Online Airline Booking Regulations
Over the last 15 years, use of online booking systems has become very important for the traveler. These systems leverage the Internet to research and establish ticket transactions by either visiting a discount-aggregation site or an airline site. Concerning online regulations, the three types of booking sites--discount-aggregation, direct domestic and international--offer a mix of common and dissimilar rules.
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Discount/Aggregation
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These sites connect the traveler to hundreds of airline offers via a central Site. The advantage of the sites is speed and potential competitive advantage. In the latter case, the traveler has an opportunity to compare pricing and schedules to make the most efficient decision. Some of the booking regulations for this type of site exhibit the terms of carriage, limitations on what can, and cannot, be done online, and any hidden fees that may be associated with the transaction. To review additional regulations associated with electronic booking, you can visit several ticket aggregation sites below:
Customer Service
Trip Network Inc. (d/b/a CheapTickets)
500 W. Madison St., Suite 1000, Chicago, IL 60661
1-888-922-8849 (within the United States)
http://www.cheaptickets.comPriceline Inc.
800 Connecticut Ave.
Norwalk, CT 06850
(800) 774-2354
http://www.priceline.comOrbitz
500 W Madison St., Suite 1000
Chicago, IL 60661-2559
(312) 894-5000
http://www.orbitz.com
Direct Domestic
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These sites are similar to discount/aggregation systems. However, since transactions are directly governed by the airline, additional rules typically exist. When dealing with electronic transactions, issues of privacy are particularly important to both the airline and the traveler. For example, when a traveler registers to book a ticket, does the airline "own" the traveler's information and can it be automatically used to deliver other additional sales? Or, can this information be sold or offered to third-party affiliate companies? Questions like these are representative of direct airline booking sites. To review additional regulations, visit some of these companies:
Southwest Airlines
P.O. Box 36647-1CR
Dallas, TX 75235-1647
(800) 435-9792
http://www.southwest.comUS Airways
Customer Relations
4000 E. Sky Harbor Blvd.
Phoenix, AZ 85034
(800) 428-4322
http://www2.usairways.comDelta Air Lines, Inc.
1030 Delta Blvd.
Atlanta, GA 30320-6001
(404) 715-2600
http://www.delta.com
Direct International
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Because international travel is involved, there are a number of specific conditions that govern online booking transactions. Some of these include how a traveler re-confirms a ticket purchase in the event that a flight schedule was changed by the airline, specific check-in requirements for electronic ticketing, passport and visa requirements, baggage constraints and the handling of tickets for children. Additional international online booking regulations can be reviewed by visiting the airline sites below:
SAS Customer Relations
Dept CPHSK
P.O.Box 150
2770 Kastrup, Denmark
+45-32-32-5655
http://www.flysas.comBritish Airways
Customer Relations (S506)
PO Box 5619 Sudbury, Suffolk CO10 2PG
+08-44-49-3-0787
http://www.britishairways.comLufthansa
Von-Gablenz-Strasse 2-6
Cologne 50679. Germany
+49-2-21-826-39-92
http://www.lufthansa.com
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