I am pissed off, Cathay!!!

Oh yes, I AM!!
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I do not get pissed off easily but yesterday was special. I bought a ticket online for a sister who is traveling home. I considered several options and finally decided to take Cathay Pacific due primarily to their Terms and Conditions. 

Oh boy ,was I so wrong! 

On July 30, I received this email from the Cathay Pacific Reservations Desk in Dubai.

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Dear Sir / Madam,

Thank you for choosing to fly with Cathay Pacific Airways.

Further to the online ticket purchase agreement below, this email serves as a reminder in order to minimize any inconvenience to the passenger or card holder. 

 In order to verify the online ticket purchase, the card holder will need to physically present the credit card used to purchase the ticket online at the nearest Cathay Pacific Ticketing or Airport offices.

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Nothing wrong with this…. In fact, I appreciate that they are vigilant on this respect as it gives the card holder confidence in the security of the transaction.  I am also aware of instances wherein travelers were denied boarding because they were not able to physically present the card used for the transaction (obviously, I am not travelling with my sister). See why I was so bothered by this email? 

My reply:

Thank you for your reminder. Please note that according to your conditions:

Quote  " If a transaction is successfully made with a Verified by Visa or Mastercard@securecode, the cardholder will not be required to present the physical card used for verification" Unquote

Please acknowledge that this is true with the reservation made under this booking code.

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As I said,  since they have a provision for a  transaction made with 'Verified by VISA', I decided this will be less of a hassle and this was primarily the reason why I booked with them anyway.

The same guy responded to me that, No... I still NEED to physically present the card to the nearest Cathay Pacific Office. No explanation, nothing!!  

So, I decided to call their office the following morning and got in touch with a certain Mona, who was very helpful. She said that I could just fill in a Credit Card Verification Form and send it to them immediately.

Sure, I got the form. The only problem is that I was required to present any of the following as proof:

·          U.A.E. Labour Card

·          U.A.E. Identity Card

·          U.A.E Driving License

·          Passport copy (signature) with U.A.E Residence Visa

Obviously, I do not have any of these! So I emailed:

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Dear Mona,

Kindly find attached the signed verification form for the use of my VISA CARD for the travel of my sister, XXXXX  (Booking code: XXXX).Her number in Dubai is XXXXXX

Please note that I am a presently residing in Vienna and do not have any of the cards mentioned in the form. I have attached my company ID with the verification.

I hope this is sufficient to allow a smooth check in and travel for my sister. I would appreciate your confirmation of the receipt.

I would suggest that Cathay Pacific also reviews its TERMS and CONDITIONS so as to avoid instances like this. A VERIFIED by VISA transaction gives us sufficient security as cardholders.

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Sorry, they said, not a valid ID.  Please send us a copy of the photo page of your passport. Of course, I don’t move around with my passport on hand so I could immediately send it to an airline  demanding to probably know 'what I looked liked' and if I am legitimate.  So, I had to call my husband to bring my passport to my office.

So, passport sent!

Then again this email:

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Dear Ms. Centeno,

Please note, as mentioned earlier on a separate email conversation. The credit card used needs to be physically verified at the nearest Cathay Pacific Office as the billing address is not within the UAE and you do not hold any valid UAE ID. However, you may send us a copy of the bank statement in which the transaction for the purchase of the passengers ticket is stated. Once received, we will check if it is possible to verify the card used with the forwarded document. Thank you.

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So, the passport copy is NOT ENOUGH!!!! Why did you even ask for it then???

NOW, I AM TRULY, TRULY, REALLY PISSED OFF!!

I replied back:

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If Cathay Pacific intends to do physical presentation of the card  every time an online transaction is made EVEN with a VERIFIED BY VISA transaction, why else would we need to do online purchase and not directly proceed to your nearest office?

Also, as suggested - amend your terms and conditions to reflect what you are saying now. That is, if the billing address of the credit card used is outside UAE, a physical verification is still required EVEN with a VERIFIED BY VISA transaction. Then, it's clear. It's clear that I will not be using the services of Cathay Pacific anymore...

Please live up to your name as the WORLD BEST AIRLINES for 2014!

By the way, even the phone number under your name in your emails is incorrect. I had to google your office number. (I know, I know this was a cheap shot...but it gave me sheer devilish pleasure pointing it out!!! :))

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So, I had to hurriedly look for my card statement and viola, the transaction was there! In fact, paid in full!!!  Again…sent!!!

Then, they called my sister to tell me to call them again as they need to discuss something urgent! Wow, ok… URGENT!

I dutifully called only to be told that the while the transaction is reflected, the document still needs to be verified!!

What in GOD’s good mercy is this???!!!!

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Then finally, an email…

Please note that your card has been verified.

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No apologies for the inconvenience. NOTHING!! Just this statement. Of course, it would be verified , you %*^&!!!

As I said in  my email to them….it’s clear!!!  No flying Cathay for me until IT  REVIEWS ITS OWN TERMS AND CONDITIONS.

Thank you, Cathay Pacific, but no thanks!!!You just wasted half of my day...