when discussing those who harm us. Race does matter and whites have a right to assert ourselves.
Of course its deplorable and also of you to post comments like that from the deplorable racist SOB and others like that.. You say so they can hang themselves. Well Matthew Klint you just did it to yourself. You have shown your true side you are a deplorable SOB as well to allow content like that on this site!
I appreciate Matt allowing offensive commenters to “hang themselves”. I would categorize Matt as center-left in ideology, particularly defined when he came of age. Today, in cancel culture, there’s not too much discussion of these issues aside from just dismissing the viewpoints (usually after quoting them out of context) and then banning the speaker.
The consequence of this is, as the saying often went when I came of age during the Reagan era, we’re a lot like Russia and China. Without freedom of speech, these discussions are driven underground and emerge into the forefront in politicizing issues that otherwise should be apolitical such as the weather. In the old days, if you didn’t want a fight at the Thanksgiving table you tried to talk about the weather. Now even THAT can result in a food fight.
When I read about stories such as the one profiled, my concern is about proper treatment for all. I wouldn’t want anyone’s kids left stranded unfairly regardless of their race. In answer to Matt’s query: When I was purchasing my father-in-law’s tickets for Turkish Airlines originating in Ukraine, I carefully read the disclaimers and it said I would need to produce credit card at check-in so I drove to the counter at Dulles, showed my credit card and passport, and the agent said that it was good I had showed up to validate the credit card.
Sheesh! Didn’t anyone watch Home Alone 2?
I personally try to keep discussions in context of the blog which in this case is travel (particularly airline travel.)
wow.. hate is strong word. luckily none of my white friends hate me. you are a piece of blah. crawl back under your rock. we are here to stay. like it or not.
Your comment is awful and spouts the hate you decry. You should be ashamed
“Have You Been Asked To Provide Credit Card At Airport Check-In?”
Yes, twice in Brazil, and once in Singapore. One time the flight was after I canceled the CC, but I brought the CC and did not mention it was canceled and that still satisfied the agent. I guess they did not “run” it thru the system just looked at the name and account number.
I was asked to provide the credit card at check-in at LAX in 2018 prior to flying a Turkish flight. I unfortunately didn’t have the card on me. However, I was able to find the credit card number by logging into my wife’s bank account and that was sufficient to the check in agent. I now feel the need to track which credit card was used for each ticket purchase and to bring all those cards on each trip—if nothing else, it increases the risk of fraud because it can be easy to misplace all those cards.
This is more common with Asian carriers. I have been asked to show credit card to check in on at least EVA, China Airlines, and Asiana. Booking through OTA is a good way to go around this, otherwise you can sign a form to confirm that the person buying the ticket is not traveling.
I’ve been asked for this multiple times in Asia
Happened to me flying IAD-LHR in 2009. The ticket cost about $1200 and my card, at the time, only had a $2500 limit on it. My assumption is that’s why they asked.
On BA or UA or VS?
BA.
I was also the first person in line when check-in opened, and got an upgrade to J from Y (I guess Y was oversold).
Highly doubtful that why they would ask. How would the airline know your credit limit?
This is (or at least was) standard practice in India. I’d be asked almost every time to produce the credit card used for payment along with my ID. I once anticipated a problem flying DEL-ADL on CX because my wife’s credit card that I used to pay for her ticket expired prior to travel. Fortunately I knew exactly what was going to happen, and brought both the old and renewed cards with me, and had no problems. FWIW, at the time, the airlines made it clear that you were expected to produce the credit card used at the time of booking, or if someone else paid for the tickets, bring a signed statement that they authorized use of the card for the purchase.
Can’t recall ever dealing with this in the US, though.
Yes, I have been asked to show the credit card that was used to book the flight when checking in. Has happened to me more than a few times over the years, usually (but not always) outside the USA, most often in Asian countries, but once or twice in the USA and Europe. I always note what card I use whenever I book any flight, and bring that card with me when traveling. The rub comes when you book a flight far in advance and by the time you actually take the flight, you’ve closed that card. I actually brought an expired United Visa card with me on a recent trip (which I had used to book a couple flights). Of course, I was never asked for that one…but I’m sure if I had not had it with me, they wold have required me to show it.
This is nothing new, nothing special, no racism involved, it’s a routine practice. Get over yerself, lady.
Not surprising, Canada is one of the most racist countries on earth. I feel bad for these poor boys whose only crime was the color of their skin.
YVR is my home airport and yes I can confirm this does happen.
BA a few times. Twice I didn’t have it – once they asked a few questions and it was ok (cheapo ticket to Amsterdam) but once they refunded the ticket and reticketed it at the same price on a card I had with me (Prem econ to Bangkok). Otherwise they just swipe it through and all good.
I have been asked by Delta in Seattle, ticket price was 5 figures and it was a ticket to Africa. I did not have the card with me, in order to get a boarding pass I had to have the ticket refunded and re-purchase with a card that I had with me. Ultimately not a huge deal other than the bonus miles on the first card that I missed out on.
