IATA is "requiring" e-ticketing for all IATA airlines for all routes by the end of 2007 (requiring is in quotes as it is unlikely to be enforced). IATA has an initiative to streamline the industry and save USD 6+ billion per year. These are 100% e-ticketing by end of 2007; bar coded boarding passes; Common Use Self Service (CUSS) kiosks; RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) for baggage management; and IATA e-freight, a paperless cargo initiative. There has been a fair bit of progress on e-ticketing, a bit less for the others.

The secret with e-tickets is to always travel with your ticket number with you. When the e-ticket is lost -- and it will be eventually, I've had it happen 6 times -- the onus is on the passenger to prove that the ticket exists. Having the ticket number makes this easy, it was always found using the ticket number. Without the ticket number you won't fly.