Travellers are used to putting their guard up when it comes to visiting ‘suspicious’ unknown locations, but perhaps they should also be wary when it comes to simply booking their flights! Earlier this month, employees at Flyline, a British Airways (BA) operation in Bremen have been accused of misusing confidential credit card passed on to them through the booking process.
When it comes to booking flights, it’s not only these extreme security breaches that might end up hurting your finances. Many airline providers charge extra for credit cards bookings, such as British Airways and BMI, who add an additional charges on top of their fees. While these can easily be avoided by using a debit card, others are more churlish when it comes to any form of card spending. Monarch and Jet2 force customers to pay a 5% fee and a minimum of plus 2.25% for credit card, but don’t worry there is an escape clause…..
If you are worried about relying on your regular credit card to pay for your excursions, why not rely on a special pre-paid travel credit card? Especially for a small business, credit cards can be a luxury. A prepaid card can help curb extra expenses for you or your business. I know I can spend more than I can afford if it is handed to me, especially on holiday, so i have found one of the impulse spender who’s afraid of wasting a few dozen pounds on gaudy souvenirs; not for responsible users who don’t want to be tied down to a limited budget.
Peter Harrison, the travel-money expert at moneysavingsupermarket.com has some sobering words about the state of the industry: “Unfortunately there is no one product that ticks every box, so customers who are unhappy with their current provider need to understand their requirements and shop around to ensure they are using the most appropriate product.”