{"id":78307,"date":"2026-01-08T06:10:20","date_gmt":"2026-01-08T09:10:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ubirataonline.com.br\/frontier-airlines-makes-bizarre-credit-card-claim-with-dot-then-backtracks\/"},"modified":"2026-01-08T06:10:20","modified_gmt":"2026-01-08T09:10:20","slug":"frontier-airlines-makes-bizarre-credit-card-claim-with-dot-then-backtracks","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ubirataonline.com.br\/en\/frontier-airlines-makes-bizarre-credit-card-claim-with-dot-then-backtracks\/","title":{"rendered":"Frontier Airlines Makes Bizarre Credit Card Claim With DOT, Then Backtracks"},"content":{"rendered":"


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Several weeks ago, I wrote about a frustrating situation<\/a> that an OMAAT reader dealt with when booking a Frontier Airlines flight. Long story short, he used a friend\u2019s credit card to buy a Frontier ticket, since that friend had an Amex Offers deal on it, which offered a discount on the flight (fair enough, that\u2019s smart!).<\/p>\n

However, the traveler noticed something wasn\u2019t right when he tried to check-in online. So he contacted Frontier support, and was told to bring copies of the purchaser\u2019s ID and credit card to the airport, which he did. Despite that, he was denied boarding, and was told that the actual credit card holder had to be present at the airport, despite no such requirement in the contract of carriage.<\/p>\n

Well, there\u2019s now an interesting update, and it really shows you how frustrating it can be to deal with airlines (even when I intervene and try to help!).<\/p>\n

Frontier makes absurd claim about credit card rules<\/h2>\n

When I first wrote about this situation about a month ago, I reached out to Frontier corporate communications to ask them to clarify the policy. They said they were looking into it, and never got back to me with an answer, despite following up.<\/p>\n

So the reader filed a complaint with the Department of Transportation (DOT), which is one of the best ways to get an airline to respond<\/a> to your complaint, since the DOT has to be copied on correspondence. Interestingly, Frontier doubled down on the initial claim, and wrote the following:<\/p>\n

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As per Frontier Airlines\u2019 policy, when a ticket is purchased using a credit card by someone who is not traveling, the cardholder must be physically present at the airport with the original credit card and a valid government-issued photo ID. This requirement is in place to ensure the security and verification of payment details.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Of course this is completely ridiculous and baseless. Think about this for a second \u2014 Frontier really wants to claim that the cardholder has to consistently be physically present if the name of the passenger doesn\u2019t match the name of the cardmember?<\/p>\n

So that would mean passengers couldn\u2019t book tickets for their spouse, for a child returning home from college, for an employee or business associate, etc. While different airlines have different policies when it comes to credit card security, there\u2019s not an airline in the world with such a strict policy.<\/p>\n

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Frontier made a senseless credit card claim<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Frontier now clarifies that its claim isn\u2019t actually correct<\/h2>\n

When the reader shared the latest correspondence with me, I wanted to give the airline one more chance to set the record straight. So I explained I\u2019d be writing a follow-up story, and asked if Frontier\u2019s policy is really that nobody can buy a ticket for anyone else with a credit card, unless they actually are present at the airport. <\/p>\n

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The airline did finally get back to me to clarify the policy. Not surprisingly, the initial claim wasn\u2019t correct:<\/p>\n

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To be clear, our policy does\u00a0not require a cardholder to be physically present at the airport any time they buy a ticket for someone else traveling, and different names between a ticketed passenger and credit card used alone will not flag a reservation for potential fraud. Other possible indicators \u2013 such as an abnormal IP address or a history of chargebacks with the credit card, to name a couple \u2013 may flag a reservation for potential fraud.<\/p>\n

In-person verification at the airport with ID and credit card is only required when a reservation is flagged for potential fraud, as was the case in this instance. We sincerely apologize for the confusion and inconvenience that followed, and as such issued a full refund to the customer involved. We always strive for a seamless travel experience.<\/p>\n

Our Customer Care team is coordinating with agents now to ensure that this information is shared accurately going forward.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Well of course the airline refunded him (that was already done at the time), since they literally denied him boarding. But Frontier still hasn\u2019t actually addressed this passenger\u2019s concerns:<\/p>\n