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?
Comments on Paper Airline Tickets Vanishing June 1
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2 Posted by mcmillen66 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 7:13PM EDT Report Abuse
I just read Chris's follow up. You're right, this thin slip of paper is a boarding pass. My bad. But it still seems like a useless thing to have. Still something to be printed, something to lose and the only purpose it serves is to hold your seat assignment. Chris, if you are up for it, it would be good to have a report on the passenger's bill of rights legislation now percolating through congress. That's an important story about the airline industry.
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3 Posted by carlylovesreds on Thu Sep 3, 2009 3:18PM EDT Report Abuse
I frequently fly internationally and still encounter paper tickets. That is, the ticket that shows your fare paid (like the picture in this blog), not the paper boarding pass that you get after check-in. As a matter of fact, last week I flew to Istanbul, Turkey from the USA, via Frankfurt, Germany. I was given a paper ticket for the round trip from Frankfurt to Istanbul. When visiting developing countries (i.e. Eastern Europe, Middle East, Africa, parts of Asia), it is not uncommon to receive a paper ticket from your travel agent, even when flying a major carrier.
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4 Posted by leigh01bhog on Thu Sep 3, 2009 6:48PM EDT Report Abuse
some airlines still issue paper tickets especially if an itinerary involves two or three carriers. But the trend now for most carriers is to issue eticket which has made ticketing easier for both the passenger and the airline. Most would even allow the convenience of web check in 24 hours prior to departure ( and it comes wiith the boarding pass )without having to queue just to get into the ticket counter. You don't even have to worry of loosing your ticket, because it is ticketless!!!! Your flight details is electronically stored. You may printout your itinerary from your email or through the airlines website or simply give your Identification Card or passport at the airlines ticket counter and they will give you a printout of your itinerary. It used to be cashless travel , now it's ticketless travel....
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5 Posted by sjedad on Thu Sep 3, 2009 9:25PM EDT Report Abuse
What happens to the senior citizen who does not use a computer, or want to go to a travel agent. Will they not be able to fly because they cannot get an eticket?
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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.
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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!
1 Posted by rogueist on Thu Sep 3, 2009 8:49PM EDT Report Abuse
Mmm, I dont remember NOT ever having a paper ticket - even with the eTickets, when you check in at the airport, they give you a set of paper tickets at the counter. So I dont know the difference. Maybe what they are saying is they finally got their act together and put everything on centrally processed computers, rather than regional computers, which now makes it possible to have fully tracked tickets. When they give you a plastic boarding card similar to a credit card, then they will have gotten rid of paper tickets. But paper tickets are still around all over the place.