Airlines go electronic - the age of the paper ticket is over
Airlines go electronic - the age of the paper ticket is over
The era of the paper airline ticket will soon be over. From June 1st, the 240 carriers belonging to the International Air Transport Association (IATA) will switch to electronic ticketing .
Summing up the changes, the IATA commented: "From June 1st, no travel agent will be able to issue a paper ticket." IATA members, who make up 94 per cent of the world's airline traffic, have been gradually changing to the new system; by the end of February, over 90 per cent of them had already made the transition from the traditional paper ticket to its electronic counterpart. In
Africa, 87 per cent of IATA airlines have gone electronic.
The IATA claims that the move will be in the best financial interests of its members, estimating that the airlines will save three billion dollars per year. The process of issuing the old style tickets costs carriers $10, whereas the electronic version should cost on average just $1. Furthermore, it is not just money that will be saved; according to the IATA's calculations, the move away from paper ticketing will spare 50,000 trees per year.
The very last paper tickets will be sold tomorrow (31st May) and holidaymakers who buy before the deadline need not worry; the IATA says that paper tickets will be valid for the travel dates indicated on them.
This story was brought to you by holiday
lettings.co.uk, the UK's No.1 holiday home website.
30 May 2008
Print this article
