E-ticketing pretty much solve all SITI issues?
 

It used to be that ticketing an OWE starting at a frugal point such as IST or CAI involved booking, arranging advance payment, and arranging ticket delivery or pickup. Usually only the booking step was trivial and the other two ranged from not-too-bad to painful.

Has electronic ticketing made it as simple as calling the local rtw desk to make the booking, emailing or faxing the issuing office with PNR and a c/c image, and waiting for the e-ticket to be emailed? Seems much too easy and makes low fares too easy (in the airlines' eyes) to obtain.

The biggest obstacle still stays there, you have to physically start your trip from that "cheap" location, getting there usually needs "extra flying" and extra income for airlines, either cash or miles and in many cases for OW airlines, one could assume...

Without actually having my BA issued DONE at hand yet, both the ticketing and payment where as smooth as silk, I am not expecting the ticket pickup from their airport counter to be a nightmere either, after seeing so many positive comments about it here on FT.

Certainly you have valid point that e-tickets, in general, make life a lot easier.

Don't forget that over 16 segments means that a paper ticket will be issued! :)

That's hard to believe, but what do I know? Machine-issued paper tickets come with different limits for different carriers, depending on the carrier's software, so wouldn't at least the OW carriers who can do 20 paper segments already retain that ability for their e-tickets?

Certain OneWorld Cities NOT Electronic Ticket Capable
 

I am starting my 4th RTW ex-CAI in June (4th "head-to-tail"), and AA RTW desk told me that because my ticket included flights to CMB, it would have to be paper even if < 16 segments as CMB (and a few other cities in OW network) are not set up for electronic ticketing. I had considered just having DONE4 issued with < 16 segs and removing CMB flights, but Emeco will FedEx me the ticket, or have it delivered to my hotel in CAI.

As an addendum, when ending one RTW & starting another (in CAI), I like to overnight for 2 nights just in case there is a flight delay and I arrive in CAI a day later than expected.

Actually, as of 15 Jan 2005, the IATA intl sale indicators (SITI/SOTI/SOTO/SITO) became a thing of the past...

Well, the indicators may be gone but afaik I still cannot waltz into my local BA ATO and buy an xONEx ex-IST for ex-IST prices. Since BA/IST can't Fedex paper tickets (which I actually prefer over e-tickets) some people (e.g. my worrywart spouse) might appreciate getting an eticket after payment, instead of waiting until arrival there to pick up and inspect tickets.