Electronic Ticketing or e-tickets are becoming more and more prevalent in the marketplace and
usage is encouraged by airlines and agencies alike. There are many benefits to electronic ticketing -
such as convenience and ease of use.
The Travel Office supports and encourages all University travelers, if traveling domestically on
University business, to use electronic tickets. For those who have not had an opportunity to use
an electronic ticket yet or have had some reservations in the past, please read the following information
on the most frequently asked questions about electronic ticketing in order to be a fully informed consumer.
If a traveler purchased an electronic ticket (from a travel agency or on the web),
they should request a "passenger receipt coupon" be issued at the time of check-in at the airport.
If they neglected to do that and an original passenger receipt coupon is not available, they will need
to provide:
| Q1: |
What is electronic ticketing? |
| Ticketless travel, also know as electronic ticketing, is the electronic production of flight coupons. The actual flight coupon will be electronically stored in the airline computer reservation system instead of being printed on paper ticket stock. Very simply, it is a "paperless" ticketing system. |
| Q2: |
How does electronic ticketing work? |
| The traveler contacts their corporate travel agency i.e. American Express, requesting travel arrangements.
The travel agent books the airline reservation using their computer reservation system.
The electronic ticket is charged to the proper account, as designated by the customer.
The travel agent provides the traveler with an itinerary, passenger receipt, and a confirmation or reference number, if required by an airline.
A boarding pass is then given to the traveler.
The traveler boards the airplane. |
| Q3: |
What do I need to provide the travel office to ensure reimbursement? |
| The passenger receipt, issued by the travel agent, is the best form of documentation and should be attached to the Request for Reimbursement (C-1 form) for processing. If the documentation is a passenger itinerary/receipt, then highlight the words "electronic ticket" or "receipt" when submitting for reimbursement. The airlines can also print a duplicate copy of the passenger receipt at the airport at time of check-in, if necessary, but the passenger must remember to request it. |
| Q4: |
Why is traveling on an e-ticket easier? |
| When a passenger is holding a paper ticket with pre-issued boarding passes, they still need to check-in at the gate or front counter to show their ID and answer specific questions about their baggage. So passengers holding paper tickets are no longer afforded any shortcuts to the process of checking in at the airport. E-tickets permit passengers to ticket anywhere and anytime, accomplish refunds/ exchanges anywhere and anytime and E-ticket passengers do not have to worry about having their tickets stolen, lost or forgotten. |
| Q5: |
Can seats be pre-assigned for customers? |
| This will vary by airline and by market but travelers are not precluded from having pre-assigned seating because of their e-ticketing status. |
| Q6: |
How is a refund generated for an "e-ticket" customer? |
| In basically the same way a refund is generated for a paper ticket customer. In the case of a refund or exchange of an e-ticket, the flight coupons will have to be generated for reporting purposes. The benefit for the customer is the he/she does not have to physically return the tickets for refund or exchange to be processed. The ticket is accessible through the airline computer. |
| Q7: |
How are changes handled once an e-ticket has been issued? |
| Just as they are handled today in the paper environment. If a change is made to an itinerary once travel has begun, and a ticket has to be re-issued, the traveler can have the ticket re-issued by the agency or airline. With an e-ticket, it is now easier for the travel agency to re-issue the ticket. They no longer have to wait to have the customer return the unused portion of the ticket. A new e-ticket can be issued, if appropriate, and the customer follows the same check-in procedures. |
| Q8: |
Will e-ticket passengers be required to present their credit card at the airport? |
| No. For security reasons, e-ticketed passengers need to present some form of ID when they show up at the airport for their flights. |
| Q9: |
If the passenger is traveling on a connection, when they check-in are they issued boarding passes for all flights, or must the check-in again at their connection city? |
| Boarding passes for all connecting flights be issued at the first check-in point. |
| Q10: |
Can travelers still check baggage at the curb if they have an e-ticket? |
| Yes. Most airlines have curbside automation. The skycaps will verify that the passenger has an e-ticket and tag the baggage. At non-automated stations, the skycaps are equipped with preprinted passenger manifest lists. The lists are used for curbside baggage check-in. |
| Q11: |
Can travelers still use their frequent flyer upgrades at the airport if they have an e-ticket? |
| Yes. Just like paper tickets, upgrade certificates can apply at time of check-in. |
| Q12: |
Can travelers still receive frequent flyer miles if using an e-ticket? |
| Yes. Frequent flyer miles are still accrued when traveling on an e-ticket. |
| Q13: |
Can a traveler go directly to the gate or must they check-in at the ticket counter? |
| Provided they are not checking baggage, travelers may proceed directly to the gate to check-in. |
| Q14: |
What happens at airports where security requires a ticket in order to proceed to the gate? |
| Procedures vary by airport. Some airports simply require the passengers to identify themselves to security personnel as e-ticket passengers. Other airports require security personnel to compare passenger names against a preprinted e-ticket manifest list. |
| Q15: |
What happens if an e-ticket is issued, and when the traveler gets to the airport, the computers are down? How can they check-in? |
| As part of the pre-departure process, customer service agents print an e-ticket manifest list. Passengers may check-in manually using this list and have their e-tickets updated later. |
| Q16: |
What happens if the flight is canceled? With a paper ticket passengers can just "run" to another airline. What happens when they have an e-ticket? |
If a flight cancels, the airline representative may accommodate passengers three ways:
- passengers may be accommodated on a later flight;
- a Flight Interruption manifest may be used to accommodate both paper and e-ticket passengers on another carrier; and
- the airline rep may print the electronic ticket converting it to a paper ticket so that the passenger may proceed to another carrier.
|
| Q17: |
If a change is made to an itinerary, who collects the change fees? |
| Depending upon when the change is made, either the agency or the airline will collect the change fee. Since the physical ticket does not have to be returned to the agency, it is now easier for the agency to complete the change and collect the fees. |
