Originally Posted by
riku2
It is different to India because there you are not allowed into the airport building without showing the ticket/boarding pass.
That's like having a hotel where you cannot get into the building without a printout of your reservation. This would make it impossible to walk up to the front desk and ask if they had any free rooms because you would not be allowed into the building without a reservation...
It is no longer 1985. Who goes all the way to an airport or hotel to book? In the modern world there are browsers, apps and even phone numbers. And eSIMs.
Edited to add: some Indian airlines at some airports have sidewalk-facing counters to help with ticketing issues. (They would also print your confirmation for a fee in the days when hard copy was required.) And I have heard that in urgent cases involving an airline that does not have such a counter, they can send a staff member out to the gate to get you into the airport.