Domestic airline to use endorsable ticket system<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): After two years preparation, six domestic
\nairlines will introduce today endorsable tickets allowing
\npassengers to use tickets from one airline on other carriers.<\/p>\n
The Indonesian National Air Carriers Association's (INACA)
\nchairman, Soelarto Hadisumarto, said yesterday the endorsable
\nticket system aimed to end the price war among the six scheduled
\ndomestic airlines. They are Garuda Indonesia, Merpati Nusantara
\nAirlines, Bouraq Indonesia, Mandala Airlines, Sempati Air and
\nDirgantara Air Service.<\/p>\n
\"The endorsable ticket system will be fully operational later
\nthis month or early June. We using this one-month period as a
\nsoft operation,\" he said after reporting to the minister of
\ntransportation, Haryanto Dhanutirto.<\/p>\n
Soelarto said INACA would arrange ticket distribution to
\nseveral ticket sales offices and travel agencies over the next
\nmonth.<\/p>\n
Domestic passengers who hold endorsable tickets can change
\ntheir booking to another airline they cannot use their original
\nbooking.<\/p>\n
Changes will be allowed if there is a delay of at least two
\nhours or a canceled flight.<\/p>\n
Soelarto said other reasons to allow changes were being
\ndiscussed.<\/p>\n
He said Bank Central Asia had been appointed as the clearing
\nbank to supervise payments for endorsable tickets.<\/p>\n
Haryanto said the scheme, technically supported by the
\nInternational Air Transport Association, would be effective in
\nending the price war.<\/p>\n
\"I am quite happy this system is now ready after two years of
\npreparation,\" he said.<\/p>\n
\"Any discounts from travel agents or the airlines will no
\nlonger exist. Sometimes I was confused because some airlines
\ncried out for government-mandated higher fares but several others
\nwere willing to offer fare discounts of up to 40 percent,\" he
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
He said government-set airfares would not change.<\/p>\n
Under Decree No. 20\/1996, dated April 3, 1996, and signed by
\nHaryanto, airfares were increased for both jet and non-jet
\nservices.<\/p>\n
The increases ranged between US$0.11 a passenger a kilometer
\nfor a distance over 1,500 kilometers for jets and Rp $0.108 a
\npassenger a kilometer for a distances over 150 kilometers for
\nother planes.<\/p>\n
Airfare hikes will be calculated automatically every six
\nmonths in line with the rupiah's fluctuation against the U.S.
\ndollar.<\/p>\n
In 1995 the six airlines signed an agreement limiting
\ndiscounts for travel agents to seven percent, far less than
\nprevious discounts of more than 40 percent. (icn)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/domestic-airline-to-use-endorsable-ticket-system-1447893297",
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