Flyeliteclass

A dangerous company

Over the past few years I’ve purchased airline tickets from the Fly Elite Class travel agency in South San Francisco, California. The company lists their official business name appearing on my Visa statement as First Class Choice, Inc. Each ticket, including taxes billed by the airlines, was paid in full using my Chase Visa Explorer card. It was my understanding that the company was offering lower priced tickets as a wholesale travel consolidator.

On January 20, 2016 I received a phone call from Lufthansa Airlines informing me that my ticket for June 20, 2016 to October 3, 2016 had been cancelled, and that I wouldn’t be given a refund. According to their Fraud Prevention specialistmy ticket was issued by Fly Elite Class in violation of the rules and regulations set forth by Lufthansa and most other airlines. She pointed out that every frequent flyer plan specifically prohibits selling, bartering or brokering miles/points in this manner. She brought to my attention that other tickets in my possession were most probably procured by Fly Elite Class using the same method, the use of third party frequent flyer points.

Following the cancellation of my Lufthansa flight my concern was with the security of three upcoming British Airline flights (. In my first contact with British Airlines, the agent assured me on January 21, 2016 that the tickets bore my name and were fine, and that there was no problem associated with using them. This presented the illusion that all was in order.

Suspecting that this could not be the case, I requested to speak with their fraud division. Through my conversation other discussions ensued. Both my frequent flyer account with Lufthansa’s partner, United, and British’s partner, American, show no transactions related to these tickets in question that were purchased through Fly Elite Class.

In my discussion the following points were brought forth:
• Upon further investigation I was told that the mileage points necessary to procure these above-mentioned British Airlines tickets came from my account. The truth of the matter is that I never opened a frequent flyer account with British Airlines nor have I ever flown enough British flights to have accumulated such a large number of points necessary to get so many first and business class tickets. The account was registered in my name in May 2014 by Fly Elite Class. British Airlines revealed that Fly Elite Class most probably set up an account in my name, after having deposited the necessary number of third party frequent flyer points.
• British Airlines indicated that there was an American Express account set up under my name. On October 1, 2016, 180,000 points were transferred. Years ago in fact I had an American Express credit card with Delta which was subsequently closed.
• A false email address was also set up: . They were basically stealing my identity.
• I was informed that the British Airline office had received a phone call from an unidentified caller saying that he was me. When unable to answer security questions the individual immediately hung up.
Fly Elite Class lists an Australian telephone number on their web site (1.800.132.236). My agent told me that this was a fake number and there was no Australian office; it actually rings in their San Francisco office. This attests to their questionable business practices.

In a subsequent conversation with Lufthansa I was informed of the following:

“ I would like to clarify that First Class Choice, Inc., doing business as Fly Elite Class and Top Business Class are not authorized sales agents for Lufthansa Airlines. We have advised the business owner in writing that they are to cease and desist from misrepresenting themselves to the public as agents of Lufthansa, as well as selling mileage tickets in violation of the terms and conditions of the Miles and More program, and to remove any all all logos and references to Lufthansa Airlines which are trademark protected.”