Paper over E-ticket

[lillykat]

I wanted a paper ticket when I booked online it originally said I had the option of a paper or e-ticket...but when it was all said and done I received an e-ticket. How can I get a paper ticket...is it possible? We are travelling in Jan from NY and since you never know how the weather will be we are concerned that it might be harder to get there if something goes wrong or if Delta isn't flying that day.

 

[Beverly Lynn]

you can always go to the airline tkt cntr or city tkt offcie and request a paper tkt. I would however do it after the last sched change so that it matches you PNR. if you cannot go to one of these places then call their customer svc cntr(not general res) adn make the request thru them.

 

[Laurajean1014]

I'm interested! What advantages do you feel paper tix give you?

I lost our paper tix last Oct trip and had to pay $210 in fines with Delta. Had I had an e-tix I would not of had to pay any fee! After 7 months or writing and having AMEX be our arbitrator, they refunded me $140! That was nice of them.

Never again will I buy papers again.........

 

[GAIL HAYDEN]

I guess there are advantages to a paper ticket, but, frankly, I prefer the eticket. BUT>>>I have yet to have any problems with an eticket. I fly on airlines that rarely reschedule, cancel or anything else. There has been a lot of half/mis information on TV regarding etickets vs. paper tickets. Also, there are people that don't understand what is being said and take the "Chicken Little the sky is falling" attitude. Of course, that does not apply to the savy travelers on this board. Delta charges more for a paper ticket, to me it is not worth the extra money, but, to each his own.

 

[cindala]

With the threat of a Delta strike, we changed our etickets to paper tickets in late May. We were not charged anything for doing this.

I am one of those who just prefers paper tickets (afterall we still have cassettes and 8track tapes too) but if I start getting charged for them, I may have to rethink that idea!

If you tend to loose or misplace things, then an eticket is probably better for you, because all your information stays in the main computer and can be pulled up. If you loose a paper ticket you are stuck.

 

[Beverly Lynn]

The only time a paper tkt is beneficial is when there is a strike or weather delays and cancellations, or just plain old delays and cancellations and you are going to be reacommodated on another carrier. but you still have to stand in line to get the agent to validate the tkt for the other carrier...except in the case of a non restricted coach or first class tkt...which is rare these days. so if you are holding a restricted tkt get the e-tkt.

 

[GoldenOldie]

Beverly,

If there's a cancellation or delay, can you call the airline's reservation number to get rebooked on another airline or does that have to be done at the airport?

 

[lillykat]

We were a little concerned because my vacation was cancelled this past jan. when NY had the horrible snow storm the day before new years eve...the people with e- tickets had some problems...So thanks for all of your insites

 

[GAIL HAYDEN]

Cindala,
I rarely loose anything (except my mind) but, I love etickets, for flights, for seaworld, for anything I can get them on. They keep the records, I don't worry. I have my printouts of everything, which take much less room than hard tickets. My friend, who is a poster here, had her tickets stolen from the BC or YC and went through he** getting home. If there had been etickets or if she had had them, it would have been a non issue. She did not, it was.
Maybe I am " in to it" because I have spent years in the world of computers and the confidence I have in them. I have a print out, I know my name and all should go well.
Programs like Oprah et al give information, not the total picture, just snipets. They scare people. Often people are only half listening, they miss a lot.
IMHO, take the etickets and relax. As Bev said ( and I TOTAL confidence in what Bev says), you are in line regardless. I believe I have been very lucky, nothing (thank goodness) has happened to change my mind about etickets. I think they are the wave of the future. Of course, I bank with my ATM, pay my bills online and do everything in the world via my computer. I love it!!!!!
BTW, and FYI for all those folks out there................Sea World does online tickets now. You print them at home. Right now, second day free. I love it!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[cindala]

I'm sure etickets are the wave of the future, and paper tickets will shortly become obsolete, but not everyone has the confidence in computers that you do.

Just think of all the people who have posted here that had trouble with their National Ressies, and the prices, including me. Our ressies were booked on computer for one price, printed out a confirmation. However, a different price shows up in the computer when you pick up your car. And I only made one ressie, didn't keep changing it. I also had a bank's computer loose three different deposits on me, three different times.

