United Airlines announced today that it is expanding its popular electronic ticket product to additional countries in Latin America. Effective immediately, E-Ticket service is open for sale to customers flying to or from Mexico and to or from Costa Rica for travel beginning September 30.

“More and more of United’s customers traveling to and from Latin America are taking advantage of the many conveniences that only electronic ticketing can provide,” said Maria Elena Merino, Regional Automation Manager for Latin America at United Airlines. “Like United’s customers throughout the world, our Latin American customers are choosing E-Ticket service because it makes their travel experience simple and hassle-free.”

Electronic ticketing has become the new standard in air travel convenience. In May of 1999, United achieved a major industry milestone when E-Ticket usage surpassed paper ticket usage for the first time since the product was launched in 1994. Most recently, August statistics showed that 53% 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 telephone with a United reservations representative, 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. In 1999, the airline expanded electronic ticket service in Latin America with the addition of Chile in June, Venezuela in July, and El Salvador, Guatemala and Peru in August and September. United now offers E-Ticket service to 99% of the cities in its worldwide network including all of the United States, Asia, Europe, and the Pacific. By the end of 1999, the carrier will offer electronic ticketing to 100% of its destinations with the launch of E-Ticket service to Brazil later this year.

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