subject: Ata Project Simplifying The Business By Using E-ticketing [print this page] From the day one of airlines operation, both the airlines and the passengers were using the tickets as the legal proof of the transactions. This was taken as the norm of traveling until the internet was invented. The technologies have enabled e-ticketing to be used offering a huge saving to the industry.
The savings are in the following areas:
1. Saving in printing cost. The paper tickets are expensive to print. It has to include all the safety features and the running tickets sequential numbering system. A blank ticket is like a signed blank check, and worth a lot as the holder can actually write any sectors on it. Airlines will normally accept the ticket as the passengers are normally the innocent buyers.
2. Saving in transportation and storage: The blank tickets are handled like cash. It will require secure transport companies and a special strong room with safe box to keep the tickets. A system is required to manage the movements of the tickets and any missing or unaccounted tickets will require tedious paperwork.
3. Saving in selling process. The information of the fight and the buyer has to be printed on the tickets. That mean a special printer is required, an office staff will have to be employed to key in the passengers data, print the tickets and hand it over to the passengers. The buyers or their representatives have to spend some time to pick up the ticket.,
4. Saving in managing the system and the audit. Imagine you are at the head office in charge of all the tickets in an airline. You have to manage the stock, the printing order and the distributions. It require a number of staff to manage the operation.
5. Saving in fraudulence practices, stolen of tampered tickets. The e-ticket system will greatly reduce the fraudulence practices. In the days of the paper tickets, it was almost impossible to track and recover the missing tickets. This is because the ticket can be sent to part of the world and sold to innocent passengers.
6. E-ticket encourages direct dealing between the passengers and airlines. When used in conjunction with internet bookings, the travel agents are not required. The absence of the middleman will provide more saving for the airlines in the region of 3-5% of the cost of the ticket.
Conclusion
Although it is not discussed, there were many barriers to implement e-tickets. For a start, the airlines computer and internet systems must be ready. The e-business packages and the internet booking systems have to be in place first. The project cost is high, especially if the airlines are rushing to implement it within a short time.
We are glad that despite the challenges, IATA had met the deadline and had the e-tickets implemented within the planned four years. The airlines were in a great pressure as without e-ticket the airline will not be able to pick up and disembark passengers at the airports with e-ticket compliance.
