News

Paper airline tickets on the decline; self-serve check-in on the rise

March 23, 2005

New York Times: A recent J. D. Power study found that passengers checking in at a self-service kiosk waited half as long for boarding passes as those checking in with an agent. While holders of e-tickets who also check luggage must leave their bags with an agent, passengers with paper tickets have no choice but to use an agent for the whole process. Since an e-ticket is stored in the computer system, there is said to be no such thing as losing a ticket, and changes in itinerary can be quickly accomplished by telephone or online without requiring fresh tickets to be delivered. And many passengers with e-tickets now have the option of checking in for their flights from home. "Paper tickets are exceedingly rare these days," said Tracey Weber, a senior vice president for Travelocity, the online travel service. "It should be rare." Click here to read the full story. (Free registration required.)