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Paper Airline Tickets On The Brink Of Extinction
Luddite travelers may need to start making geek friends because the paper airline ticket will be all but extinct by the end of May.
Replacing paper tickets, and the elaborate global system that processed them, with electronic ticketing will save airlines $3 billion annually on the roughly 400 million tickets sold outside of the United States alone, according to the New York Times.
Apparently, 96.86 percent of tickets sold in the United States, Puerto Rico and the United States Virgin Islands last month were electronic, so it does appear that most people are able and willing to travel the digital way.
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Are You Traveling or Staying Put For Thanksgiving?
The holiday skies and roads are not so friendly this year. Gas prices are still soaring, and outrageously priced airline tickets paired with baggage fees are keeping many families grounded this holiday season. Instead of giving thanks at a table of aunts, uncles, and grandparents, many folks will be sharing a meal with neighborhood friends and their immediate family.
On Board and Ready To Buy
In a new move to up their retail, airlines may soon be offering more in-flight opportunities to purchase anything from limousine services to Broadway theater tickets. Though The New York Times reports that only American Airlines has begun limited testing of the retail concept, nearly all airline carriers have confirmed that they are planning to unveil similar expanded retail offerings on flights.
So why expand retail, especially in the midst of a recession?
Thinking of Taking a Trip? Some Airline Tickets Are on Sale
While most airlines have supersized their ticket prices to cover rising fuel costs others have begun to reduce rates on certain routes in an attempt to bump up demand. The New York Times put together a sale list that highlights bargains that could spark a little wanderlust in any homebody. The best deals include:
- American Airlines and its affiliate, American Eagle, have been offering some low fares to the Caribbean, the Bahamas, Mexico and Bermuda.
I'm Asking: Have You Ever Purchased or Transferred Miles?
Ahh, the challenge of racking up enough miles to actually use them for a free ticket. Business travelers and those who frequently fly via the same carrier can stock up for award travel, but did you know that many major airlines have expiration dates following a period of "non-activity" (usually between 18 and 24 months)?
If you want to still make use of those miles, you can purchase the remainder to get a free upgrade or trip in batches of 1,000 miles.
Airlines Will Require Your Birthdate When Booking Tickets
The TSA is making travel even more personal. While the whole-body imaging machines that virtually strips passengers are about as intimate as the airport gets, you'll soon be required to provide more details when booking your ticket for air travel.
The new Secure Travel program will be rolled out over the next 18 months, and beginning later this Summer passengers will be asked to supply a date-of-birth and gender when making a plane reservation.
How Airlines Could Jam 50% More Passengers on Planes
Most of you were pretty baffled when China's Spring Airlines announced it was considering selling standing-room seats on its planes, and the newest news in air travel might be just as jarring. British design company Design Q has come up with a concept it estimates would allow for a 50 percent increase in the number of passengers on board.
The design consists of rows of passengers sitting sideways and facing each other, instead of staring at the seat back in front of you.
Take a Fall/Winter Trip For Less on Alaska and Horizon Airlines
Two more airlines have joined the ring in the fight for Fall and Winter travel business. Alaska Airlines and Horizon Air (both subsidiaries of Alaska Air Group Inc.) announced a fare sale that in most cases covers trips over the next five months — pretty generous. The cheapest flights are those between West Coast cities, which are selling for as low as $29 one way.
Fly to and From New York This Fall For Less
There's a little pattern forming in the clouds. After Southwest announced its fare sale to encourage travel during the slower upcoming season, American Airlines came out with its own reduced fare plan. The handful of deals involving travel to and from NYC are pretty attractive.
Action Plan For When Your Flight Is Canceled
As travelers gear up for flying over the long Fourth of July weekend, fingers are crossed that travel schedules go as planned. Most plans will go off without a hitch, but there's always a few who get the short end of the travel stick when their flights are canceled. Weather, mechanical problems, and shortage of crew are a few reasons why flights might be delayed or canceled altogether.
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