Electronic airline ticket (e-ticket) is essentially no different from a regular paper ticket. The only difference is that all the necessary information (flight route, fare, passenger data, etc.) is recorded not in the boxes of a paper airline ticket, but in a computer file. A database is created on the airline's server, where all records of the electronic ticket are collected, with each airline ticket having its own unique number associated with the set of records.
The use of electronic tickets is beneficial for both the airline and the passenger.
For the airline, the financial benefit comes from reduced costs (as there is no need to employ staff to manually process ticket information and no need to pay for their production), as well as shortened timelines for receiving revenue from sales.
Passengers using electronic tickets also gain a number of advantages:
- It is easier to buy a ticket - an electronic airline ticket can be purchased online, and there is no need to pick it up somewhere or wait for a courier with a package,
- The ticket cannot be lost - you only need to have your passport for boarding the plane, as your electronic ticket data will be automatically transmitted for check-in,
- It is easier to check in - with an electronic airline ticket, you can check in for your flight at self-service kiosks in the airport or on the airline's website, meaning you don’t have to stand in long lines for check-in,
- It is cheaper to fly - the reduction in airlines' costs associated with the introduction of electronic tickets has steadily lowered the price of airline tickets over the past 10 years.
Budget airlines (low-cost carriers) were the first to actively use electronic airline tickets, allowing them to sell tickets directly through their websites without intermediaries, thus maintaining low prices.
To reduce costs in the global air transport industry, the International Air Transport Association (IATA) mandated that all international airlines fully transition to electronic airline tickets and abandon paper tickets by June 1, 2008.
Today, the electronic ticket is on par with the paper ticket. For example, there is a legal framework to report an electronic ticket for business trips.
