It is also available on all tickets. "E-ticketing allows greater flexibility for the passenger. Changes to itineraries, change of flights can all be carried out without the passenger having to visit an airline office," said Alan Wong, Cathay Pacific general manager for Hong Kong and China.
The only drawback to the system is that the service is only available on Cathay flights to 15 destinations on the airline's network. Use of another carrier or an airport without e-ticketing facilities renders the service invalid. Nevertheless, Cathay intends to include more routes in the future.
Travel agents can access Cathay's e-ticketing through Abacus. "The customer has to pick up the phone and book. Then, all the travel agent has to do is fax a copy of the reservation to the client," said Wong. "The system will allow travel agents to improve their efficiency by enabling them to reduce the costs involved in issuing the ticket. They will certainly cut back on the cost of couriers and delivery agents. We have received very positive feedback from travel agents," he added.