Black Enterprise - Flying the electronic way? - electronic ticketing for airline travel - Brief Article

Electronic ticketing (also called e-ticketing) is the latest travel innovation. According to Travel Management Daily, an industry trade publication, nearly 41% of airline tickets are e-tickets. But the process, which eliminates the need for travelers to have an actual ticket in hand, has one major drawback, notes Anne Leonard, writer for InsideFlyer, a Colorado Springs, Colorado-based newsletter for frequent fliers. If your flight’s been canceled and you want to get booked on to another airline, your electronic ticket will be an obstacle.

Currently, the airlines cannot read each other’s e-tickets. “The airline you were originally booked on will have to issue you a paper ticket, and by the time this process is completed, you’ll probably miss the flight you want to get on,” she says. Although all of the major carriers issue e-tickets for domestic flights, most airlines don’t offer this service for international flights. Also, if you make any changes to your original seating arrangement or you’re bumped, be sure to get a voucher specifying the new terms.

There are pluses to cyber-ticketing. Since e-tickets are generally dispensed via the Internet, all major carriers issue bonus miles for flights booked online. And on the day of travel, if you’re not checking luggage, you can head straight for the boarding gate. But don’t forget to bring a photo ID and always have a printout of your flight itinerary with you.