How do you get your flight ticket in electronic format?
Nowadays, the vast majority of procedures are carried out online. Time savings, quick receipt of documents and savings on printing costs – these benefits also apply to the air travel sector. You can make your booking via your airline’s website or mobile app whilst at the office or at home, without having to rely on ticket office opening hours.
Once your payment has been confirmed, you’ll receive a confirmation email, along with your flight documents, at the email address you provided during purchase. You can choose to print your flight ticket or save your e-ticket digitally. Sometimes, it’s better to rely on a perfectly legible digital ticket than a poorly printed booking confirmation.
However, before deciding on one or the other, always make sure to check the terms and conditions accepted by your airline. Even though digital tickets are becoming more widespread, your airline may not always be able to accept them.
The e-ticket contains all the information relating to your journey, just like the paper version: your personal details, your booking reference, flight details (airline name, date, destination, times, flight number), the number of bags, and the size and weight limits for each.
E-tickets offer greater traceability and make it easier to make changes to your booking, as there is no need to post paper documents back by post.
3 ways to save your flight ticket on your mobile phone
Once you have received your flight documents in your email inbox, there are various ways to save your flight ticket directly to your mobile phone so you can find it more quickly.
1. Your airline’s app
If your airline has a dedicated app, it will be able to centralise all the information relating to your flight. Simply download and install the app, then create a customer account to download your e-ticket. Some apps also offer widgets that display information on your home screen (flight time, seat number, QR code, etc.).
2. A digital wallet app
Don’t panic if your airline doesn’t have its own app! There are other ways to store your e-ticket on your smartphone. You can use Google Wallet on Android or Apple Wallet on Apple devices.
The Wallet app allows you to store digital copies of your tickets. Once the app is installed on your mobile, you’ll see the option ‘Add to Google Wallet’ or ‘Add to Apple Wallet’ appear after completing the online payment.
Once at the airport, head to a ticket scanner and simply hold your unlocked smartphone over it. You can also open the Wallet app and display the QR code for your digital ticket in full-screen view.
3. A tip to avoid network issues
Worried you might lose your connection before you can show proof of your booking? In that case, you can take a screenshot. Your flight ticket will then be saved in your smartphone’s photo gallery, and you can access it even without a network connection.
If you’re travelling with others, remember to make a backup copy. Use one of the methods explained above to save your ticket on your travel companion’s phone and vice versa. This precaution can save you a lot of hassle if your phone is lost or stolen, or even if the screen breaks.
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