Cape Town - The Atraxis software group, which has provided South African Airways` (SAA) new IT system, will try out new technology enabling passengers to download valid airline tickets from the Internet and print them at home.
It said yesterday that, together with California-based E-stamp, a leading provider of technology for secure Internet-based transactions, it would conduct the first trial of the new ticketing technology in the third quarter of this year.
SAA was still using out-of-date software developed more than 20 years ago until it switched to Atraxis earlier this year, taking a stake in Atraxis` South African operation. Atraxis is a subsidiary of the Swiss-based SAir group, SAA`s strategic equity partner.
Bob Williams, managing director of online travel agency e-travel, said Atraxis provided services to about 48 airlines and 36 airports.
A statement issued by Atraxis said the new ticket-printing at home technology could lead to huge savings in time and cost and make it easier to change bookings at the last minute.
British Airways and its franchise holder, BA/Comair, have already introduced ticketless travel in South Africa. This also saves time by enabling passengers to book by telephone giving a credit card number and obtain boarding cards by swiping the card through a machine at the airport.
Other moves by the airline industry to cut costs through doing business on-line include the setting up of online purchasing companies by two rival groups of airlines, to put pressure on suppliers through their combined purchasing power, and a plan by 11 airlines to launch their own online travel agency later this year.