E-tickets
Jul 12th, 2006, 07:42 AM
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Apr 2004
Posts: 566
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
E-tickets
Being of an age where the internet and other recent electronic devices are a novelty, I am considering buying two airline tickets on line. Could anyone advise me on the benefits and snags of e-tickets, bearing in mind that I am nervous about things going wrong in the weeks prior to a trip.
Jul 12th, 2006, 07:48 AM
#2
Join Date: Nov 2003
Posts: 4,874
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Just stay focussed and don't multi-task and you'll be fine. I booked tickets on line for Paris on the wrong day and had to pay $100 per ticket to chenge them. It is kind of easy to get confused because when flying from the US to Europe, you depart one day and arrive the next. If I had had that live agent to repeat everything to me one last time, I wouldn't have made that mistake.
However, since then I've booked multiple flights with no problems at all.
However, since then I've booked multiple flights with no problems at all.
Jul 12th, 2006, 08:42 AM
#3
Join Date: Mar 2003
Posts: 2,552
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
As missypie said, just focus while you're in the checkout process - I always carefully examine the itinerary, names on tickets, billing address, etc. before hitting that final Purchase button. And make sure you hit the final button! (I've had it happen where I thought I had completed a transaction, only to find out otherwise too late...) There are opportunities during the checkout process to Edit your order.
The pros are that e-tix tend to be less expensive. Some airlines have automated machines so you don't have to wait in line at the counter (especially useful if you don't have any luggage to check). Likewise, it's easy enough when you get to the counter: usually all you need is your passport or ID, not even the confirmation number. And if you're "nervous about things going wrong" before your departure, think of it as one less item to be afraid you'll forget!
Drawbacks would be when the process takes so long that the ticket price has increased before you complete the purchase! (Though that hasn't happened to me recently.)
The pros are that e-tix tend to be less expensive. Some airlines have automated machines so you don't have to wait in line at the counter (especially useful if you don't have any luggage to check). Likewise, it's easy enough when you get to the counter: usually all you need is your passport or ID, not even the confirmation number. And if you're "nervous about things going wrong" before your departure, think of it as one less item to be afraid you'll forget!
Drawbacks would be when the process takes so long that the ticket price has increased before you complete the purchase! (Though that hasn't happened to me recently.)
Jul 12th, 2006, 08:51 AM
#4
Join Date: Feb 2004
Posts: 23,073
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Basically all simple flight tickets are e-tickets anyways, no matter if you buy them online or not. e-ticket simply means you go check-in with a confirmation number and your ID (i.e. passport for international travel), and doesn't need to bring an actual airplane ticket.
Benefits are multiple. First, there's no ticket to lose. Second, most airline now charge at least $10 or more if you request a "paper ticket".
Now, the seperate issue is buying your ticket online. Again, many airlines force you to do it this way as they charge $5-10 extra if you call. I think you need to be careful with the followings:
- Double or triple check the dates
- If you have a connection, make sure it's of a comfortable time. Airlines may give you connection that are "legal", but can be very tight. Ask here if you're not sure.
- Check the <b>final price</b>. Many airlines' website only give you pre-tax, pre-fuel surcharge fares, and the final can be like hundreds more for international.
- After you've reached the payment page and finalizing the purchase, if something weird happens on your web browser, <b>do not hit the BACK button</b>, and do not hit the "Purchase" more than once unless you're sure that the first attempt failed. Call the airline to see what's going on. Otherwise, you may have booked yourself more than one ticket.
Just want to say that I've probably booked over 100 tickets online for myself, my parents and other family members.
Benefits are multiple. First, there's no ticket to lose. Second, most airline now charge at least $10 or more if you request a "paper ticket".
Now, the seperate issue is buying your ticket online. Again, many airlines force you to do it this way as they charge $5-10 extra if you call. I think you need to be careful with the followings:
- Double or triple check the dates
- If you have a connection, make sure it's of a comfortable time. Airlines may give you connection that are "legal", but can be very tight. Ask here if you're not sure.
- Check the <b>final price</b>. Many airlines' website only give you pre-tax, pre-fuel surcharge fares, and the final can be like hundreds more for international.
- After you've reached the payment page and finalizing the purchase, if something weird happens on your web browser, <b>do not hit the BACK button</b>, and do not hit the "Purchase" more than once unless you're sure that the first attempt failed. Call the airline to see what's going on. Otherwise, you may have booked yourself more than one ticket.
Just want to say that I've probably booked over 100 tickets online for myself, my parents and other family members.
Jul 12th, 2006, 08:56 AM
#5
As an airline employee, I would say that the greatest benefits for the passenger are the fact that you cannot lose, forget or have an e-ticket stolen. Naturally, for the airline, there are even more benefits!
Jul 12th, 2006, 09:36 AM
#6
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 2,049
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
We fly using e-tickets, but we also travel on Amtrak, which still uses paper tickets.
