BRITISH Airways is urging e-ticket take-up before it
becomes mandatory, as business agents make a plea for carriers to rethink the
administration of fines for paper tickets.
From Thursday, travel agents who issue a paper ticket
on an e-ticketable BA route will face a £25 agency debit memo.
The trade has welcomed the move towards e-tickets and
reports good customer take-up. E-tickets cannot be lost or stolen, and there
are no printing or postage costs.
But business agents say collecting the £25 fine
through an ADM will create more paperwork and costs, because ADMs can take
months to come through after the transaction.
When the ADM is issued, agents will have to pick up
the booking and invoice the fine to the customer, as well as check it against
the original booking.
BA says 77% of its itineraries are now e-ticketable
but only 55% of its customers are currently using the service. The carrier is
aiming for 100% worldwide e-tickets by December, with e-tickets on interline
routes with American Airlines and Qantas starting next month.
BA head of UK sales and marketing Tiffany Hall warned
agents could face significant fines if they do not change their ticketing
practices.
MyTravel corporate travel arm Business Travel
Management managing director Adam White – also chairman of the Guild of
Business Travel Agents technology working party – said the GBTA is writing to
airlines issuing e-tickets, including BA, asking them to look at the issue.
“Issuing the fine through an ADM is a quick fix which
we believe is not appropriate. It’s another example where there needs to be
more dialogue with organisations such as the GBTA.”
BA said it would not comment until it had received the
letter.