Malawi introduces e-ticketing
Travel Agents Association of Malawi (TAAM) has announced that passengers travelling in Malawi must now book their flights and buy tickets electronically.
The association in collaboration with the Board of Airline Representatives (BAR) announced that the e-ticketing is in line with a new International Air Transport Association (IATA) requirement.
The new system came into effect on June 1.
“People who do not have access to the internet will have information about them entered and processed electronically by the air travel agents once they book a flight,” said BAR Chairman in Malawi, Grant Onyango.
“Information on the tickets, which includes the full name of the customer, ticket number and the amount paid, will be available at the airport,” said Onyango who is also Malawi Country Manager for Kenya Airways.
The system is said to have advantages such as convenience to customers as they can access tickets from any point in the world at a time convenient to them instead of booking their flights through air travel service providers, which operate within specified business times.
Some Malawians have however expressed surprise with the announcement, saying they have been using e-tickets for over four years now and wondered why it is being announced now.
“I once travelled to Uganda using an e-ticket which was just printed on plain white plain paper two years ago and I am surprised that they are saying they have just been introduced,” said Collins Mtika a Malawian journalist.