With paper tickets, there is always a delay when they have to be mailed to you, and they can be mislaid or forgotten when you leave the house.
For flying, the e-tickets cost less, and cannot be mislaid or forgotten. I buy on line at the airline's site, and I'm careful to check the flights, and I print out a copy of the email they send confirming the purchase, as it has everything a paper ticket would have. With out favorite airline, we get extra frequent flyer miles for buying on line, and for checking in on line. For a while I would purchase my ticket and my wife's separately, so we would each get the bonus miles, but eventually I misstepped and got us on different flights, and had to pay a premium to fix my error, so now I buy both tickets on one account so its hard to make such mistakes. I just flashed back to those days for our next trip, when my daughter decided to go after I had bought the tickets for my wife and me, so I had to buy my daughter's separately, and be extra careful to get her on the same flight. The only problem I had this time was that I couldn't get three seats together, but that's hardly a major problem.
As far as things going wrong before the trip, I think there would be no advantage to having paper tickets. Assuming a flight was cancelled, you could make alternative arrangements just as easily with either type ticket, and you wouldn't have to worry about ticket delivery with the e-ticket option. So with either type ticket, I think it is prudent to visit the airline's web site a week or so before your flight to insure that nothing has been changed. I know my favorite airline will email me if there is a change, but they don't do it until fairly close to the flight date; some posters have written that their flights were changed and they were not notified, but I suspect they were checking every day and expected immediate notification, even if the flight was still six months away.
With paper tickets, there is always a delay when they have to be mailed to you, and they can be mislaid or forgotten when you leave the house.
For flying, the e-tickets cost less, and cannot be mislaid or forgotten. I buy on line at the airline's site, and I'm careful to check the flights, and I print out a copy of the email they send confirming the purchase, as it has everything a paper ticket would have. With out favorite airline, we get extra frequent flyer miles for buying on line, and for checking in on line. For a while I would purchase my ticket and my wife's separately, so we would each get the bonus miles, but eventually I misstepped and got us on different flights, and had to pay a premium to fix my error, so now I buy both tickets on one account so its hard to make such mistakes. I just flashed back to those days for our next trip, when my daughter decided to go after I had bought the tickets for my wife and me, so I had to buy my daughter's separately, and be extra careful to get her on the same flight. The only problem I had this time was that I couldn't get three seats together, but that's hardly a major problem.
As far as things going wrong before the trip, I think there would be no advantage to having paper tickets. Assuming a flight was cancelled, you could make alternative arrangements just as easily with either type ticket, and you wouldn't have to worry about ticket delivery with the e-ticket option. So with either type ticket, I think it is prudent to visit the airline's web site a week or so before your flight to insure that nothing has been changed. I know my favorite airline will email me if there is a change, but they don't do it until fairly close to the flight date; some posters have written that their flights were changed and they were not notified, but I suspect they were checking every day and expected immediate notification, even if the flight was still six months away.
Jul 12th, 2006, 10:49 AM
#8
Join Date: Nov 2003
Posts: 4,874
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I do want to point out that e-tickets and booking on line are two different things - your title and message sort of imply that maybe you think you only get an e-ticket if you book on line, etc. You can call a live person and get an e-ticket. You can book electonically and end up with paper tickets.
When I booked our flights to Italy, we flew AA to Zurich, Swiss Air to Rome, then BA from Venice to London and AA from London to Dallas. Because of all that, we had to have paper tickets and that added a level of stress; I had been using e-tickets for so long, I had forgetten the fear of losing or forgetting the tickets!
When I booked our flights to Italy, we flew AA to Zurich, Swiss Air to Rome, then BA from Venice to London and AA from London to Dallas. Because of all that, we had to have paper tickets and that added a level of stress; I had been using e-tickets for so long, I had forgetten the fear of losing or forgetting the tickets!
Jul 12th, 2006, 01:43 PM
#9
As clarified already (hopefully) e-tickets and booking online are two different things.
Often these days even when you make a reservation over the telephone with the airline, you get an e-ticket unless you pay extra to have a paper ticket mailed to you.
There are no snags for e-tickets. If anything, they make me feel more secure, because you only need your confirmation code (a series of letters/numbers), so no worries about losing a paper ticket.
I'm not sure what you mean by "things going wrong in the weeks prior to a trip" or what exactly that would have to do with whether you have a paper ticket or an e-ticket confirmation code.
Often these days even when you make a reservation over the telephone with the airline, you get an e-ticket unless you pay extra to have a paper ticket mailed to you.
There are no snags for e-tickets. If anything, they make me feel more secure, because you only need your confirmation code (a series of letters/numbers), so no worries about losing a paper ticket.
I'm not sure what you mean by "things going wrong in the weeks prior to a trip" or what exactly that would have to do with whether you have a paper ticket or an e-ticket confirmation code.
Thread
Original Poster
Forum
Replies
Last Post
julies
Europe
9
Jun 1st, 2004 06:20 PM
