Paper Airline Tickets Vanishing June 1
Mon Sep 24, 2007 12:31AM EDT
See Comments (45)
Frankly, I don't remember the last time I had paper airline tickets, but every time I fly, I see one guy with a thick sheaf of dead trees, handing an envelope over to a gate agent who looks alternately annoyed and confused over having to deal with the thing.
Those days are finally coming to a close: On June 1, 2008, the association that handles airline ticketing will dump paper tickets (only about 3 percent of tickets processed today are paper) for good in favor of electronic ones. The airlines have been anxious to get rid of the things for cost reasons: Paper tickets cost an airline up to $17 a pop, while e-tickets are a buck or less, not to mention you need to maintain an infrastructure to issue them, train agents on dealing with the myriad forms they come in, and so on.
Paper tickets will still be issued by a handful of regional and foreign airlines who haven't discovered the magic of computers yet.
Is the loss of the paper ticket, at least as an option, a good thing or a bad thing? Paper tickets have always come with baggage that makes them infinitely harder to change when your plans are altered, not to mention that interminable waiting for them to arrive in the mail. The extra amenities offered by e-tickets in allowing for online scheduling and, more importantly, online check-in for your flight, more than make up for the enhanced paper trail (and the sense of security that came with it) which printed tickets provided.
Who was president the last time you flew with paper?
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Comments on Paper Airline Tickets Vanishing June 1
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7 Posted by blackwell6565 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 3:08PM EDT Report Abuse
Scarlettmom78729 is right, agents are so disillusioned and jaded that they should look for other jobs if they are not happy. Now, before I get screamed at... I am an agent of 10 years and love my job, but I work beside those who long for the "glory days of travel". NOt to mention they have no other education or training and have no where else to go, makes it sad for our passengers. Paper tickets have their place, especially where more than 1 airline is being used, or in the case of the comfort it beings a senior citizen that prefers the paper ticket in their hand. Either way, I will work with both!
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8 Posted by qaqalas on Thu Sep 3, 2009 8:23PM EDT Report Abuse
Null is the right word for this arrogant dweeb.
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9 Posted by lette_09 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 6:49PM EDT Report Abuse
Paper Tickets are gone yet... they start JUNE 1st. Read the headline...
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10 Posted by rascalebr on Thu Sep 3, 2009 8:29PM EDT Report Abuse
A boarding pass comes close to ensuring that the person who checked in is the person getting on the plane. Back in the day, it was not difficult or uncommon for a different person to board than checked in. But not anymore! Does all this, AND the cavity searches make me feel any safer? not a chance!
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11 Posted by akennedy115 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 2:48PM EDT Report Abuse
Why did they post a picture of a boarding pass when the article is talking about paper tickets? They are two different things! No wonder people are confused here.
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12 Posted by joanpio55 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 4:37PM EDT Report Abuse
Ok, so what are senior citizens who don't fly frequently and are not computer savvy supposed to do? My mother is 79 years old, flies maybe once a year, does not know how to operate a pc - let alone own one. I guess this means she'll never be able to fly up to visit her only child.
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13 Posted by anovak003@sbcglobal.net on Thu Sep 3, 2009 2:56PM EDT Report Abuse
I do not use paper tickets for personal travel. When I travel for work I have to retain the paper boarding ticket to prove that I went on the trip for my expenses. With e-tickets so easy available paper tickets are wasteful.
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14 Posted by pab96815 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 7:48PM EDT Report Abuse
I love the computer age and the fact that I can do it all myself. Without the paper and agent interaction they should actually LOWER their fees to make an agenda/ticket change. Last time I flew it was for a family emergency and I had to change my return flight three times. I did it online but they still charged me $100 each time. As for the "trees" that a "sheaf" one multi paged paper ticket requires... if you do your research you'll find it is NOT one tree per piece of paper. If that were true the entire world would be denuded of all trees with just what the US uses each year not to mention all the other countries. E-Tickets? I vote Yes! My only question is... what about the older generation who doesn't do online? And they don't have anyone to do it for them?
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15 Posted by hotel528 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 4:20PM EDT Report Abuse
I had read a few comments. I cannot agree more that paper tickets are necessary. My parents don't do anything with computer, and they have a hard time to understand how to use the websites since we are naturalized citizen. I don't live with them. Last time they flew, I had to print that confirmation email and send a copy to them so that they could get the boarding pass at the airport. It is extremely inconvenient.
