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Given the timing—3 a.m. Seattle time—and the fact that the credit card was at home, the couple resorted to extraordinary measures. Weissbomb called his neighbor, walked him through accessing his home, and had the neighbor photograph both sides of the credit card. Finally, with the photographic evidence in hand, the airline managed to print their boarding passes and they were able to fly home.
The Broader Issue: Lack of Transparency and Customer Unawareness
What makes this incident even more perplexing is that Weissbomb was unaware of the policy prior to arriving at Heathrow. No mention of such stringent requirements was included in booking confirmations or pre-flight emails. This lack of clear communication meant that travelers could easily be caught off guard, as was the case here.