credit card charges on flights

matluz

Hello
is it possible to use a visa debit card when booking a flight and get the same consumer protection as a credit card? If not is there an alternative to paying the credit card fee?
Thanks
MAT

agrinnall

What protection are you looking for? The best protection is travel insurance bought as soon as you have bought the flights. A debit card will offer a degree of protection in some circumstances through the Chargeback facility but it's not as comprehensive as the Section 75 protection offered when using a credit card for a flight that costs over £100 - if that's important to you then pay the CC charge.

grumbler

matluz wrote: »

Hello
is it possible to use a visa debit card when booking a flight and get the same consumer protection as a credit card?

No, but what exactly protection you want?

If not is there an alternative to paying the credit card fee?

You don't need to pay the full amount by a CC. Any token amount paid by a CC will give you full s75 protection, but when buying online it's usually impossible to split the payment in two parts.

• Section 75 refunds

• Visa, Mastercard & Amex Chargeback Protection

Cyberman60

My bank informed me a long time ago that their visa debit and credit card offer exactly the same protection.

SuperHan

Cyberman60 wrote: »

My bank informed me a long time ago that their visa debit and credit card offer exactly the same protection.

Although there is a debit card chargeback, this isn't law in the way section 75 is. I think there are different timescales and s75 is more robust.

That said, travel insurance is still the best option.

grumbler

Cyberman60 wrote: »

My bank informed me a long time ago that their visa debit and credit card offer exactly the same protection.

Anything that any CS 'inform' you about has to be taken with a pinch of salt.

SuperHan wrote: »

That said, travel insurance is still the best option.

Travel insurance is absolutely different product that doesn't include protections offered by Visa/Mastercard and s75.

Nick_C

In my experience, Travel Insurance is not as good as S75 protection.

I was meant to fly to Budapest with Malev in 2012. Two weeks before I was due to fly, I discovered that the airline (Hungary's state airline!) had gone into liquidation. I has paid for the flight with my HBOS (Lloyds) mastercard, and the hotel with my Hilton (Barclays) visa card. I also had an annual travel insurance with InsureFor.com which included "Scheduled Airline Failure cover".

I made a claim to HBOS for the cost of the flights, and to the insurer for the (non refundable) cost of the hotel. The insurer rejected my claim, stating the "Scheduled Airline Failure Cover" did not cover consequential loss!

I went back to HBOS and made a further claim for the consequential loss - the cost of the Hilton Hotel which I had paid on my Hilton/Barclays visa card. HBOS paid up without a quabble.

I reckon its worth paying an extra 2% on the airfare for the S75 protection, and I usually use a cashback card which brings it down to 1% net.

EycplUK

Fly Emirates ! no CC fees :j

tomtontom

EycplUK wrote: »

Fly Emirates ! no CC fees :j

But rather inconvenient if travelling in the opposite direction

Nick_C

EycplUK wrote: »

Fly Emirates ! no CC fees :j

Even if Emirates were flying a route I wanted, I would avoid them as they are one of a growing number of carriers that squeeze an extra column of seats into their 777s - 3-4-3 instead of 3-3-3

BA - 17.5" width, 31" pitch. Emirates 17" width, 32" pitch.

Neither pitch is good, but I find the overspill from a stranger sitting next to me really annoying, and that extra inch between you is important.

yangptangkipperbang

Cyberman60 wrote: »

My bank informed me a long time ago that their visa debit and credit card offer exactly the same protection.

Another bank "porky" !