RTW Ticket 'Receipt' - essential for travel?

[tuapekastar]

If I could beg the indulgence of the board once again please...

I have to cancel my OWE Round the World trip (a shame, but circumstances dictate it).

The issue though is, as a result of my cancellation, one of my travelling companions will need to re-route, which I presume means a re-issue (it is ticketed and 1st leg is next Tues 11th April).

She has an itinerary and a receipt which were mailed to her by AA in Sydney (consists of coupons which look a bit like boarding passes, and say things like "electronic ticket", "passenger itinerary" and "not valid for transportation" on them.

Assuming I can organise the re-routing ok (going to do that right after this post, through AA ATW desk), then I guess the ticket has to be repriced and reissued (through AA Sydney).

Given she is departing next Tuesday I can see a potential problem having the re-issued itinerary and receipt physically delivered to her prior to departure....is this likely to be a problem (the 'receipt' recommends carrying it through the trip)? She could certainly take the old one along and most of the itinerary and taxes etc, will match what is on that.

I guess people make these sorts of changes mid-trip quite often. How do they cope with similar issues?

Could AA have the re-issued stuff available for her to collect at one of the airports along the way eg MEL, AKL, LAX? Or simply post it direct to her 1st stopover in NZ?

Any advice, experience or ideas? Am I worrying unnecessarily?
Thanks

 

[NM]

For OWE issued by QF, I have always just used an email itinerary/receipt I receive from the travel agent. She emails it to me, I print it out and carry it with me.

So long as the info includes the issued ticket number as well as the flight details you should be ok. Just having the booking reference is not sufficient since airlines use different reservation systems and the booking reference for one airline may be different to another, even for the same ticket/itinerary.

If in doubt, ask the person re-issuing the ticket what the traveller will require by way of proof of ticket and itinerary.

 

[tuapekastar]

For OWE issued by QF, I have always just used an email itinerary/receipt I receive from the travel agent. She emails it to me, I print it out and carry it with me.

So long as the info includes the issued ticket number as well as the flight details you should be ok. Just having the booking reference is not sufficient since airlines use different reservation systems and the booking reference for one airline may be different to another, even for the same ticket/itinerary.

If in doubt, ask the person re-issuing the ticket what the traveller will require by way of proof of ticket and itinerary.

Thanks NM, sage advice as usual. Will check with AA Sydney as to what is required. I'm sure if snail mail isn't going to cut it, then something via e-mail and/or fax should do the trick.

 

[RTWFF]

Evidence

1 I wonder how many people have ever been asked by any immigration agent anywhere in the world to produce the e-ticket - I certainly haven't and I know of no-one who has. Demanding the paper ticket was certainly a popular form of harassment at Sydney Airport a few years ago, but that was at the baggage search stage

2 Given the prevalence of word-processors, would an immigration agent who merely wanted to see a piece of paper be any the wiser that it was something you'd run up on your home computer the night before?

 

[serfty]

1 I wonder how many people have ever been asked by any immigration agent anywhere in the world to produce the e-ticket - I certainly haven't and I know of no-one who has. Demanding the paper ticket was certainly a popular form of harassment at Sydney Airport a few years ago, but that was at the baggage search stage

There's always gunna be the day when you need it; e.g. The computers may "go down". It's better to be safe than sorry.

2 Given the prevalence of word-processors, would an immigration agent who merely wanted to see a piece of paper be any the wiser that it was something you'd run up on your home computer the night before?

... So long as the info includes the issued ticket number as well as the flight details you should be ok. ...

As NM posted, the ticket number and flight details re the important things.

*Edited to Add: NB, this is specifically for E-Tickets.

 

[flyer4703]

Just back from a trip on OWE ticket issued by Qantas had several changes while I was traveling checked in for all flights with the original ticket receipt without any problems.

 

[NM]

The issue is not so much one for proving anything to immigration (although that can be required). It is about the fact that the airlines still have different reservation systems that are only partially linked. But an immigration officer is perfectly able to ask for proof of departure from the country, and I am sure if happens from time to time.

A check-in agent may not be able to see all the connecting flights through their reservation system and if you want to check bags through to those flights they need some way of knowing what flights you are booked on. They can usually see the immediate connections as Info segments in their res system if the connections are with an airline that uses a different system. But they may only see the immediately adjacent flights and not the rest.

This is why just having the booking airlines reloc is not sufficient. You need to have the ticket number, which is one of the main pieces of information they look for on the e-ticket receipt.

I have been asked for it by security staff at NRT airport. After arriving from ORD on AA, I had to change terminals to connect to a QF flight. The security staff want to know that you are transferring to the correct terminal and want to see the ticket or e-ticket receipt. On that trip I did not have it with me, but was able to show the baggage receipt that showed the connecting flight details which was sufficient to permit be to pass through the x-ray scan and onto the bus to the other terminal.

 

[Mal]

Re: Evidence

1 I wonder how many people have ever been asked by any immigration agent anywhere in the world to produce the e-ticket - I certainly haven't and I know of no-one who has.

I have. Both by checkin agents to prove that I was not a risk to the airline if immigration denied me entry, and also by immigration when sussing me out over the nature of my entry to that country.

Wise to carry any evidence of hotel bookings, receipts etc with you. May save lots of questioning later...

2 Given the prevalence of word-processors, would an immigration agent who merely wanted to see a piece of paper be any the wiser that it was something you'd run up on your home computer the night before?

I wonder more about online checkin and the boarding passes you print off yourself... Both are insecure really, and may give you extra access to areas in an international airport you shouldn't have.