India's got an e-ticket, will fly

Mumbai: The e-ticketing facility has become significant after IATA, the apex air transport monitoring body, announced that by March 31, 2008, all air ticketing around the world should be electronic. The deadline raised concerns in India, given the poor access to computers. But if the current figures are anything to go by, the country seems well poised to reach the target before the deadline.
The great shift from silky paper tickets to printouts has mainly taken place over the last 12 months. Ankur Bhatia of Amadeus, the leading travel technology player in India, said that in the month of May 2006, 81% of all air-tickets sold in India were conventional paper tickets. This May, only 27% were paper tickets. With an increasing number of first-time fliers the change has not caused too much consternation.
Why is the International Air Transport Association (IATA) pushing for e-tickets? For one, it is much cheaper — $2 as opposed to the $8 paper ticket. And secondly, it is hugely convenient for the passenger, who can book a ticket from the comfort of his own home and even over his mobile.
15/07/07 Manju V/Times of India

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Categories: General Aviation Jul 2007