Table Of ContentThe SAGE International Encyclopedia of
Travel and Tourism
E-Tickets
Contributors: Amitabh Vikram Dwivedi
Edited by: Linda L. Lowry
Book Title: The SAGE International Encyclopedia of Travel and Tourism
Chapter Title: "E-Tickets"
Pub. Date: 2017
Access Date: July 13, 2017
Publishing Company: SAGE Publications, Inc
City: Thousand Oaks
Print ISBN: 9781483368948
Online ISBN: 9781483368924
DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.4135/9781483368924.n168
Print page: 445
©2017 SAGE Publications, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
This PDF has been generated from SAGE Knowledge. Please note that the pagination of
the online version will vary from the pagination of the print book.
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Contact SAGE Publications at http://www.sagepub.com.
An e-ticket, also known as ticket on departure (TOD), virtual ticket, or electronic ticket, is a
digital document that is used in place of a paper ticket for a train, bus, cruise ship, or airplane.
In e-ticketing, computer software saves the record of the passenger’s reservation, including
information such as travel class; seat assignment; date and place of the flight, train, bus, or
cruise; and gender and age of the traveler. When the tickets are booked, they are available for
collection at any time. E-tickets save the traveler from the worry of losing or forgetting the
tickets as the passenger just needs the booking reference number and names of the
assigned passengers to locate and receive them.
E-ticketing reduces the amount of time needed to book tickets. It can also make the travel
experience easier when the booking and ticket record information is saved electronically.
Travelers need not wait for tickets to arrive by mail but instead can instantly receive e-tickets in
their email.
Joel R. Goheen is said to have initiated e-tickets in the airline industry in 1994. E-tickets were
used by United Airlines that year. In June 2008, the International Air Transport Association
(IATA) made it mandatory for associate members to replace multilayered paper ticketing
systems. E-tickets are less liable to be stolen than paper tickets. It is estimated that the airline
industry would save $3 billion per year if only e-tickets were used. E-tickets are greener too;
the IATA says that 50,000 tress would be saved per year if only e-tickets were used.
Instant confirmation of flight availability when using e-ticketing systems eliminates
unnecessary interaction between an airline’s reservations department and passengers. The
customer is simply required to have a secured e-mail address, website registration, and a
credit card, debit card, or Internet banking facility. However, there is one limitation with e-
ticketing. Like any software-based application, it is also liable to technical glitches. Service
providers need to provide regular maintenance and have vigilant oversight to stop fraud and
other criminal behavior.
When an airplane ticket is confirmed, the airline maintains the record of the reservation in its
booking software systems. The reservation or e-ticket number on the itinerary receipt helps
the airline to locate it in its records. Besides indicating the itinerary information, an e-ticket
also shows the airline’s three-digit ticketing code, a six-digit serial number, and a four-digit
form number; the fare and tax details; terms and conditions of the airline; form of payment;
baggage allowance; a summary of fare restrictions; and details of the issuing agency.
The passengers checking in for a flight with an e-ticket generally go to the check-in counter.
There they are supposed to produce a personal identification document, a Permanent
Account Number (PAN), a credit card, or a passport. However, it is required to produce a
printout of the itinerary receipt to enter the terminal of some airports. The check-in counter
issues a boarding pass to the passengers.
For train travel, e-ticketing can include booking online train tickets for long-distance travel
along with tickets for associated services such as car rental, tour packages, tourist trains, and
hotel reservations. In India, there are two options for electronic booking: e-tickets and i-tickets.
The i-ticket is purchased online but delivered to the passenger by regular mail. The e-ticket is
saved on the passenger’s computer, and the passenger can print it out or simply display the
text message acknowledging the purchase in order to board the train.
Amitabh Vikram Dwivedi
Page 2 of 3 The SAGE International Encyclopedia of Travel and Tourism
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See alsoComputerized Reservation Systems; E-Tourism; Virtual Reality Tourism
Further Readings
International Air Transport Association. (n.d.). E-Ticketing. Retrieved from
http://www.iata.org/whatwedo/stb/pages/e-ticketing.aspx
airlines
passengers
air travel
travelers
flight
airplanes
receipts
Amitabh Vikram Dwivedi
http://dx.doi.org/10.4135/9781483368924.n168
10.4135/9781483368924.n168
Page 3 of 3 The SAGE International Encyclopedia of Travel and Tourism
