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BA should enhance its E-TICKET delivery by sending PDFs

BA should enhance its E-TICKET delivery by sending PDFs

Old Jul 24, 2016, 5:38 am
  #1  
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BA should enhance its E-TICKET delivery by sending PDFs

Have to book several tickets this week. Increasingly I find BA's e-ticket format frustrating. The reason? -- too many pages to be printed out from emails and too many wasted pages among them.

A standard BA E-ticket email consistent with 4 pages of tickets and 1 and 1/2 rubbish information (header and foot). This is ridiculous. Especially customers have to bear the bill of home printing. For 4 tickets I have, I printed 24 pages of E-tickets! Even with double sided printing, that is 12 pages. Plus boarding passes I will have later, that is 32 pages of paper which can be reduced to 12 pages!

If you want to shorten the printing, you can print the itinerary only on BA.com manage my booking. But such print out does not have PNR nor ticket number and price information. (useless if you want to keep a formal record)

In contrary, Iberia offers E-ticket in PDF format and you can happily print all the information you needed in one page without compromising font and information available. A separate sheet on Terms and Condition can be printed if you need to.

I think Qantas offers one page E-ticket PDF too which actually is very nicely designed. Fancier than the plain paged Iberia.

Another example is LAN, similar to Qantas. American Airlines also offers a great one-page E-ticket.

So I think BA should enhance its E-ticket delivery by offering PDFs so that we can cut printing pages and useless information. All information regarding charges/changes/baggage can be attached as a separate PDFs for those who wish to print.

Am I the only one here thinks BA's E-ticket delivery been ridiculous?
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Old Jul 24, 2016, 5:43 am
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Why can't you request a SMS the day before travel with the booking ref, pnr, etickets number etc? Wouldn't that be easier?

Edit: just noticed on my Gmail colander, it has all my hotel and flight details (on my phone). If you have a Gmail account that will prob make life easy for you?
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Old Jul 24, 2016, 5:44 am
  #3  
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I agree, the email confirmations do contain a lot of chaff and are also light on fare details, change conditions etc.

Using the BA App does allow one to eliminate the paperwork entirely.
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Old Jul 24, 2016, 5:44 am
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If you want to save paper how come you are printing bps? Surely mobile bps would be better?
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Old Jul 24, 2016, 5:46 am
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Originally Posted by SgtRyan
Why can't you request a SMS the day before travel with the booking ref, pnr, etickets number etc? Wouldn't that be easier?
For many reasons:
1>, Receiving SMS can cost a lot when you are in a foreign country roaming
2>, Some immigration procedures require you to have a PHYSICAL copy of your E-ticket (for instance, 72 hours transit visa in China; entry to the USA [never checked but recommended to keep one handy])
3>, For record keeping sake
4>, and other reasons
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Old Jul 24, 2016, 5:49 am
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100% agree - the current format is very poorly thought out.

I for one would really appreciate an email with more than 1 PDF attachment, as follows:

1. Bare bones info i.e. flight details, booking ref., ticket number and e.g. luggage allowance. A single page if possible.

2. Supporting information - Ts&Cs etc.

3. Detailed fare information - fare basis, fare rules, fare breakdown (base fare, fees, charges...)

I can't see any downside to a honest company providing this...

Also, the above is a trivial technical change which would be a big plus for the customer.

I understand why Cruz is trying to drive out costs but it would be nice if he also set a team to find cheap ways of delighting the customer...
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Old Jul 24, 2016, 5:50 am
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Originally Posted by KARFA
If you want to save paper how come you are printing bps? Surely mobile bps would be better?
Because you could loose your phone on your way to airport; being stolen on London underground; or simply dropped to Thames river while you are texting; even run out of battery second before you reach the T5 security check. Always better to have a printed back up in case things go wrong.
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Old Jul 24, 2016, 5:50 am
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If 3) and 4) are just your own records why not print the e-ticket as a pdf and keep them in a folder on your pc. You get an email eticket anyway so perhaps have an eticket folder in your email account.

