Classification of Airline Tickets: Airline ticket refers to printed document issued by travel agent or airport travel desk which makes eligible the passenger to occupy the seat in the aero plane. There are main three types of air tickets are issued to the passengers like- an automatically copied ticket, an automatic coupon ticket with a boarding pass and manual form.
Later in this regard IATA (International Air Transport Association) has made a rule that the ticket, whoever travel agent is issuing but it should be easily understandable by any other agent across the world.Â
Therefore, each ticket contains the information includes name of the flight, route type, fare type and precincts imposed by the airlines. The detail information of the Ticket is stored under the unique code called PNR.
In the aviation and travel industries, a passenger name record (PNR) is a unique code is given so that all the information is stored under the name of the PNR which is generally stored in the database of a computer reservation system (CRS).
The CRS contains the detailed itinerary of a traveller, or a group of travellers which are travelling with common goals and interest together. The objective behind to introduce the concept of PNR by airlines to exchange the reservation information in case the travellers required to change the multiple flights on the Journeys. Â
The Internet has a notable effect on the aviation industry. Today an internet booking engine (IBE) has made a great impact on the travel and tourism industry an application especially supporting its reservation system by using the Internet.
These engines also provide the additional recent features such as multiple route search fare comparison etc, so that passengers may book the tickets to travel according to their choice. The latest information technology and the Internet have positive impact and transform the tourism and hospitality industry.
It gives the advantages to the customers with the huge amount of travel information regarding the tourism destinations and the various modes of transportation options are available.
It also helps to create awareness to customers. It has been seen that from the last decade the internet has transform the tourism and travel business, by which all the stakeholders in the industry and of course consumers have been benefited.
Now these days, it is possible to collect the information about the tourism destinations along with the travel options and pay visit even at unusual places which used to be unimaginable. The internet make easy to search the big deals on travel options offered by the travel companies through their websites etc.
The various travel companies offers the various packages deals and others marketing/promotional methods like cash back, EMI,s available and discounts etc. The internet also helps to others supporting industry like accommodation, travel agencies, restaurants and fast food chains, others travel related suppliers, becoming them prosperous day by day by encouraging them to sell their products and services through their websites.
Classification of Airline Tickets
In a simple language “Air tickets” refer to a specific printed document that confirm and gives assured seat on the aircraft for a particular journey opted by the passenger. These are required to submit at the airline ticket counter to get the Boarding pass before boarding to a aero plane.
It has been seen from the previous record that the tickets were prepared on piece of paper and were issued by the travel agencies or airline offices located at the specific locations like airports etc. Classification of Airline Tickets
With the help of the globalization and the recent expansion of aviation’s sector, the buying procedure of the air tickets has been tremendously changed and due to the latest technology like internet in the twenty first century, the various online portals of the travel companies are offering the online services to the customers/tourists to purchase the tickets in a one click.
Now these days buying an airline ticket has been becoming much easier and simplified by the rigorous use of an online reservations service. It is very easy to compare the prices and the itineraries of the destination routes and perform the bookings by using the online booking sites. Classification of Airline Tickets
To book the tickets online the passenger should only possess the basic knowledge of the internet and should know how to operate the various ticketing portals to get the possible fare for the destinations.
The only thing, which is person needs, is basic knowledge of internet and simple awareness regards the various ticketing portals in order to get the best possible fare. As in the previous section it has been discussed that there are main three types of main tickets which are issued. There are following major types of ticket formats:-Â
- Off-Premise Transitional Automated Ticket (OPTAT)
- Automated Ticket / Boarding Pass (ATB)
- Electronic Ticket (E-Ticket / ET)
Classification of Airline Tickets
a) Manual/ Hand Written Ticket
From the past two decades printing of the tickets were not in practice and this task was very expensive and moreover, it was also not possible to make and print the tickets while sitting at single place or from a single printer as well.
In this type of the ticket, the details shall be written manually by the booking agent. There are so called manual emergency ticket which shall be issued during any emergencies situations like malfunction or breakdown of computer or printer, etc.
