US Air charging $100 for a paper ticket!
 

Picked up our tickets at the airport today for Paris (WooHoo!!!). I had planned to get paper tickets after reading here recently about several people having trouble with electronic tickets when a flight is changed or cancelled. I thought the $10 per ticket charge wasn't that bad. Imagine my shock when the clerk told me it would be $100 each! She said the airlines really don't want to have to handle paper tickets (they're discontinuing them)and don't want anyone to get them, so this is their way of preventing it. So if you really want paper tickets, be prepared to pay big bucks for the privilege! And soon you won't be able to get them for any price. Anyone hear of other airlines doing this?<BR><BR>

I just flew to London with USAir and after buying an e-ticket, changed my mind and got a paper ticket at the airport a month prior. No charges at all (Feb 2002).

Maira, You were lucky! Apparently this is a new policy.<BR>

That's certainly an eye opener! I'm wondering whether USAir is just floating this idea to determine whether other airlines will follow. Over the years, I've noticed that one airline will try something self-serving, but if no one else matches it, they go right back to square one. Can't think of a specific example, though.<BR><BR>You might take some comfort in the fact that most e-ticket problems happen in places where the concept is unfamiliar. Or not.

Oh god I know I'll here "but it happened to me" but paper tickets are not worth the hassle. I had someone who lost their ticket come to the counter (I work for airlies) with a COPY of their paper ticket because they lost the original. And their point was??? They still needed to buy another ticket. They had all sorts of copies, so not only are they carrying around a paper ticket but also copies w/their name and creditcard number right on them for the theif to see.

I just bought USAir paper tickets 2 weeks ago and there was no extra charge for them at all.<BR><BR>Jim

this is a bit of concern for me....my two boys will be flying in and out of NOLA in the next few days on US AIr and supposedly with e-tickets, but the itinerary never arrived, wrong address, and I was told that just printing the itinerary, ticket number, etc, off the internet would be sufficient, any recent experience with this?

I've used E tickets since they were available and have not had any problems EVER! For $100.00 I'd take my chances ...for $10.00 I'd take my chances!@

I use e-tickets all the time for domestic and international travel. That's the beauty of it -- you CAN just print your itinerary and ticket number off on your PC. As a matter of fact, in many instances you don't even have to do that much if you don't want to, because you may be able to simply run your FF card into an e-ticket kiosk with some airlines and your boarding passes will be printed out for you. There is also an online check-in option for domestic tickets on my airline. With flight changes, you will be dealing with the airline whether you have paper tickets or e-tickets, so there is no point in kidding yourself. E-tickets are a great improvement over paper, IMHO.

Susan,<BR>We use E tickets all the time, even from Germany, and have never had a problem. My husband flies every month at least once and always uses Etickets. I liked the fact that we didn't have to carry the tickets in our money belt in Europe, much less bulk.

I'm not really going to worry too much about this, I figure Paris is a big enough place with computerization that it shouldn't be a problem. And the clerk assured me that any changes or cancelled flights were actually easier to rebook with e-tickets. Just thought I'd bring this to people's attention. Maybe Ken is right and they're trying this out to see if the policy spreads!<BR>

With all the talk about the ease of changing airlines when you hold paper tickets, if necessary, I still find the e-ticket convenience of not hauling around tickets worth the risk. I haven't ever spoken to anyone who actually had to make an airline change and was able to do so easier because they held a paper ticket. Anyone?

It is a myth you can change airlines because you have a paper ticket. Unless it is full fare and the other airlines have space for you. Most people including most people on this forum buy restricted fares, so whether you hold paper or etickets you are in the same boat. But etickets are more flexible in rebooking, easier to use, and overall faster process for you and the airline.

Are you sure there wasn't a mix up Susan? my experience is that airlines charge about $10 for a papaer ticket and $100 to replace a lost paper ticket.

After seeing some of the horror stories on this board, I was beginning to re-think paying extra for a paper ticket, so I'm glad to see the positive responses regarding e-tickets. <BR><BR>I've been using them ever since they became available and have not once had a problem. I particularly like getting my boarding pass from a machine at the gate while there are usually long lines at the check-in counter.<BR><BR>I recently learned that I can now print my boarding passes from home before I leave for the airport. Can't beat that!

In Canada there is controversy over how the implemented (as of April 1) security fee of $24 per flight is going to be handled. A news story last night claimed the we could be charged $24 for EVERY connection we make in Canada and also that 7% GST will be charged on the $24. This is getting to be ridiculous.

I just bought tickets on both Delta (really AF code share) and British Airways through Travelocity and there wasn't any charge at all for paper tickets. None. If this is so, it's some US Air gimmick.

Ilene, No, this wasn't a mixup. She knew I was getting an original ticket, not a replacement. And she definitely said that they're doing this to deter people from getting the paper tickets.<BR>