KLM Royal Dutch Airlines first to introduce new technology

E-Tickets will be available on KLM.COM and through KLM's reservation department. The second stage due shortly will provide travelers with the ability of acquiring E-Tickets through their preferred Travel Agencies.

E-Ticketing is an extension of the airline industry embracing e-business.
The US has consistently lead the way, take KLM's Partners Northwest Airlines for instance, one in five tickets it sells are booked online, one in every two passengers check in automatically or via the internet, and nine out of ten passengers travel on e-tickets. "We expect much the same to happen in the Gulf over the next decade" reported Dimitry Wams from KLM's Head office in Amsterdam.

"Travel is the best selling product on the Internet and we at KLM intend to offer our Gulf customers the best in on-line services," commented Leon Weerts, Regional Marketing Manager for the Gulf, "at KLM.com we offer the best incentives for Gulf Travelers to book on-line. Visiting KLM.com will guarantee exceptional offers, e-discounts on travel, fly drive and hotel packages. We currently pursue a fantastic all year round Destination of the Month promotion as well as incredible deals for flights to over 400 destinations around the world with KLM and partners, Northwest Airlines.

"Being the first to launch E-Ticketing in the UAE shows our commitment to offering an easy, fast and comfortable way of traveling to our Gulf Passengers", Weerts added, "With an E-Ticket our passengers do not have to worry about losing, receiving or collecting their tickets, because the information is safely stored in our KLM database in Dubai. Furthermore the customer service is much more flexible as we can change a booking 24 hours a day, simply by one phone call or at home over the Internet.

Quicker and easier
Passengers traveling on e-tickets do not receive a paper ticket. Proof of reservation is not required (but recommended), because the traveler's personal and flight data are electronically stored in KLM's reservations system. At check-in, e-ticket passengers simply present their passport and trip summary to the desk employee, who then prints a boarding pass at the press of a button.

A further advantage of e-tickets is that they cannot be lost or stolen. If they wish, passengers can request a printout of their itinerary and ticket data when booking their flight or at the check-in desk or KLM ticket office.

E-ticket passengers, traveling with carry-on baggage only from Amsterdam, can use KLM's e-service centers for self-service check in (e-check-in available at Amsterdam Airport Schiphol only). Naturally, e-ticket passengers are subject to the same security measures as passengers with paper tickets and must present proper documentation at passport control.