E-ticketing in the airline industry has started becoming a norm in many parts of the world, especially in advanced countries. In Saudi Arabia too the process has taken roots as travelers have been seeking the usefulness of paperless travel.
In fact, Saudi Arabian Airlines will start issuing electronic boarding passes to passengers traveling through airports in the Kingdom by mid-August. The airline plans to link 25 travel agencies through a computer system and provide them with the necessary tools to issue electronic boarding passes to passengers. Other travel agencies will be connected in the second phase of the project.
The electronic boarding pass scheme is supporting the e-ticketing service Saudia is currently rolling out, and has already introduced on some sectors.
Saudia and Worldspan have chosen Portfolio Travel Ltd., a major travel agency, to test their e-ticketing project. “We are proud to say that the test run was conducted successfully in Jeddah,” Mohammed Ramadan, Portfolio’s travel manager told Arab News yesterday. The first passenger to get an e-ticket was Abdulbari Al-Amoudi for his Jeddah-London-Jeddah trip on Saudia, which was issued two days ago. “With this, we have started selling e-tickets to Saudia passengers on the carrier’s selected sectors,” he added.
International airlines in general have started the process of implementing e-ticketing to meet the Dec. 31 deadline set by International Air Transport Association (IATA). While some of those in the West have already done it, those in other parts of the world have either implemented it or are in the process of implementation.
By Jan. 1, 2008, all airlines will switch to paperless tickets to make air travel easier and hassle-free.
The e-ticketing system is so advanced that it comes with many advantages for the airlines, travel agents and travelers. “With e-ticketing, we deem to standardize the level of service we provide by investing more in training and workshops,” Ramadan said. “The aim is to expand overall and equip the trade with the latest, most updated technology to offer benchmark services to all customers,” he added.
Manila’s dominant air carrier Philippine Airlines (PAL) has completed the full implementation of electronic ticketing service for all of its flights. It did so seven months ahead of the deadline set by the International Air Transport Association of Dec. 31 this year. “The e-ticketing coverage introduced in its networks globally will save the industry an estimated $3 billion annually,” a PAL spokesman said yesterday.
Member-airlines of the IATA process some 300 million paper tickets per year. That was costing at lease $10 to process. However, an e-ticket costs only $1 dollar to process, according to travel industry sources.
PAL said it completed e-ticketing coverage for 19 domestic stations on June 24 last. E-ticketing coverage for its 24 international outlets was completed nearly a fortnight ago. “This achievement places the airline on par with most major international carriers,” PAL President Jaime Bautista is quoted to have said. “E-ticketing is a major step toward building a comprehensive electronic commerce system in PAL — a strategic investment that we expect will yield long-term benefits.”
The e-ticketing system is so advanced that it comes with many advantages for the airlines, travel agents and travelers, he added.
Royal Brunei Airlines and Abacus Distribution Systems Brunei on Friday announced the launch of electronic ticketing (e-Ticketing).
Abacus-connected travel agents in Brunei will now be issuing e-tickets on Royal Brunei Airlines flights from Friday (June 1).
“The implementation of e-ticketing for travel agents is a crucial component toward increasing our e-ticketing penetration,” Royal Brunei Airlines Vice President for Reservations and Distribution John News said.
“We are pleased to engage Abacus to provide e-ticketing capability to the Brunei travel agents. This cut over represents another milestone and progress toward achieving International Air Transport Association’s target of 100 percent e-ticketing worldwide by 2007-end.
“E-tickets are not only more secure and convenient for customers, it also offers substantial cost benefits in terms of delivery and time management,” he said, adding that as e-ticket holds the information previously held on a paper ticket, the new system is a real-time paperless method for airlines and travel agents to issue tickets.
Individual ticket information is stored within the airline’s reservation system and can be retrieved and processed electronically, reducing the amount of paper ticket inventory and hassle in re-issuance of misplaced printed tickets.