Endorsable ticketing system questioned

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)