Even when the ticket is paper, why does the physical ticket matter?
Dec 6, 2002 | 11:23 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Nov 1999
Location: if it's Thursday, this must be Belgium
Programs: UA 1K MM
Posts: 6,579
Even when the ticket is paper, why does the physical ticket matter?
This puzzles me, as I lost one of my tickets a few months ago, and had to go through the trouble of replacing it, etc. Even when you're issued a paper ticket nowadays, why does the physical ticket matter anymore -- it's not like it's transferable? Isn't it just a printout of a record that is electronic? What makes it different?
Also, curious: does anyone still use the duplicate red carbon ticket stock in this day? I don't think I've seen that for years now!
Also, curious: does anyone still use the duplicate red carbon ticket stock in this day? I don't think I've seen that for years now!
Dec 6, 2002 | 2:19 pm
#3
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Jul 1999
Location: Over the Bay Bridge, CA
Programs: Jumbo mas
Posts: 42,604
An airline ticket is a negotiable instrument - transferable, endorseable, refundable (of course, subject to restrictions), and payable upon presentation to the escrow fundsholder (in the US, that's the ARC). They are almost like cash in their blank form.
Dec 6, 2002 | 2:28 pm
#4
Join Date: Aug 2001
Location: Boston, MA, USA
Posts: 1,470
Unless things have changed recently, I believe you also need a paper ticket if you need to change flights between different airlines. For example, you reach a hub late and your connection has left, but there is another flight leaving soon on a different airline to the same destination. You need a paper ticket from the first airline to get a seat on the second airline.
------------------
Michael Steinberg
Editor
BizTrip
http://www.biztrip.com
------------------
Michael Steinberg
Editor
BizTrip
http://www.biztrip.com
Dec 6, 2002 | 3:07 pm
#5
Original Poster
Join Date: Nov 1999
Location: if it's Thursday, this must be Belgium
Programs: UA 1K MM
Posts: 6,579
<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by Eastbay1K:
An airline ticket is a negotiable instrument - transferable, endorseable, refundable (of course, subject to restrictions)</font>
An airline ticket is a negotiable instrument - transferable, endorseable, refundable (of course, subject to restrictions)</font>
Dec 6, 2002 | 6:32 pm
#6
Join Date: Sep 2000
Location: UK
Posts: 3,081
<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by TA:
Wait a second. If every one of these possibilities is restricted so much to make it impossible, what's the difference between that and a non-paper ticket? Most tickets I've ever seen are not transferable, not endorsable, and not refundable! </font>
Wait a second. If every one of these possibilities is restricted so much to make it impossible, what's the difference between that and a non-paper ticket? Most tickets I've ever seen are not transferable, not endorsable, and not refundable! </font>
I cancelled the ticket for a small fee and sent it back for refund. It got lost in the post !! I was told I'd have to wait 6 months for my refund to make sure the ticket wasn't used. Luckily 5 weeks later it was returned to sender and I managed to get my refund within 10 weeks .
Paper tickets are a pain in the butt, e tickets can be refunded faster than paper.
Nigel
Dec 7, 2002 | 7:55 pm
#7
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Jul 1999
Location: Over the Bay Bridge, CA
Programs: Jumbo mas
Posts: 42,604
<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by TA:
Wait a second. If every one of these possibilities is restricted so much to make it impossible, what's the difference between that and a non-paper ticket? Most tickets I've ever seen are not transferable, not endorsable, and not refundable! </font>
Wait a second. If every one of these possibilities is restricted so much to make it impossible, what's the difference between that and a non-paper ticket? Most tickets I've ever seen are not transferable, not endorsable, and not refundable! </font>
Remember, there are still full F C and Y tickets out there. When I said transferable, I didn't mean between people but to another airline, etc. And any airlines with agreements can choose to endorse/accept to/from another despite the restriction (such as in the case of a flight cancellation). If you "wrote yourself" a ticket on blank ticket stock, say, an LAX/LHR in F, you'd have a $12K cash equivilent, subject to the ticket # being reported stolen.
