Everything Travel

It has been years since I have seen a paper ticket for an airline flight. Yes, I remember what they looked like. They were often issued in duplicate and triplicate form and you had to look closely at them to make sure you were using the right one at the right time. I also remember how difficult it was to replace one if it was misplaced before you took the flight.

I remember one instance in particular in which I and my family were planning a three week long vacation in Europe. We bought the tickets early, and then put them up for safekeeping. And boy, were they safe! A few days before we were to leave, we looked for them and no one could remember where we had put them for safekeeping. We went into panic mode.

We finally had to purchase new tickets. The airline cancelled the old ones but would not return our money until we returned the original tickets. It was only after we returned from our European trip that we found the original tickets. We got our money back, but the inconvenience in the meanwhile was traumatic. This process would have been much easier today with the issuance of an electronic ticket.

Few airlines offer paper tickets anymore, and you might find it costing you more if you request one. Electronic tickets are most often purchased by internet through your home computer and you can not beat the convenience. So, why should you purchase online electronic tickets?

• It might be the only kind you can get. Some airlines no longer offer paper tickets.
• You don’t have to go to a travel agency or airline office to purchase them. You also don’t have to stand in line with your luggage at the airline terminal to purchase them when you get electronic tickets ahead of time.
• Payment can still be made with credit cards (and sometimes cash through online bank withdrawals) just as with paper tickets. My advice would be to always use credit cards; they are safer.
• They are easily accessible. The records on the internet remain at least until after each leg of the trip is completed. Once purchased they remain in the database for easy access at any time. If misplaced, you can go online and print out another copy. No more lost tickets.
• You can get immediate confirmation. This is usually through your email.
• They are instantaneously available. You don’t have to wait for the tickets to be mailed to you. They can be printed out immediately after payment is processed.
• The electronic tickets allow pre-flight check-in. Most airlines allow you to print your boarding pass within the 24 hours prior to the actual flight. If you only have carry-on luggage, you can go straight to security screening section. And even with luggage, you can usually check them curbside with the electronic ticket or through kiosks provided in the terminal by most airlines.
• On international flights most airlines still require you to check in at the counter before clearing security and boarding, but all of the other conveniences noted above still make electronic ticketing worth the time and effort.

There are always those individuals who insist on having a paper ticket issued by the airline. It doe not however make much sense anymore, since you have the ability to print out an electronic ticket immediately from any computer with access to the internet. Be thankful for the convenience of the internet and electronic ticketing. Time is money and electronic ticketing gives you more of it.