The ticket may be issued by using 2 or 4 coupons along with the carbon copy so that the detailed information is contained and may be referred when it requires. If the choice of the airlines/flight is less in number, then the word “VOID” shall be marked on top of the ticket/coupons, the same shall be separated from perforation.Â
For the customer and use of the customers the last coupons shall be given, without this coupon ticket shall not be valid to travel.
b) Off-Premise Transitional Automated Ticket (OPTAT)
1.) Paper Ticket:
This type of the ticket is widely sold through the International Air Transport Association (IATA) – by all the licensed Travel Agencies. The paper ticket format is in the universal format/ document, which is issued by airline authorities to passengers. Â
This also issues in four flight coupons. There are the various other detailed mentioned on the tickets like segment of the Journey which shall be shaded brighter in color than other invalid segment of the journey. The brightest portion of the Journey shall be taken first according to the itinerary of travelers.Â
The ticket includes a passenger receipt coupons, light coupons, and the cover, which are attached altogether with notices and detailed information pertaining to the journey.
ii) Automated Ticket / Boarding Pass (ATB)s
It is issued in a single copy non coupons, with each coupon is imprinted separately. This type of Ticket is issued and passenger is having control over the series of cards that print the control, seat assignment, flight, and passenger information.
It comes along with the valid flight coupons per sector and the passenger receipt. This type of ticket is generally issued by the principal airlines/carriers. It has mainly two coupons/portions, the flight coupon and the passenger coupon, which can be used as boarding pass and these are separated by a perforation.
The Passengers receipts demonstrate the detailed information on the itinerary which shall be retained by the passenger. Classification of Airline Tickets
iii) Electronic Ticket (E-Ticket / ET)
This type of ticket is issued in the paper; it is also called the paperless ticket. The information on the ticket is stored electronically in GDS and Airline reservation system. The same may be booked by the passenger personally by visiting the travel agencies websites or company online portals.
The tickets shall be issued and shall be sent to the registered email- ID and mobile number. The message on phone received or email shall be shown to the airline executive at the respective airport along with their identity card proof then after verifying the identity of the travelers the boarding pass shall be issued per sector separately.
In order to issue the e-ticket, it is essential to have database in line with an airline reservation system. This is the system, connected to all the airline affiliations and travel agencies as well. The travelers may visit the websites for online collaborator and they can book the tickets as per choice of destination and type.Â
They are also offered the various methods of payment like credit cards or internet banking etc. After making the appropriate payment to the record of the electronic form regarding the e ticket goes into the database of the airlines.
 After placing the order, the record in electronic form regarding ticket goes into the airlines where the passenger’s spot lies. The passenger shall be receiving the online confirmation of the ticket and there is no need to print the same. The details of the passenger generally stores in the central reservation system. It reduces the worry of printing the ticket to board into the plane and also avoids any fear of forgetting or losing the same.
The passenger has freedom to report at the airport counter to get the boarding pass after showing the valid identity proof like Pan card, Departmental Identity card, Passport etc or many others, issued by the public or private undertakings along with  a copy of printed email containing the booking confirmation of the passengers..
To issue e-tickets, airlines must have a database that’s integrated with an airline’s passenger service system. That is then connected to all or any other partners — airlines, airports, ground transportation and travel agencies, as an example — to share real time information.
To book themselves on a flight, travelers can visit any number of Web-based ticketing sites. Once there, they will view the choices available and use a credit or open-end credit to buy their ticket. After placing the order, the electronic record of the ticket goes into the airline’s database, where it holds the passenger’s spot.
The electronic ticket is especially convenient since it confirms the acquisition of a ticket without the necessity of any printed document. The airline with which one travel, stores all the small print of the ticket in its central system of reservations.
 This means that no need to show a printed ticket in order to get on the plane and no worry about forgetting or losing the ticket. Having an electronic ticket, allows to go directly to the check-in counter holding with passport or identity card and a copy of the e-mail booking confirmation.
Also read Computerized Reservation System (CRS)
