SIA - Reasonable Request?

[Girl_Next_Door]

Whille I am erupting in flames... this is what happened...

Mar 2010: I bought 2 tickets via SIA online. Its fully paid and I already paid my credit card as well.
Apr 2010: I went to Europe and my wallet got pick-pocketed. I filed a police report, cancelled all my credit cards and have since, been using my new credit cards.
Today: I am checking-in online via SIA website. I noted that they said I need to use my original credit card when I am checking in physically. Hence, I called SIA to explain that my wallet was pick-pocketed and I am using my replaced credit cards.

SIA said I need to purchase a new set of air tickets with my new credit card, so that they can verify my credit card at the airport. Otherwise, they will not allow me to board the plane on Friday (my departure date).

In the meantime, they will process a refund for the old set of air tickets that is purchased in March, and I should get my refund in 4-6 weeks time.

I told them that this is not reasonable because my flight tickets are paid. I have police report to verify my identity and the lost credit card. I don't see the need to purchase a new set of flight tickets and get the old set of flight tickets refunded. Plus, it is going to take 4-6 weeks for the refund to happen, and they refused to provide me with any form of written documentation to confirm that they will do the refund.

Anyone, please?

Angry girl next door now!

[durain]

how did you communicate with SIA? fone, email or at their office in paragon?

[Girl_Next_Door]

I called the call center, and they called me back about 8 times because each person I spoke to, have insufficient information. And yes, at some point, I asked the guy (who sound like an Indian) if he is in Singapore. He answered No.

My flights is leaving on Friday AM, and I have no time to get down to Ion Orchard nor wait for them to email me back.

[cbavasi]

girl_next_door - i really feel for you - what a horrible turn of events!
just to put your mind at ease a bit in re: to a refund - we purchased non-refundable tix last november for flights over easter to the UK on SIA. our son had to begin chemotherapy and was not able to travel so i called just to see if anything could be done - not expecting much. after speaking with a couple of people - i sent a medical report from the doctor and we received a full refund for all 4 tickets. we, too, had a number of people call back - but as long as you keep a record of who you spoke with and just keep calling back until you can get some feedback that they have everything they need.
you should receive an email stating they are processing your request right after they get everything over email. it was virtually within 24 hours.
is this the email you've been using? (with your booking reference in the header?)
[email protected]
i'm sure everything will work out... just typical they need to have everything by "the book".

[Splatted]

I would talk to the credit card provider and do a chargeback.

I doubt SIA will dispute the chargeback, as they stated they were going to refund the amount to you anyway, but by you initiating it, you get the money back faster.

edit: and you don't have to pay interest on the amount charged to your card, if it's charged back.

[durain]

situation like this, it would be best to speak to a person in their office (sorry not in paragon but in ion now) to get it sorted.

a few years back, i had some problems with the *tickets and foning SIA wasnt getting anywhere. popped down to the SIA office and got it sorted without much stress.


* bought tickets from a travel agent, then decided to amend the date. fone SIA directly to get the date change. SIA said it's free to do one change of date, so went ahead and got it done. after a few days, travel agent fone me demanding money for the change of date. i said sorry dude, SIA said it's free. travel agent not happy and wanted to cancel my tickets and that's when i went down to SIA office to square it off with them.

[Mad Scientist]

I called the call center, and they called me back about 8 times because each person I spoke to, have insufficient information. And yes, at some point, I asked the guy (who sound like an Indian) if he is in Singapore. He answered No.

My flights is leaving on Friday AM, and I have no time to get down to Ion Orchard nor wait for them to email me back.

Girl Next Door, I agree with what Durain said. You have to make time and see the SIA guys in person or else you will never get to fly on Friday.
If you have Kris Flyer Card bring it along, if you are on Gold , they will attend to you quicker than you would realise. Those call center are useless when comes to this kind of issue

[Saint]

Posted on some flight forum,

"I fly Singapore Airlines frequently, and they always ask me for the credit card I booked the tickets with, regardless of how far in advance I've booked them. They mention this on their website and if the credit card expires before the flight date, a notice comes up in bright red telling you to present the card in person at a SIA office prior to your flight!

On my latest SIA flight, the credit card I'd booked with had to be cancelled prior to the flight due to some fraudulant charges. I no longer had the card, so I took a copy of the credit card statment, just in case they asked at check-in, which they did. I explained the situation and showed them the statement, the clerk checked with a manager and they gave me my boarding pass.

I very recently booked several flights for my brother. I booked his UA flights using my credit card, however, I was careful to use his credit card for the SIA flight, as we're only traveling together one direction. His card will expire before his flight and there's no SIA office in his city, so I've told him to keep the old card to present at check-in...just in case.

I don't understand this policy...SIA takes their money as soon as you book the flight, so it can't be financially motivated. It's just one more thing to worry about when traveling."

[x9200]

The policy is weird indeed as you may book your flights for two ppl travelling on different dates and apparently there is no problem to pay for this with a single CC. You just need to tick in the right place that the card holder will not be travelling on the particular flight. We actually exercised this last winter with Qantas with no problems at all. So what is this all fuss about?

[Girl_Next_Door]

Another friend said he simply signed an "Indemnity of Payment for 3rd Party Booking" form on-the-spot (and yes, the form made absolutely no sense at all and it is not legally enforcible) and was allowed to board the plane.

I can't find the time to get down to SIA office... so decided that I am going to take the plunge, armed with my police report & old credit card bill and show up at the airport!

Another thing to note is, this policy is not applicable for every SIA flights. I also booked flights to NYC in Sept but this requirement to bring the credit card is not there. It make absolutely no sense at all because the security in US have to be stricter than HK!?!?

[ozchick]

Yeah the suggestion to 'go' physically to Sg Air offices sounds good. But It's now got me thinking that my Mum is coming form Oz to Sg next Thurs with a ticket that I paid for with MY credit card..... sigh...gonna go deal with this now.....

[ozchick]

Sorry. just read that you have no time to get to ION before flight...mm..this is all crazy stuff. Surely they don't turn away the customer when the person clearly has a ticket and matching passport etc?

[Splatted]

ask whether they would accept other 'proof' the card is yours.. like credit card statement showing the card number....

[ozchick]

Why do we ALL have to suffer because the occasional purchaser 'could be' using a stolen credit card? And yeah I do remember reading about this somewhere before...and just now I phoned SIA and they said that my Mum wouldn't be allowed to board the plane in Melbourne and would have to buy a new ticket if she couldn't produce the original credit card. How the hell can she do that when it's with me here in Sg? And why does the SIA online booking system allow this transaction with no warning? So I have to go in to ION on the weekend now and sign their stupid letter of indemnity and if it weren't for this topic I'd have had one very upset mother next week. Hope our OP managed to deal with all of this in time. She should be able sign the 'form' at the airport with a copy of the credit card bill or as suggested other cards in same name?
Here's hoping. What a head-ache.

[Plavt]

And why does the SIA online booking system allow this transaction with no warning? |

Not quite true ozzie;

E-Tickets can be purchased using a credit card or debit card, and will be issued to the payment card holder only. The payment cardholder may purchase an E-Ticket for another person if both passengers travel together. However, if the payment cardholder is not one of the travelling party, bring the credit/debit card to the nearest Singapore Airlines ticketing office to have it verified before travelling.

See; https://www.singaporeair.com/saa/en_UK/ ... 927460338&