Cash-strapped airline to issue only e-tickets for domestic travel

boston.com ^ | 5/2/2003 | Associated Press

[goldstategop]

People like to get where they want these days without paying an arm and a leg for it. Its changed a lot since the old days when you had to pay what the airlines asked for. Now you can name your own price and if there's a seat available for it, odds are you'll get it. That's the way the free market is supposed to work.

[Always Right]

How's this for you... ATA, the airline formerly known as VALUJET!

I really don't think that is true.

[Log]

How's this for you... ATA, the airline formerly known as VALUJET!

No. You're confusing ATA or American Trans Air of Indianapolis, with AirTran of Atlanta. It was AirTran and not ATA that bought ValueJet.

I've had pleasant flights on ATA.

[Log]

Actually, come to think of it, it might have been ValueJet that bought AirTran and then adopted AirTran's name.

[undeniable logic]

First, I think you have ATA confused with Airtran. Regardless, I have flown quite a few times on American, United, Delta, and Airtran and ignoring the fact that Airtran is the cheapest, in my opinion it is also the most comfortable. They have the new Boeing 717s and these new planes are quiet and comfortable. Most airlines have had some type of accident in the past and a single accident does not imply future problems.

Of course, everyone has their own personal preference.

[Cicero]

I haven't flown anywhere since a month after 9/11 when security was tight. At that time they refused to let people with e-tickets through security. I take it that has changed. Hopefully there are no security considerations.

[TexRef]

The problem with paperless ticketing is that you just have to have faith in the moron who booked your flight to have done it properly.

You can still have your itinerary faxed or mailed to you -- so you CAN confirm that it was done properly.

I've only had one real problem with an eticket. I went from Houston to Chicago and was returning the same day. When I went to check in for my return flight they told me that I needed a paper ticket. It was supposed to be eticket, but somehow they had issued a paper ticket between when I boarded my morning flight and when I was trying to return!

I had to call the travel agency and get them to reissue the ticket as an eticket before they would let me board. To top things off, my engine had burned up that day as I was pulling into the Houston airport! Not a good day!!!

This was when etickets first came out though -- about five years ago. I haven't had any problems since and Continental's eticket check-in is SO easy!

I always book online at Continental.com -- they give you an extra 1000 miles each time you book and another 1000 each time you check-in using the eticket check-in.

The only problem that I have ever had with them is that DAL (Dallas Love) used to come up in addition to DFW (Dallas-Fort Worth) even when you entered the airport code DFW. So, one time I accidentally booked myself to Love instead of DFW. They fixed my ticket and have since changed their website so that it no longer pulls up both airports unless you ask it to.

[Grampa Dave]

Nah! You book your flight yourself for you or your family member on South West Airlines, (LUV).

A minute later you have an email confirmation, and you print two copies one for your billfold or purse and a copy for your carry on. If you are paranoid, you can print one more copy for your checkon luggage.

[Malsua]

E-tickets are great.

It's a bit confusing the first time you use it, but on domestic flights or other jaunts where you only have a carry-on, you can be checked in and on your way in 2 minutes.

[JimFreedom]

Use e-tickets all the time, just did two the other day. You even get to pick your own seats, and the e-ticket receipt is e-mailed or faxed to you. Only way to go especially with carry on. Go to the e-ticket machine, get boarding pass go to gate!

[El Gato]

Not really, since I haven't flown them much. I was denied boarding once when I presented myself to the agent 21 minutes before flight time (flight was at 9:10; despite getting lost on the way to the airport, then getting stuck in traffic, and having to navigate Midway's "new improved" parking, I presented myself to the agent at 8:49 per the airport digital clocks; this was well before 9/11 btw). I ended up getting a walk-up fare on Southwest.

More or less the same thing happened to my daughter, when she lost track of time while waiting for her connection. Still she was at the gate before the "no show" time.

I missed a connection from Boston via Atlanta to Dallas, the delay in Boston wasn't their fault, nor was it weather. Their tickets are not good on other airlines, and mine were non-refundable. So I was stuck either paying for something I'd never use, or waiting until the next flight. I chose waiting, although that made me miss my connection on American to San Antonio, and they also would not refund or honor the ticket for the next morning's flight. So I took Southwest from Dallas, as it's walk up fare was considerably less than it would have cost to "re-book" the American ticket. Fortunately I had a place to stay in the DFW area without also getting stuck for Taxi and hotel. It did cost me another day of vacation time though, when I was only getting two weeks per year, after being Clintonsized out of my 20+ years senority with 4 weeks of vaction per year job.

[illumini]

I've always been accomodated. Once I had a flight canceled due to bad weather and they put me on another one at no extra charge.

Off to Moscow on an e-ticket, a delayed DAL flight from ATL to IAH made me late for a connection through JFK for SVO. The meetings in Moscow were to begin two days later, but I wanted to be there early. Delta was over-booked and put me on CAL. Three hours late (NY weather) and at LGA instead of JFK, I was put in a hotel (thank-you) and then given a seat on an undersold Aeroflot flight the next day.

It always pays to "go early", especially on international trips.