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16 Posted by scottylommen2003 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 9:10PM EDT Report Abuse
Well first of all e-tkts are the way to go..no more hassel with wondering if your tkt makes it the mail or if you lose it..there is nothing to lose and working in the biz for 24 yrs...its so simple...Sorry but you will always have to have a boarding pass to check in...with trying to track your miles and all its about the only way you can be sure that you get credit...sounds like a great idea to scan your CC or ID but lets be honest the way there is so much CC fraud..why do you want to keep handing it out to every one...there is some down side of e-tkts when your flight gets canceled or delayed you have to wait in line to get on the next plane or another carrie...becasue they need somehting from the other carrie showing you that you have a tkt..its to bad the money they talk about saving they don't pass it on to the coustomer they always say they will bet to this day it has never happen..think about it the airlines have cut more cost then ever before..and yet nothing gets passed on..service is at a all time low..you ever feel like your doing them the favor....maybe some day they will wake up and at least pass you a smile...
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17 Posted by kyng_bush on Thu Sep 3, 2009 4:55PM EDT Report Abuse
There are certain guarantees required by law when a passenger possesses a paper ticket. I can't recall all of them but some include lodging and transp to be provided in case of flight cancellation etc. Airlines are MORE THAN EAGER to dump paper tix as etickets DO NOT have the same legal requirements attached to them. Gee thanks Airline Lobbyists !!!!
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18 Posted by msmoe1006 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 7:29PM EDT Report Abuse
I always bring my paperwork with confirmations to the airport no matter what. Seems to prevent any problems if their system is screwed up. It happens!!...
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19 Posted by scottylommen2003 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 9:10PM EDT Report Abuse
To joanpio55 Your mother can always call a travel agent..yes there is a small fee but being in this biz...our fee is very low and using a travel agent we can usally still find the best price..Do you know how many times I can get a cheaper tkt for my clients then they can find on line and thats even putting my fee on top of that...online is great but these people that waste hrs and days sometimes have know idea how much money they waste by doing that day in day out..what takes them 6 hrs I can find in mins..
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20 Posted by pantherdung on Thu Sep 3, 2009 7:59PM EDT Report Abuse
The idea of a card, even one of those key-chain-sized ones similar to the ones used for store discounts, makes lots of sense, as long it is one of those recycleable plastics (or maybe the information gets erased and it is used for the next customer). As for the annoyed ticket representatives, if they hate their jobs that much, step aside and let someone else who has been unemployed take their place. The ones at Detroit Metro are absolutely awful!!!
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21 Posted by tygernside on Thu Sep 3, 2009 10:25PM EDT Report Abuse
I fly regularly for work and the slips of paper you all mention that is scanned upon boarding is just that - a boarding pass. That means they have you been logged into a specific seat on a specific flight and have been cleared to board. You have to show this to go through security only because it proves you are scheduled to fly since those are the only persons that can be past that point. If you are taking an unaccompanied minor then they give you a different type of pass but you still have to show it to get past the security point however, you are not able to board any plane. I send my kids to my mom during the summer so I have that experience as well. The reason it is scanned at the boarding door is to confirm you are indeed on that flight in case some thing happens during the flight. Consider it as roll call. During the boarding part & if somebody is still not been "scanned-in" but showing that they should be on that flight they will make an overhead announcement specifically to that person that they have boarded & to report to the gate. Once everybody has been "scanned-in" a print out is then given to the flight attendants on board. None of these are tickets - they are just passes. My kids & I like to keep them and put them in our travel albums we keep of all our trips we take, even if it's business related. I've talked to a cousin that works for a major airliner and they are talking about in the future they will scan your driver's license instead of these passes but only time will tell.
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22 Posted by oceanhousemassage on Thu Sep 3, 2009 7:43PM EDT Report Abuse
Ummm, you still have to print the eTicket out from your home to get on the airplane...So either way you are using paper. It just comes out of our pockets instead of the airlines. Good thinking guys!!!!!!!
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23 Posted by alan_spuzzillo on Thu Sep 3, 2009 2:49PM EDT Report Abuse
I don't remember the las time I had a paper ticket. It has to be at least 10 years. My confirmation is always emailed to me and tehn I print out my boarding pass.
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24 Posted by secaccountant on Thu Sep 3, 2009 9:12PM EDT Report Abuse
I booked a ticket for my daughter on Orbitz to come home for Christmas. She came in from Nashville to Sacramento on Frontier and went home on American. There was no way I could get a paperless ticket, no matter how hard I tried. And, of course, Orbitz charged me $25 for the paper ticket. It is nice to hear they will be no longer...
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25 Posted by carlogo_99 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 3:18PM EDT Report Abuse
Joanpio55. Here's an idea if your mother refuses to learn how to use the computer at the public library. Buy her ticket for her, then print the eticket, then mail it to her. Or tell her to quit using her age as an excuse not to learn how to use an computer and email. My stepdad is older than her and has no problem figuring out how to buy tickets online.
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6 Posted by scarlettmom78729 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 9:07PM EDT Report Abuse
The comments about us that still prefer paper tickets are rather insulting. Older citzens and those uncertain about the ever changing security requirements PREFER to have the paper documents. If the gate agents are so annoyed with doing their job, perhaps they should look for a different position???? In the past years the only disposition that I see from most airline personnell is annoyance no matter what the task is.