Flying to Paris and returning from London with my teens this summer. Is there anything I need to be concerned about with E-tickets besides not losing my receipt?

It seems to be safer and less of a hassle to have paper tickets instead of e-tickets just in case you or the airline needs to change your arrangements and put you on another airline.<BR><BR>My suggestion is to get paper tickets and put them in the hotel's safe.<BR><BR>However, I'm sure that others will disagree with me, so I'm just offering my opinion.

Thanks Leslie, that's what I was concerned about. Being my first trip abroad I am open to all suggestions here!

I've used E-tickets , bought from the airlines , several times with no problems. But this next trip I bought thru Expedia, and I really do want to exchange for paper tickets. Went to Delta in-town ticket office but they have closed shop, as have many of the airline ticket offices, including American in London and at Paddington. It is a real pain to drive all the way to the airport to do this. Can it be done for the return flight while checking in for departure? I have no problem with intra-continenetal but inter continential makes me feel uneasy&gt;<BR>There is no place to park or stop at our airport!

Hello,<BR><BR>I've used E-tickets for our last 4 or 5 flights and have not had problems. You do save a few bucks not having paper tickets sent to your house. I have heard that if you have problems, it is more difficult if you don't have paper tickets. <BR><BR>I would love to hear if any othe fodorites have had problems with E-tickets. I do prefer them, and as soon as you arrive at the airport for check-in you receive standard paper tickets. I guess I don't see any problems.<BR><BR>Good luck fellow travelers.<BR><BR>Ciao,<BR><BR>RJS

Yes I agree it would be better to have paper tickets. If your flight should happen to be cancelled you will have a much harder time getting on another airline w/o the paper tickets. I wouldn't chance it out of the country.

Thanks for the replies, exactly the info I was needing.

Hi, Pat. When you check in for your flight, ask the ticket agent to print your flight coupons for you.

E-tickets are cheaper than paper when using BA. It's not much (5&pound but it's something.

I always prefer to use E tkts rather than paper. I have a fear of loosing them in my travels. I have never had a problem with them but rarely change my itinerary while traveling. Even if you want to change, the ticket office or counter can print your tickets upon request. If you are going to change airlines, than you need paper tickets in hand.

E-tix are fine, US or domestic. And there's no need to secure them in a safe - who could or would use them? If you think the airlines are stiff about ID in the US, just wait until you're in Europe. Just be sure you have a passport. relax and enjoy your trip. Ciao, L

I used to work for American Airlines. Stick with the E-tickets. Even if kids were reaccomodated you still have to wait in line at AA to get tickets endorsed over. I used to get these calls all the time. Peoples flight would be cancelled we would put them on another airline. They would not listen to instructions. They would call and bitch. If tickets are not endorsed, other airline will send you right back. <BR>Second, if you lose tickets AA charges you 100.00 to replace. You cannot lose an e-ticket. Now though with security measures many places you have to show your Itinerary and Receipt. I hope this <BR>helps. I hope you have a wonderful trip.<BR>

The drawback of E-tickets, as others have indicated, have to do with when for whatever reason you need to change the airline.<BR><BR>I know many friends who swear by E-tickets, but if they ever had to change the airline, they would probably take a second look.<BR><BR>If the route is monopolized by one airline, there is no benefit in paper ticket because there is no one else's airline to fly on. I do not think that is the case for London route.<BR><BR>All you have to do is to have paper ticket printed if the original airline cancels the flight sounds good, until you find out that the original airline left a skelton crew behind the counter to deal with a long line of people trying to do the same thing at the same time.

I almost missed my connection at Heathrow because at one of the security checkpoints, the guard didn't know what an e-ticket was, so he wouldn't let me through.<BR><BR>I use e-tickets all of the time when traveling domestically, but never again internationally.

Hi, Pat. I've been using only E-tix for a couple years without problems, but at the same time I've not had issues like cancellations etc. However, on this last trip, I rec'd a second message after the confirmation message telling me to go to my reservation on the USAir website and print the ticket receipt which I would need to show at check-in. This is new to me and I almost missed the message thinking they'd just confirmed me twice. I saw a note here that you will now need the ticket receipt, so be aware. Also had to show ID everwyhere. Have fun on your trip.

People always say that "if" this or that were to happen you will have a problem. They don't say "this happened to me" so I am still left wondering. Can anyone tell me they personally had a flight canceled and had a harder time getting a flight with another airline than the other people on the same flight with paper tickets.

To Vicki:<BR>Yes, I have; and no, I did not. The cancelling airline issued me a paper tickets and endorsed it over to the carrying airline. I had to wait in two lines; but that was, at most, a minor problem.

I've always used paper tickets, after hearing Clark Howard on the radio (also clark howard.com)I've purchased e-tickets for Ireland in March. He had a telephone caller who never received her tickets--but they had been delivered "somewhere". Her only recourse was to purchase her tickets again (I think she needed them right away)and then have the hassle of getting it straighted out later and he said it could take months. Anyway, he said he always gets e-tickets. He has a great consumer radio show and his web sight is great, as well. In concluding, he convinced me(for what that's worth)

I have never used e-tickets before, but when I recently bought tickets to London on the USAir website, it said that I would be using them. I know this is a stupid question, but...How do you use them? Do you show the receipt and itinerary that is printed off of the computer? If we give our names at check in, will they automatically be in the airline computer? I tried to look on the USAir website, but that part of the site was down. <BR>Also, I am a bit concerned about what I will show to get through various security checkpoints. I remember when I was at the Paris airport, I had to show my tickets several times. Help!<BR>

I've used e=tickets for several years. You just go to res counter at airport and show your ID. Print the itinerary from your computer tho. They then give you your boarding pass and you go thru security. At least that's what I've done and once I did ask them to print me something and they said it would cost $10. So I just keep my own computer copy.