Spend Money, Get Nothing --Now That’s the Ticket

Once upon a time, possession of an E-ticket meant you were headed for one of the best rides at Disneyland. Then Disney abandoned those old ticket books, and now an E-ticket is likely to mean a commuter flight to San Francisco. And soon it may mean any flight anywhere--without an actual ticket in hand.

Electronic ticketing, also known as E-ticketing (on Continental and United airlines) and ticketless travel (on American and Southwest), has overwhelmed early skepticism among carriers and spread throughout the U.S. airline industry. America West, Delta and United say they may go international with the practice in 1997.

So far, all E-ticketing programs are voluntary. Details vary from airline to airline, but electronic ticketing typically works this way: A traveler calls the airline or calls a travel agent who is connected to airlines via a computerized reservation system. The traveler decides on a flight, gives a credit-card number, and is given a confirmation number. Either automatically or by request (depending on the carrier), the traveler can receive an itinerary and receipt by mail or, if time is tight, by fax.

At the airport on departure day, the traveler shows photo identification, reads back the confirmation number or shows his or her credit card, or both, is issued a boarding pass and is ushered aboard.

This industrywide change comes despite frequent confusion and occasional opposition among travelers, and widespread reluctance among travel agents, who see E-ticketing as a threat to their role as intermediaries between airlines and consumers.

Ralph Whitmore, editor of the Marina del Rey-based Upscale Traveler newsletter and an E-ticket naysayer, argues that “with the actual ticket in hand, you can verify that your flight arrangements are correct ahead of time.” And if computers go down while a plane is boarding, he suggests, passengers with tickets in hand are likely to face less delay.

But E-ticketing does offer conveniences to travelers: Most obviously, you can’t lose your tickets if you never have any. Ticketing changes by phone mean less paperwork. Further, airline officials say the process will reduce the amount of time travelers spend standing in airport lines, although recent airport security crackdowns have undercut that claim.

Another key factor: Electronic ticketing promises hefty cost reductions for the airlines. At Southwest Airlines, which became the first major carrier to use ticketless travel systemwide in January 1995, officials have estimated that the innovation saved the company $25 million last year. Beyond that, in the first two years of the program, the airline has gone from selling 40% of its tickets directly to consumers to selling 60% that way, saving a fortune in commissions to travel agents.

Here’s an overview of what other major carriers are doing:

* Alaska Airlines started using electronic ticketing (under the name “Instant Travel”) systemwide in December 1995. The carrier has begun placing kiosks at 12 airports that allow travelers to punch in their confirmation and credit-card numbers, and in return get a slip of paper that serves as a boarding pass. (Los Angeles, Orange County and Burbank airports are due to get kiosks in coming weeks.)

* America West has been offering E-ticketing on all its domestic flights since January.

* American launched its ticketless travel program on all domestic flights Sept. 10, and at its busiest airports has added 21 “AAcesss boarding units”--machines that recognize passengers by their credit cards or premium frequent-flier cards, and spit out stubs that serve as boarding passes.

* Continental launched its E-ticketing program in the first half of this year and now offers it on all of its domestic flights. The carrier has installed 94 machines in 33 cities to read travelers’ credit cards, then issue boarding passes.

* Delta started its E-ticketing program in May 1996 and expanded it from 20 to 49 markets in July. The carrier expects to include all its domestic routes in the program by the end of this year.

* Northwest Airlines started E-ticketing on Minneapolis-Chicago flights in February 1996. But beginning Nov. 1, tickets on all of Northwest’s domestic flights will be available via electronic ticketing.

* TWA began offering electronic ticketing on selected routes last spring, and adopted the program nationwide on Oct. 9.

* United instituted electronic ticketing on many domestic routes in September 1995.

* USAir started E-ticketing in April 1996, now an option on all domestic flights.

Reynolds travels anonymously at the newspaper’s expense, accepting no special discounts or subsidized trips. He welcomes comments and suggestions, but cannot respond individually to letters and calls. Write Travel Insider, Los Angeles Times, Times Mirror Square, Los Angeles 90053 or e-mail chris.reynolds@latimes.com.