ELECTRONIC TICKETING

STTB e - Ticketing (Click to view the SITA/IATA Partnership Product)

Since its inception the use of electronic ticketing has grown at a rapid pace. Some carriers, most notably in the USA, now sell e-tickets as their default method of ticketing and only if the passenger requests a paper document will a traditional paper ticket be issued.

Electronic ticketing has seen rapid expansion since it was first recognised as a major opportunity by the airline industry, back in 1995. In North America the product has become almost common place and represents, for some carriers, more than 40% of ticketed bookings. Elsewhere airline implementations have been many and various with carriers continuing to introduce the product in a number of their markets.

Electronic ticketing offers the opportunity to realise significant savings in ticket distribution costs, revenue accounting and billing processes, and in the reduction of handling costs associated with paper tickets. For the customer potential benefits are numerous, especially when the product is aligned with the explosion in electronic commerce utilising airline and other service provider's on-line Internet booking platforms.

Electronic ticketing itself offers a foundation for streamlining of airline distribution and airport processes the benefits of which can be passed on to the travelling public. For example some airlines believe that the Integrated Circuit Card (Smart Card) will radically change travel through airport formalities. Additionally airlines believe that the smart card can be used for identification and access purposes. This is of importance given that electronic ticketing is not necessarily a "paperless" product.

Most passengers still want or need a hard copy Passenger Receipt, and most airlines still have to deliver a paper Boarding Pass. A number of government regulations, as well as the Warsaw Convention on liability, require that various "Notices" be provided to passengers. It is not inconceivable that a smart card could be the provider of this information and might also be used at self-service kiosks to obtain the notices and necessary boarding documentation.

The success of electronic ticketing is partly founded on the standards that the airline community, facilitated by the Air Transport Association of America (ATA) and the International Air Transport Association (IATA), have agreed. These are represented as IATA Resolutions, 722f&g and ATA Resolutions 20.60 & 20.61, and were agreed in 1996 by the Joint ATA/IATA Passenger Services Conference.

The resolutions contain specifications on file structures and messages for airline application of electronic ticketing and for travel agency neutral ticketing schemes. The airline specification promises the eventual implementation of interline travel e.g. travel on more than one airline on the same electronic ticket. To date, however, airlines have concentrated on implementing on-line products in their home markets.

Standards evolution continues to play a major role with airlines coming together at the ATA/IATA Electronic Ticketing Working Group at least twice a year. Here the airlines have begun to focus on the delivery of electronic ticketing in the airport environment and especially as it impacts third party ground handling companies. Ground handling raises specific operating issues that are not necessarily documented within the resolutions. Furthermore it raises the issue of how multiple airlines can effectively communicate electronic ticketing data and provide consistent customer service.

Some ground handling processes have been compiled and are documented in the Electronic Ticketing Implementation Guide (which can be purchased by contacting Laetitia Neuhaus.

Several airlines have implemented interline electronic ticketing which enables the transfer of an electronic ticket issued by one carrier so that it can be used by another carrier. To date these interline transactions are restricted to bi-lateral agreements between one or two carriers and are usually with commercial partners and alliance members. Full multi-lateral interline electronic ticketing is still in it's infancy however IATA and SITA have teamed up to provide just such a solution. It is available today and we are looking for our first customers to trial this new service. Further information and a "flash" presentation concerning the Multi Lateral Interline Electronic Ticketing Product and how it works can be obtained by contacting David McEwen Manager Ticketing Services

Electronic ticketing is still considered hot property because it lays the foundation to take advantage of Internet bookings, smart cards and self-service kiosks. See our Smart Card section for further information on airline use of smart cards.

Since it's inception the use of electronic ticketing has grown at a rapid pace. Some carriers, most notably in the USA, now sell e-tickets as their default method of ticketing and only if the passenger requests a paper document will a traditional paper ticket be issued. More and more carriers world-wide are adopting electronic tickets and still more are actively looking into the possibility of introducing electronic ticketing. Following on from this, technological advances allow for self service check-in and reservations changes through hand held devices such as WAP phones and PDAs.