Dec 8, 2002 | 2:52 pm
#8
Join Date: Dec 2001
Programs: AA PLT 2MM
Posts: 577
<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by TA:
Also, curious: does anyone still use the duplicate red carbon ticket stock in this day? I don't think I've seen that for years now! </font>
Also, curious: does anyone still use the duplicate red carbon ticket stock in this day? I don't think I've seen that for years now! </font>
And as an added bonus, upon handing in your red carbon tissue-paper ticket to check in for a VN flight, you receive a handwritten boarding pass, on which they sometimes don't even bother to write your name. Fortunately, Vietnam is currently one of the safest countries in the world, so I suppose it's no problem. 
Dec 8, 2002 | 9:10 pm
#9
Join Date: Jul 2001
Location: Citizen of Canada, Member of the World!
Programs: AA, AB, AC, AD, AE, AF, AG... you get the picture
Posts: 2,091
<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by TA:
Also, curious: does anyone still use the duplicate red carbon ticket stock in this day? I don't think I've seen that for years now! </font>
Also, curious: does anyone still use the duplicate red carbon ticket stock in this day? I don't think I've seen that for years now! </font>
Dec 9, 2002 | 8:10 am
#10
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: London
Programs: Mucci. Nothing else matters.
Posts: 38,752
Paper tickets don't have electronic records equivalent to those created for electronic tickets. As I understand it, an e-ticket will have information about each "coupon" comprised within the ticket, the information stored on it, the changes that have been made to it and (most importantly) the date on which it is used.
If you have a paper ticket, all that information is on the paper itself. That's why the airline needs it.
If you have a paper ticket, all that information is on the paper itself. That's why the airline needs it.
Dec 9, 2002 | 11:15 am
#12
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jun 2002
Location: n.y.c.
Posts: 14,059
<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by businesstraveler:
Unless things have changed recently, I believe you also need a paper ticket if you need to change flights between different airlines. For example, you reach a hub late and your connection has left, but there is another flight leaving soon on a different airline to the same destination. You need a paper ticket from the first airline to get a seat on the second airline.
</font>
Unless things have changed recently, I believe you also need a paper ticket if you need to change flights between different airlines. For example, you reach a hub late and your connection has left, but there is another flight leaving soon on a different airline to the same destination. You need a paper ticket from the first airline to get a seat on the second airline.
</font>
Dec 9, 2002 | 12:14 pm
#13
Join Date: Nov 2002
Location: Washington,DC
Programs: UA 1K, AA EP, HH Gold, SPG/Marriott Gold, Hyatt Plat
Posts: 89
<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by TA:
Also, curious: does anyone still use the duplicate red carbon ticket stock in this day? I don't think I've seen that for years now! </font>
Also, curious: does anyone still use the duplicate red carbon ticket stock in this day? I don't think I've seen that for years now! </font>
Dec 9, 2002 | 6:04 pm
#14
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: London
Programs: Mucci. Nothing else matters.
Posts: 38,752
<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by Tango:
The computer record for paper and electronic is the same. The only difference is in the ticket number. A TE is put in front of the ticket number to state that it is electronic.</font>
The computer record for paper and electronic is the same. The only difference is in the ticket number. A TE is put in front of the ticket number to state that it is electronic.</font>
Dec 9, 2002 | 9:15 pm
#15
Join Date: Jun 1999
Location: Rio de Janeiro, BRAZIL
Programs: AA 4MM EXP; Starwood Lifetime Plt
Posts: 2,498
<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by TA:
Also, curious: does anyone still use the duplicate red carbon ticket stock in this day? I don't think I've seen that for years now! </font>
Also, curious: does anyone still use the duplicate red carbon ticket stock in this day? I don't think I've seen that for years now! </font>