Emirates launches e-ticketing
By Our Corporate Bureau | 29 May 2004
Mumbai:
Emirates, the UAE flag carrier, has rolled out a new global
electronic ticketing system, that enables coupon-free
travel and enables passengers to book and fly on very
short notice.
The system lets customers book e-tickets from Dubai to any of Emirates'' 75 other destinations, as well as from another 26 cities in 19 countries — Australia, New Zealand, USA, Turkey, UK, Cyprus, Germany (Düsseldorf and Munich), Greece, India (Mumbai), Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Hong Kong, Japan, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Kenya. The other destinations on the airline''s network will become e-ticket enabled in the next 12 months.
Emirates'' e-tickets currently can be obtained through its own centres and will be made available to the travel trade, via Galileo, the reservation system for travel agents.
Announcing
the initiative, HH Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al-Maktoum,
Emirates'' Chairman said: "E-ticketing is the way
of the future. They are technology-based, more reliable
and highly secure. E-tickets are accepted practice in
many markets throughout South East Asia, Europe and
the USA. We have invested five years to achieve this
objective. Paperless tickets also support our environmentally
responsible policies."
E-tickets, virtual versions of the traditional paper air tickets, benefit air passengers in important ways. Busy executives and leisure travellers need not worry about missing a flight because of forgotten or misplaced tickets, as passenger details are safely stored in the Emirates Computer Reservation System.
E-tickets can be ordered directly, either online at www.emirates.com or through an Emirates Call Centre, instead of having to visit an Emirates office to collect their tickets or wait for them to be delivered. E-tickets provide faster and more efficient check-in and other airport processes.
Ghaith Al Ghaith, Emirates'' Executive Vice President Commercial Operations Worldwide said: "For customers, e-tickets represent convenience and hassle-free travel. For Emirates, they offer cost-savings in time and resources."