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The Star Alliance Network Launches Global Interline E-Ticket


BANGKOK - December 13, 2004 – Star Alliance, the airline network for Earth™, today announced the launch of its global interline e-ticket product. Following an extensive testing schedule, interline e-ticket is now being rolled out across the member carriers. Air Canada and Lufthansa was the first pair to launch in November. ANA and United are coming online this month, with Air Canada and Air New Zealand due in January. In addition to these launches, the following Star Alliance member carriers already offer interline e-ticket:

• Air Canada Lufthansa United
• Austrian Lufthansa
• Lufthansa Scandinavian Airlines
• Scandinavian Airlines ßà Spanair
• United US Airways


All other e-ticket pairings will become live as part of the Star Alliance global interline e-ticket roll out, which will be completed by the end of August 2005. At that point customers can travel across the entire Star Alliance Network using one single e-ticket.

From a technical standpoint, all the information contained on a paper ticket is stored in an electronic form in an airline’s e-ticket database. The crucial part is exchanging this e-ticket information with other airline systems, through an agreed message format. Using the Star Alliance infrastructure, StarNet, one single standard has been developed for exchanging e-ticket information between the individual member carrier’s systems. The advantage of this, versus individual bilateral links, is that new members or changes in the system can be integrated more easily and quickly.

“Global interline electronic ticketing is a further example of how Star Alliance can help reduce complexity, while at the same time improve customer service and drive down costs for our member carriers”, said Jaan Albrecht, CEO, Star Alliance.

With interline electronic ticketing, frequent fliers no longer have to worry about waiting for tickets to arrive by post, queuing to collect tickets at a counter, nor can tickets get lost. Furthermore, travelling on e-tickets also speeds up check-in and boarding.
For the member carriers, electronic ticketing allows them to lower their distribution costs. According to IATA, ticketing costs for a paper ticket average between seven and nine US Dollars, whereas an electronic ticket only averages two US Dollars. Moreover, it also simplifies many of the airport processes as well as revenue accounting which also lower costs.

Star Alliance was established in 1997 as the first truly global airline alliance to offer customers global reach and a smooth travel experience. The members are Air Canada, Air New Zealand, ANA, Asiana Airlines, Austrian, bmi, LOT Polish Airlines, Lufthansa, Scandinavian Airlines, Singapore Airlines, Spanair, Thai Airways International, United, US Airways and VARIG Brazilian Airlines. The member carriers offer more than 14,000 daily flights, serving 772 destinations in 133 countries.

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I for one will be very happy to see this happen. I can't stand flying with a paper ticket. I have not lost a ticket yet (knock on wood) but I heard if you do. It is a hassle to get another one. I know US Airways also has interline E ticketing with Delta too. I don't know why they do but they have it.