Galileo is urging suppliers and subscribers in the Middle East to focus on e-ticketing if they are to meet the extended IATA deadline of 96.5 per cent e-ticketing by May 31.
As a leading global distribution system (GDS) and subsidiary of Travelport, Galileo is highly committed to e-ticketing and is concerned that an extension to the deadline will result in a slowdown in e-ticketing plans in the Middle East & Africa.
“Even though the deadline has been postponed from December 2007, we need to continue to focus on plans for e-ticketing. Global e-ticket penetration is now around 82 per cent but is just 47 per cent in the Middle East & Africa. If e-ticketing remains a priority, we will be able to meet the IATA deadline in this region,” Rabih Saab, Galileo’s vice-president for the Middle East and Africa, says in a release.
He says the benefits of e-ticketing are indisputable. “E-tickets enable passengers to check in and board their flights without a paper ticket. This not only saves costs by eliminating the need for printing and posting paper documents but also saves agents’ time. What’s more, e-tickets are far safer and more secure than printed tickets. They are much harder to counterfeit. Also, as they are not posted, the tickets can no longer get lost in the post or be sent to the wrong address.”
He said IATA’s target of 96.5 per cent e-ticketing will not only save a significant amount of time for the agent and the customer but will also save the airline industry at least $3 billion per year. The paper savings will have huge environmental benefits.
Galileo is committed to e-ticketing in the Middle East & Africa and, indeed, across the globe. In fact, three out of every four tickets issued on a Galileo system are now electronic, Saab said in the release.
He added, “We firmly believe that Galileo’s e-ticketing product can facilitate business growth for agents. Our Viewtrip product enables passengers to view their itinerary and print their e-ticketing receipts instantly. Our extensive reporting feature helps agents to tally their manual work with the actual issuing of the tickets.”