As of June 1, 2003, Air Canada will
become the first full service international airline in the world to offer
exclusively electronic ticketing for travel throughout North America. This
move reflects overwhelming customer and travel agency acceptance of e-ticket
usage and supports the airline`s ongoing initiatives to offer easy, simple
customer services and reduce distribution costs.
The move to exclusively e-ticketing throughout North America - including
Hawaii - builds on the airline`s successful transition to exclusively e-
ticketing within Canada since December 2002.
E-ticketing is a key initiative in Air Canada`s ongoing efforts to reduce
costly processes while maintaining and enhancing customer friendly service.
Electronic tickets are available for travel operated by Air Canada and Air
Canada Jazz throughout Canada, to all US destinations and to a number of
international destinations.
Ticketless travel has grown immensely in popularity for its convenience
and ease. As of December, 2002, over 94% of all eligible domestic tickets, 88%
of all eligible trans-border tickets and 82% of all tickets for travel overall
within North America were issued electronically. In 2002, twelve million
tickets were issued for travel worldwide on Air Canada, including more than
eight million electronic tickets for worldwide travel.
Customers with e-tickets receive a paper receipt by mail, fax or e-mail
that includes their travel itinerary, their file number and fare details. E-
tickets are fast, flexible, secure and available on all Air Canada, Air Canada
Jazz and Tango routes in North America including Hawaii. Air Canada and Star
Alliance partner United Airlines introduced the industry`s first inter-airline
e-ticketing service in June 2000 allowing customers a seamless travel
experience.
E-ticketing is a built-in feature of travel to any destination booked
through www.aircanada.ca, www.flyjazz.ca, www.flytango.com, and
www.4321zip.com.
In 2002, Air Canada implemented a paper ticket surcharge for travel
itineraries that are eligible for e-ticketing to defray some of the costs
associated with paper ticket processing. These include additional paper ticket
stock, manual collection, packaging at departure gates and manual processing
at a centralized ticket processing center.
Air Canada will continue to offer customers traveling internationally on
e-ticket eligible routes the choice of paper tickets. Paper tickets on these
routes purchased through Air Canada will continue to include an industry-
competitive processing fee.
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