It happens to me when I checked in with Singapore Airlines. They are so strict with credit card check but with other airlines, never happened. I believe this is racial profiling, SO SAD and SHAME on Air Canada.
Yes, certainly in BKK and I think also in China. More likely to be asked when flying on an one-way or open-jaw ticket. There have also been one or two occasions when my unconventional travel patterns raised suspicion and check-in staff meticulously checked all my paperwork which may have included credit cards, but I can’t remember for sure.
It has happened is Asia a few times and actually left my sister stranded when she couldn’t produce the card. I have never had it happen in North America.
One my colleagues was prevented from checking-in at PHL by Qatar at PHL. I paid for the ticket originally. She reached out to me but we were not able to speak with the station manager in time. She had to fly the next day.
Yes, like Dock Bupkiss I have been asked by both United and ANA when flying to Japan an Taiwan. Always playing the race card is the wrong thing I this case.
Last week in IST on a domestic flight in Turkish. Before that, 2 years ago on an award trip i booked for my brother on Iberia
Happened on Qatar airways flight from us to Thailand
So, as you can clearly see from the comments above, Matthew, this was obviously a racial incident. Only black folks get subjected to this demeaning treatment, and asked for the credit card used to pay for their ticket. Never happens to others.
I agree for it would have made sense if the name in the credit card differs the passenger. One of the incidents I remember vividly for me. I was the traveller, bought with my own card, had passport, ID and other credit cards in my name. The agents in Detroit completely refused to let me check in if I do not present the “actual” card I bought for, it was absolutely bizarre short of racism cant find anything else.
Holly has four kids and all except for one are over 18, The other is 16. I had a totally different picture in my head when you say “two young children”.
It happens. I have been asked on flights to the US on SIA and EVA. However, they mentioned it multiple times during the booking process
In Singapore and the Philippines often. They say it’s for security. I don’t understand how or why. It cant be to avoid a fraudulent charge in cases where tickets were booked months in advance and the credit card invoice has been paid. Whats the deal?
I’ve encountered this a few times. A couple of times when I bought tickets for someone else, I was asked to send a form confirming this and their booking was updated to avoid issues at check-in. Sadly airlines lose over a billion dollars every year to ticket fraud (source: IATA) so precautions are necessary and inevitable and travelling on a ticket paid for by someone else’s card is an obvious red flag. However it is also common, everyday genuine occurrence and so it’s impossible to balance protection vs inconvenience to genuine travellers.
It is an imperfect precaution so needs to be part of a series of checks. I would have thought that speaking with the cardholder on the phone should be enough, especially as one of the two was a minor.
Yes it has banned in US with Delta and I bought the ticket with my Delta Amex platinum directly from my Delta SkyMiles account and Delta refused me checking in. I had to cancel the ticket at the counter and buy another one with the credit card I had at the airport. Its mostly profiling in my views I am African and many of my friends have encountered similar situations in America.
I’m American and live in Saigon, Vietnam. Even when I fly domestically here, they always ask to see the credit card. Same in Thailand and Indonesia.
Yes on a business class flight with korean air and eva from yyz when booked directly on their websites .this is a routine fraud prevention measure and is also mentioned in air canadas website. It has nothing to do with race( i am 58 year old white male) so the actress needs to dial down her drama and should have accompanied her ” children ” to the airport
Back when e-tickets were in their infancy and paper tickets were quite common it was quite usual on an e-ticket to be asked to produce the credit card used to make payment and I can recall doing it for many airlines including Air New Zealand, Singapore, Thai and Lufthansa. There is still something in the T&C of many airlines stating that you might be asked for the card at check-in but I don’t think I’ve been asked any time in the last fifteen years though some airlines do still, I think require submission of a card holder waiver form if you are not travelling on a ticket booked with your card – BA do this even now.
Yes to this, there was a lot of fraud concern in the middle/late 1990s. Even in 2000 flying on NRSB when I worked at WorldSpan I still had to produce my card at check-in, and that was with my crappy paper tickets.
Every time my mother has to travel from Delhi, India to the US, she has been asked to produce the credit card used to purchase the ticket because the card used for the purchase was in my name. So she has to carry a photocopy of the credit card which is usually accepted at the check-in counter
I’ve been asked for this at the beginning of the last two trips I took. Domestic trips, “little old white lady”, so this isn’t a demographics issue. One time I had the card, but certainly not in a convenient spot to find it. The other time. I had closed the accounts at one bank and no longer had the card, having purchased the tickets months before the flight. I had to wait for an airline person to help me. But since it was a small aiport and not hugely busy, it wasn’t anything more than an irritation.
When Thai Air flew LAX – BKK non-stop, always had to show it.
Royal Jordanian is insanely strict about this. I had lost on my Sapphire card a few weeks before departure and had it replaced. So there physically was no card to present. Both outbound and inbound flights I almost missed my flight because the check in agent wouldn’t let me check in.
On the outbound, I escalated through the entire staff. After all of that and multiple calls to chase, they finally agreed to allow me to board after I produced a statement from the card that they could physically see (on my phone) to confirm the card number and charges on it