I haven't ever been asked to show my eticket on entering the US - in fact I don't think I have been asked anywhere for one, although I haven't done the TWOV in China yet.
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Old Jul 24, 2016, 5:52 am
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Originally Posted by chongcao
Because you could loose your phone on your way to airport; being stolen on London underground; or simply dropped to Thames river while you are texting; even run out of battery second before you reach the T5 security check. Always better to have a printed back up in case things go wrong.
Well if you take that approach I am afraid you aren't really saving any paper. Bps can be obtained from the SSCi machines or manned check in desks anyway should those misfortunes happen to you.
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Old Jul 24, 2016, 5:58 am
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Originally Posted by KARFA
If 3) and 4) are just your own records why not print the e-ticket as a pdf and keep them in a folder on your pc. You get an email eticket anyway so perhaps have an eticket folder in your email account.
FYI, I always use used paper to print our boarding pass. But that is besides the point. The point here is why BA can not do what other airlines do by providing one page E-ticket solution.

I haven't ever been asked to show my eticket on entering the US - in fact I don't think I have been asked anywhere for one, although I haven't done the TWOV in China yet.
Originally Posted by TIMATIC
USA - Destination Visa

Visa required.
...

Additional information:

The following applies to those traveling under the US Visa Waiver Program:

Passengers must have a biometric passport.

...

A return/onward ticket (or electronic ticket record) must be to a final destination country other than Canada, Mexico or contiguous (adjacent) countries or territories situated in or bordering the Caribbean Sea. If a passenger holds proof of residence in Canada, Mexico or a contiguous (adjacent) country or territory and is transiting the USA to that country or territory, then an onward/return ticket to that country or territory is accepted.

...

Important:

Passengers must have an ESTA authorization obtained at https://esta.cbp.dhs.gov/ and are advised to check their ESTA status prior to travel.

Visitors must hold a return/onward ticket to qualify for a visa exemption.
USA never checks, I have never been checked. But requirement is there. And travellers are responsible themselves to provide E-ticket when asked by agents.
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Old Jul 24, 2016, 6:01 am
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Originally Posted by KARFA
If 3) and 4) are just your own records why not print the e-ticket as a pdf and keep them in a folder on your pc. You get an email eticket anyway so perhaps have an eticket folder in your email account.

I haven't ever been asked to show my eticket on entering the US - in fact I don't think I have been asked anywhere for one, although I haven't done the TWOV in China yet.
I have my laptop save all downloaded docs as PDFs, I don't think I would print out an e ticket normally, just save it to my phone.
Never been to China so can't comment on that.
If I really HAD to print one out I would just choose the relevant pages.
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Old Jul 24, 2016, 6:02 am
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Originally Posted by chongcao
USA never checks, I have never been checked. But requirement is there. And travellers are responsible themselves to provide E-ticket when asked by agents.
Where does it say you must have a paper copy to hand?
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Old Jul 24, 2016, 6:02 am
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Originally Posted by KARFA
Well if you take that approach I am afraid you aren't really saving any paper. Bps can be obtained from the SSCi machines or manned check in desks anyway should those misfortunes happen to you.
That's exactly what I do. Check in online but get a BP at the airport. No need to print anything off or rely on any devices.

Plus of course most printers can be instructed to only print off the pages you need, for example if it's pages 3 and 4.
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Old Jul 24, 2016, 6:03 am
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I don't think I've printed a ticket out since 2003
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Old Jul 24, 2016, 6:04 am
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Originally Posted by missdimeaner
I have my laptop save all downloaded docs as PDFs, I don't think I would print out an e ticket normally, just save it to my phone.
Never been to China so can't comment on that.
If I really HAD to print one out I would just choose the relevant pages.
I would agree, wouldn't do that either. I get the email ticket and it goes in to a folder in my email if I need it again. That's enough for me, however I think the OP needs it.
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