Need advice on cheapest one-way from LHR to SFO

Hey guys i just discoverd a bit of depressing news...

Virgin will not allaw you to book a ticket online unless your credit card is registerd in the country you are departing from.

Having moved here only a couple of months ago, i guess that rules us out as all our C.C.'s are from the States.

Any advice on this ?
Is this standard practice when purchasing tickets online ?

thanks heaps
Zufan

This was a huge hassle for me when I first came here - I ended up putting all of my money into hubby's bank account so we could use his cc to buy my tickets until I sorted out my own account. And I hate to tell you but it's not just online - I phoned Virgin once and they wouldn't let me do it on the phone either.... I know you may not get the price you want, but I once used an American cc on cheaptickets.com and got an e-ticket originating in Heathrow....

Good luck!!!!

Expedia.com will let you use a CC not in the originating country.  I found a cheaper price on British Airways' website but I couldn't buy the ticket because of no CC in the UK.  But my ticket from expedia was I think only about $15 more. 

Thanks ya'll...one way or another i will be on my way.

Zufan

It also works the other way. Many US web sites won't let you use a British cc to order either. I guess the solution is to open a Brit account and get the plastic.

Yea its really important to get a UK c.c. Once i survive the nightmare of opening a current account...i hope to eventually land a bank c.c.

BTW has anyone dealt with the air ticket website called Opodu.co.uk ?
They seem to have a really good deal from LHR-SFO for $490.00
If anyone has dealt with them in the past, please let me know.

Zufan

you mean opodo.co.uk, don't you. If it's opodu, with a u, then I'd be suspicious. Opodo is the official service that the mainstream airlines set up for their discount tickets (they don't show the budget airlines). Yes, it's legit and worth checking, since it's often within a few pounds here or there with the others.

Thanks Lightbulb

Yea the website is called opodu.co.uk...
Just want to make certain we are talking abouyt the same site..
can you please confirm again ?
thanks
Zufan

Once i survive the nightmare of opening a current account...i hope to eventually land a bank c.c.

Hey, Zufan, I opened a plain old run-of-the-mill current account and my cash card has a Visa symbol on it and appears to work anywhere Visa is accepted (providing I've got cash in the account! LOL....) I don't currently make enough or have enough of a credit history here for a credit card or an overdraft, but the Visa cash card has been serving the purpose for the moment....

If you type in opodu.co.uk, it redirects you to opodo.co.uk. It's the "o" that is the site, but they were clever enough to get control of the "u".

This is fine, but in general be wary of Phishing sites that look like the real ones: so better off simply typing in opodo. Otherwise everything remains the same - opodo is the consortium site for the big arilines.

Thanks AnneG for that tip...i will certainly try it and see what happens...once i get the current account that is..knock timber.

and

Thanks Lightbulb for clearing that up for me


Zufan

We just went through a nightmare trying to book our LHR-SFO tix.

Last week we tried going through Continental and because our mailing address was in a different country than the credit card (family paying for it in Cali so the card is there too) they would not issue the paper tickets which are required because they code share with Virgin so no e-tix.

So in order to insure etickets I booked through travelocity.co.uk and even though there was a credit card issue (suspicious usage, good on the cc co. for spotting odd transactions but a bit inconvenient on the timing as we almost lost our reservation) they assured me that BA will not require the credit card at check in, just two forms of picture ID each. I double checked this by calling them directly and getting the scoop.

It was still cheaper to buy direct through the BA or Virgin flights but easier in the long run to assure the tickets arrived on time and all that.

In the end 2 tickets cost us £573 return. Not horrible. I want to check out that odopo site you chatted about!