[Butch Cassidy Slept Here]

The only exception to the rule about presenting the credit card used to purchase the ticket, along with the ("e-ticket") receipt or reservation number and your driver's license or other acceptable id, would be if you purchased your ticket at one of the few remaining city ticket offices owned and operated by the airline, or at the airport. I'm assuming, of course, that the agent at the airport has the brains to notice that the ticket was purchased at a facility operated by the airline or that the agent is not "programmed" to ask for a credit card regardless of where the ticket was purchased. Otherwise, if you buy your ticket on-line, or maybe even at a travel agent, you definitely will need to show the credit card. If you bought a round-trip ticket I can't imagine how it makes sense to ask for a credit card when you check-in for your return flight. Again, maybe you're dealing with a "programmed" agent. As to your credit card renewing between the time of ticket purchase and the time of your flight: I don't know if the expiration date, on the credit card, is noted on the records of the airline. I'll give Singapore the benefit of the doubt and assume the expiration date is NOT noted. Losing your credit card, prior to your outbound flight, might pose some problems particularly if the credit card issuer does NOT note the issue date on the card.

If you purchase a ticket for someone else, and you’re not traveling with them on every segment of their ticket, it’s unlikely that person will be allowed to board. If you won’t be traveling with the person you buy a ticket for, on some or all of the flights that person will be taking, and the other person doesn’t have a credit card that will accept the price of the ticket then purchasing their ticket, with cash, at an airport, would be the only other option. Even the purchase with cash option could be problematic. I could, actually, see some airport agents who are too stupid to understand that some people don’t own a credit card that will take a five figure, or high four-figure, purchase and decide to call the cops because you have all that cash with you. Converting the cash to a Visa or American Express “gift card” could resolve the problem if it’s possible to find an issuer of one of these cards that will allow you to put the amount of cash needed on a single card. However then, the gift card would need to be issued in the name of the person you’re buying the ticket for, and as their name appears on their id, and the used card would need to be presented at the time of check-in.

Singapore is one of the better airlines in the world. It's one of the few airlines that have been, consistently, profitable. While Virgin America is no where near profitable their service product comes closest to Singapore among the US-based airlines. I'd give Singapore, at least, one more chance.