Qatar Airways set to launch Electronic Ticketing

Qatar Airways is to introduce electronic ticketing (e-ticketing) on 1 April for flights departing from 1 May as part of a major initiative to replace paper documents and simplify the travel process.

With the launch of e-tickets, passengers will no longer receive a physical ticket. Instead, the passenger’s ticket and travel details will be stored electronically in a central database.

More than 100 travel agents from across Qatar attended a workshop in Doha today, hosted by Qatar Airways, to familiarise them with the new procedures.

Under the new processes, passengers will still receive a receipt upon making their bookings through any Qatar Airways reservation office or travel agent. The receipt will include the itinerary, invoice and reference to the e-ticket.

Upon check-in, passengers will only have to present their passport or other form of identification, and the check-in agent will be able to retrieve the booking details.

E-ticket bookings will be taken from April 1 for travel from May 1. The system will initially only be made available in selected destinations before gradually being rolled out across Qatar Airways’ global network of 70 cities.

Qatar Airways’ electronic ticketing is being implemented under a strategic partnership contract with Lufthansa Systems that covers a wide range of services, including the provision of software for self-service check-in terminals and global network communication services for Qatar Airways’ entire airport operations worldwide.

Electronic ticketing is being introduced as part of a major drive by the International Air Transport Association (IATA) to ensure all airlines around the world implement paperless ticketing procedures by the end of 2007.

IATA’s deadline mandate, under its ‘Simplifying The Business’ initiative, is designed to ensure the entire airline industry adopts standard practices to lower costs and improve passenger service.

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