Endorsable ticketing system questioned

JAKARTA (JP): Indonesia's Travel Agencies Association (Asita) has urged the government and the Indonesian National Air Carriers Association (INACA) to safeguard the implementation of the endorsable ticketing system for domestic flights amid the price war currently raging among domestic airlines.

Head of the Jakarta branch of Asita, Meity Robot, said on Tuesday that the domestic scheduled airlines, despite their 1997 agreement on the endorsable ticketing scheme, still charged different prices.

"Airline companies have acknowledged offering different levels of fare discounts, thereby making it difficult for travel agencies to set the prices of airline tickets for the endorsable scheme," Meity told Antara.

Expressing utter disappointment over the price war, Meity said travel agencies invested a great deal in their computer reservation system to run the endorsable ticketing program.

The system, which started on July 2, 1997, allows domestic passengers to change to other airlines if they cannot use their original booking.

Changes are allowed if there is a delay or a canceled flight by domestic airlines Garuda Indonesia, Merpati Nusantara Airlines, Bouraq, Mandala Airlines and Dirgantara Air Service.

At the introduction of the system, INACA chairman Soelarto Hadisumarto said the endorsable ticketing system was designed to end the price war among airlines.

Raymond Setokusumo, another Asita executive, criticized the inconsistency on the part of domestic airlines in the application of document standards set by INACA.

"This inconsistency has forced travel agencies to invest in different ticketing systems for each of the domestic airlines, unlike the system for international airlines, which was standardized and therefore much more efficient," he added. (01)