Endorsable ticketing system runs smoothly

Endorsable ticketing system runs smoothly

JAKARTA (JP): The endorsable ticketing system which allows
passengers to use tickets from one airline on other carriers on
the same domestic route is running smoothly despite a lack of
comprehension, an executive said.

Secretary-General of the Indonesian National Air Carriers
Association's Benny Rungkat said yesterday that after three years
of preparation, the endorsable tickets were introduced July 2.

"It's been a breeze. There have been no obstacles at all since
the introduction of the scheme," he said.

But he admitted that there was still a lack of awareness of
the scheme and comprehension of its finer details.

"(Airline) personnel have to master the manual procedures. But
this is just a matter of time," said Rungkat who is also an
executive of the privately-owned air carrier Bouraq Indonesia.

Association chairman, Soelarto Hadisumarto, reiterated
yesterday that the endorsable ticket system aimed to end the
price war among the six scheduled domestic airlines. They are
Garuda Indonesia, Merpati Nusantara Airlines, Bouraq, Mandala
Airlines, Sempati Air and Dirgantara Air Service.

He said that 10 travel agents -- out of 300 nationally -- were
involved in the scheme.

Endorsable tickets allow domestic passengers to change their
bookings to other airlines if they cannot use their original
booking. Changes are allowed if there is a delay or a canceled
flight.

Soelarto said other circumstances and reasons to allow changes
were still being discussed. Bank Central Asia has been appointed
the clearing bank to supervise payments for endorsable tickets.

He said that passengers holding executive-class tickets, for
instance, would be refunded if they were rerouted economy class.

Eventually 70 percent of all tickets will be endorsable while
the remaining 30 percent will be restricted to individual
airlines. (icn)