I am loosing things all the time (including my mind ), so I am a prime candidate for using etickets. (I'm not inferring that those who loose things should use them though.) I just don't feel as comfortable with them as many others do, probably because I don't trust the amount of info computers have the potential to loose.

And I don't have an ATM card either. My kids tell me I am probably the only person in NJ that doesn't!

 

[GAIL HAYDEN]

cindala,
I was also one of the folks who was charged more at National, not a big deal, it was fixed as soon as they were alerted to the problem. Unlike you, however, I had made and cancelled many ressies. None the less, once cancelled, IMHO, they should never have shown up.
You are correct regarding the amount of info that can be lost. One hopes, however, they they properly maintain and backup the info on their computers, one also hopes that people who make the ressies via computer have the printed copies and the email confirmations.
I have had deposits losts when I used tellers, not machines. They were never really lost, just credited to other peoples' accounts. Now, when I deposit money with my atm card, it goes where it is supposed to.
I love atm cards, especially those with the MC/Visa logos. Quick and easy. No holding up lines while writing a check, having the id checked etc. And..........NO BILL at the end of the month.
But, Cindala, what it boils down to is you like your way and I like mine. Neither is the right way except for us. And....that is all that matters.
Have a great day!!!

 

[Jcricket Fan]

I don't fly very often so when we needed to book air travel this past June I was kind of nervous about how Etickets would work.

I made the ressies. over the web at Delta and had a problem with the info. being processed...I got on the phone and spoke to a wonderful CSR who walked me through the problem and talked to me about the Etickets. I felt much better about using them after speaking with the rep. (and the great support & info. from this board on using them)

I also felt comfortable because I was able to look up the ressie. (I did this all the time to make sure it was ok! I tend to obsess!) online and I even moved our seat assignments a couple of times.

I received a print out of the Eticket but was told that even if I forgot that my drivers license would be all I needed to get on the plane.

It worked beautifully...We went to the sky cap and dropped the luggage with them and went to the gate where we just handed them our licenses and they gave us our boarding passes and the seats were just as I had reserved them!

Having done it once now I feel ok with it and think it's very handy not to have to worry about more paper to keep track of...and the plane tickets were always the most important thing that we had to make sure we didn't forget.

Now we have to make sure we never forget our drivers licenses!

Colleen

 

[GAIL HAYDEN]

JCricket,
Just an FYI, if you are flying out of Bradley you can have the skycap check you in and check your id's and issue the boarding pass. Saves tons of time.

 

[Jcricket Fan]

Thanks for the note Gail

We always fly from BDL and I was going to try the skycaps for the first time on the last trip but there was only one skycap working and he had 10 people waiting in line! I quick ran inside and there was no one at the counter (when does that ever happen!) so we went in to check the luggage.

On the trip back from PHX it was the reverse... no customers at the skycap and more then 10 people standing on line inside. Thanks to these boards I knew what to do and to also tip the skycaps...we received the boarding passes from them and just made our way to the gate with no problems!

I am looking forward to giving the skycaps at BDL another chance when I take my Jan. WDW trip!!!!

It is all due to the helpful people on these boards that I now know how to do these things and I am so grateful for the information!

Colleen

 

[Beverly Lynn]

GO if the airline calls you with the cancelled flight info they will rebook you while they have you on the phone. if you are at the airport and ther is a long line then yes either call res on the phone or stay in line at the tkt cntr or go to the gate and have them fix it or go to the special services desk and they too can take care of you.

Thanks Gail!

 

[GoldenOldie]

Thanks Beverly. I knew that was the case with rebooking on their own airline. I wasn't sure whether a phone call to reservations could get you interline endorsed to another airline in a delay.

 

[GAIL HAYDEN]

Colleen,
You sure are correct about skycaps making life easy. I love them.
Never have seen an empty counter at Bradley.
Glad that you find these boards so helpful, that is what we are here for, sharing information is a good thing.

 

[GAIL HAYDEN]

Bev,
You are welcome, anytime.