is it safe enough to purchase airline tickets-online?ifound a site where they are asking,a copy ofcredit card?

Question

THE SITE WHICH IS ASKING ME TO SEND A COPY OF MY CREDIT CARD IS http://www.flights-to-europe.com/ AND THEY ARE ALSO ASKING A COPY OF MY IDENTIFICATION. I ASKED THE REASON WHY THEY NEED A COPY OF MY CARD, THEY TOLD ME THAT IT IS THERE POLICY BECAUSE I M BUYING ONE WAY TICKET. SO, I NEED A SUGGESTION FROM ANYBODY WHO HAVE AN ADVICE, IF THINGS WORK THIS WAY. THIS IS THE FIRST TIME I M BUYING ONLINE AIR TICKETS. IF U GUYS CAN GIVE ME A TRUSTFUL SITE TO PURCHASE ONLINE. ALSO PLZ TELL ME HOW CAN IDO SEARCH ON THIS SITE . THANKS TO ALL OF U.

Answer 1

That is definately a scam. Also be warned if you are flying one way Internationally, you can be detained in Customs and Immigration and either deported or made to purchase a return fare. Make sure you check the entry requirements for the country you are flying into. It happened to my cousin flying to New Zealand from the US, he only bought one way and they require a return fare, so he was detained in LA before he could leave the country and then was returned when he got to NZ for not having proper documentation and proof of enough money to support himself for his stay.

Its safe to purchase online, its always SAFER to go directly with the airline. Travel sites are not necessarily cheaper. They can advertise "discount" or "cheap" fares but that is only to draw you in. Dont go with any travel site you dont know the name of. ALWAYS READ THE FARE RULES BEFORE ACCEPTING TERMS AND CONDITIONS. And pay attention to the final fee's. Some will charge outrageous booking fee's. The base fare, or what you see on the main page, may be lower than the airlines, but after the fee's are tacked on you will almost always pay more.

Fares are sold for round trip purposes. Even if you dont plan on returning, price out a round trip vs one way. Usually round trips are cheaper than one way fares and you wont get caught up in the legal aspect of what I mentioned above.

But NEVER send copies of credit cards or ID's EVER to any site or company. If they ask you for it, tell them you'll find someone else to do business with and you are reporting them to the Better Business Bureau.

Also, if when you read the T&C, if you see something that says, "May take up to 72 hrs to ticket", cancel and leave the site immediately. That is another scam. Airlines only hold reservations for 24 hrs. When you submit the "request" you arent confirmed like you would think you are. That site sends the reservation to a queue. Someone works the queue and it can take 72 hrs to process. By the, you have lost the fare you were quoted and they will charge you the current fare, thus you will also see "fares arent guarenteed until purchased (or) ticketed" meaning they will quote you the current fare, but charge you whats available by the time they get to processing your "request" or just drop the reservation until you call back to say you never got a confirmation. Then they quote you the available fare and the cycle starts all over. ( I actually saw this first hand at a travel site and many of them are run this way believe it or not)

Answer 2

I have purchased airline tickets many times online. I'd stick with a well-known company like Expedia, or purchase directly through the airline's website. I have never had any problems.

I have never been asked for a copy of the credit card though. That would make me extremely wary. Do some research on the company that is asking you for this. Be careful.

Some reputable travel websites are:
http://www.expedia.com
http://www.orbitz.com
http://www.travelocity.com
http://www.priceline.com

None of these will ask you for a copy of your card.

Answer 3

I've bought a lot of airline tix online-at least a dozen or so...never heard of the copy of the credit card, but I always use my credit card to purchase them. I'd be wary about the copy thing. Buy from a reputable online service. Orbitz, Travelocity, Expedia. My fave is CheapTickets (for obvious reasons) If you're in Europe or going to Europe, look up a company called SkyEurope. They have incredibly cheap rates sometimes. Have fun!

Answer 4

That depends on the seller. Before you do business with any company online, research their reputation. Obviously, there are a lot of scams on the Internet, but there are also many legitimate companies doing business online. Expedia and Travelocity are both reputable companies, and I have used them both with no problems.

Answer 5

DO NOT send a copy of your credit card!!! I've never heard of such a thing. It screams scam to me. Find a well known reputable site.

Answer 6

that sounds kinda sketchy. It's safe if you book directly through the airline.... That's one of the many reasons I only book tickets that way

Answer 7

I, personally, would never buy anything on line or give my credit card u are basically saying 'here please take my money i don't want it' PEOPLE ARE STUPID!