TEETHINGproblems with electronic ticketing has hindered business travellers’ take-up of the system, although the number of users is slowly rising.
A survey by Company Barclaycard found only 19% of 2,000 travelling executives have used e-ticket (see table below) although 92% of these said they would try it again.
In the same survey in 1997/98, 12% said they had used the new product, which allows travellers to fly without a paper ticket.
Company Barclaycard marketing manager Simon Chick said: “There have been some hiccups which need to be overcome.”
The survey found common problems include the user’s card being rejected the first time it is used, travellers being unable to find the machines, and executives not being able to sit near colleagues when changing flights.
Meanwhile, the survey found that the take-up of the Internet as a booking tool is lagging behind e-ticket (see charts above right).
Only 8% of business travellers have booked flights on the Internet, although 61% said they would be prepared to do so. The level of reuse is high with 95% of those that had made flight reservations on the Internet saying they would use it again to book flights.