SAA makes e-ticketing deadline

Rudolph Muller

Rudolph Muller is the editor at MyBroadband and covers telecoms and broadband news. Rudolph comes from an academic background, but left the University of...

Full Profile

E-mail

IATA member airlines around the world are required to eliminate paper tickets, resulting in significant savings for the airlines and their customers.

"This development will benefit customers significantly in that they will have more control over their travel, leading to a more convenient and seamless travel experience," says Mike Re, SAA Chief Information Officer.

E-ticketing is the cornerstone of IATA’s "Simplifying the Business" initiative, launched in 2004.

It was agreed then that the airline body would cease the distribution of paper ticket stock to its 60 000 approved travel agents on 31 December 2007. This deadline was later extended to 31 May 2008.

SAA launched e-ticketing domestically for passengers in September 2003, with over three million customers having benefited from the convenience and ease of using what is commonly known as an e-ticket.

To date, SAA has launched e-ticket facilities on all SAA operated flights and routes.

The current industry average for issuing of e-tickets is 96.5%, according to IATA. SAA’s e-ticketing compliance/capability exceeds this.

There remain a few interline partner airlines with which SAA has not had the opportunity to implement Interline E-Ticketing (IET) services, as they are not yet ready. However, there are plans to complete these conversions within the next few months.

SAA complemented its initial e-ticketing initiative with the introduction of IET towards the end of 2006. This facility allows for the issuance of a single e-ticket, which includes flights on other airlines and the exchange of e-tickets with other carriers and partners.

SAA’s Information Technology team responsible for the implementation of paperless travel has worked tirelessly to achieve compliance with IATA requirements.

"Worldwide, the trend is for airlines to move towards self-service with the aim of reducing costs and improving efficiencies and customer convenience. SAA is following this direction," says Re.

Besides being part of IATA’s "Simplifying the Business" initiative, e-ticketing helps airlines contribute towards a greener, more environmentally friendly future.

Other Simplifying the Business initiatives include bar coded boarding passes, e-freight and Radio Frequency Identification (RFID).

Electronic Ticketing Services have been implemented with all leading Global Distribution Systems (GDS’s) which provide travel agencies with the ability to issue e-tickets.

Electronic Ticketing discussion