United Airlines announced today that it is expanding its popular electronic ticket product to more countries throughout Latin America. E-Ticket service will be open for sale to customers flying to or from El Salvador or Guatemala beginning August 2, 1999, for travel beginning August 16. Customers traveling to or from Peru will be able to buy an electronic ticket beginning September 9, 1999, for travel beginning September 23.

“We are pleased to offer the many conveniences that only electronic ticketing can provide to more of our customers traveling to and from Latin America,” said Maria Elena Merino, Regional Automation Manager for Latin America at United Airlines. “United’s customers worldwide are choosing E-Ticket service because it makes their travel experience easier.”

Electronic ticketing is rapidly becoming the new standard in air travel convenience. In May and June of 1999, United achieved a major milestone when E-Ticket usage surpassed paper ticket usage for the first time since the product was launched in 1994. May and June ticketing statistics showed that 51% of all tickets used by United customers worldwide were electronic. In a survey conducted by United, more than 70% of all customers who used E-Ticket service said they prefer it to other ticketing options.

Electronic ticketing offers customers conveniences no other ticketing option can.

Tickets can be purchased through United’s website, www.ual.com, over the telephone, from a travel agent, or at any United ticketing outlet in countries where E-Ticket service is offered. Information normally available on paper documents is stored electronically, ending customer concerns with carrying, forgetting or losing an airline ticket.

Check-in, security, and customs procedures for international travel using an electronic ticket are the same as current procedures for passengers with paper tickets. Travelers using United’s international E-Ticket service check in with their passport and the ticket receipt and, if booked by phone with United reservations, with the credit card used to purchase the ticket.

United introduced its electronic ticket service in the Latin America region in Argentina and Uruguay in December of 1998. The airline expanded electronic ticket service in Latin America with the addition of Chile on June 15 and Venezuela on July 1. With the addition of El Salvador, Guatemala and Peru, United now offers E-Ticket service to 97% of the cities in their worldwide network including all of the United States, Asia, Europe, and the Pacific. By the end of 1999, the carrier will expand electronic ticketing to 100% of its route network with the launch of E-Ticket service to Costa Rica, Mexico and Brazil later this year.

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