Lufthansa online booking probs.

shown73

Whenever I try to book a flight online with Lufthansa, all goes well up to the payment point. It then says that only credit cards can be used, and the the paying cardholder must be one of the passengers. This apparently daft rule means that I can't book for my wife and MIL, since neither has credit cards, only debit. I recently booked them a flight, on the same Lufthansa plane, same time, flight no., etc, but booked via BMI! Crazy, or what?
Does anyone know the reasoning behind this rule, or if it really matters? None of us has ever been asked to show the card, at least not yet, but there can always be a jobsworth popping up, and then where would we, or rather they, be? They must lose business surely, even if it's not a lot. Oddly enough, when I think about it, the ferry companies seem to have the same rule, but it doesn't bother us, since I'm always there and can show my card, but I suppose I couldn't pay for someone else.

Voyager2002

Most airlines operate this rule, as a means of reducing their losses from fraud. In many cases (eg BA) you can click on a link if the card-holder will not be travelling, and then provide additional information and/or your booking is subject to a higher degree of scrutiny to eliminate fraudulant bookings.

PBA

Flights being booked in someone else's name from a different country does ring serious alarm bells, and I guess Lufthansa aren't willing to take the risk. As you say you can book their tickets through BMI, though if that's a problem you can always call the CC company and get a second card issued in your wife's name on your account.

shown73

I would be quite happy to provide the extra info, but there is no, apparent, online facility for doing so with Lufthansa as there is with BA. Pretty frustrating.

Voyager2002

shown73 wrote: »

I would be quite happy to provide the extra info, but there is no, apparent, online facility for doing so with Lufthansa as there is with BA. Pretty frustrating.

Your situation is fairly unusual, so they probably assume that anyone facing this problem will book by telephone. My experience is a few years old, but at that time their telephone booking system was quick and efficient, and could offer some fares that were lower than those on the website.

And it is not worth chancing it: I recall a series of posts by someone who booked on-line with Sri Lankan airlines; then closed the particular credit card account that he had used to buy the ticket; then was not allowed to travel (for want of the card) and did not get any kind of refund.

shown73

I did in the end book via phone, or at least I think I have. I spoke to a charming and helpful French lady, complete with heavy accent. I think we conversed mainly with the help of the phonetic alphabet, went through exactly the same questions as the web site, all seemed to go reasonably well considering, but up to now no promised confirmation has arrived, so there has been a foul-up in the e-mail address I would think. The technology is fine, but the human interface unit seems all too often to be not quite up to the job. Ho hum....